Skate shoes are intended for use by skateboarders, but are also popular footwear for people who don't skate. A typical skate shoe is lightweight, with a rubber sole intended to protect the skater's foot while on the board while providing traction between the shoe and the board surface. Several different grip patterns are available on contemporary skate shoes.
Waffle Pattern
The waffle-grip skate shoe pattern is unique to the Vans company. Named for its resemblance to the grid shape of a breakfast waffle, this pattern has deep holes bored in the rubber sole. The waffle pattern is usually made up of small repeating diamond shapes. A strip under the center of the shoe has a different grip pattern made up of hexagon-shaped indentations to provide grip support for the ball of your foot.
Herringbone
The herringbone grip pattern is used by the Nike company on its Ruckus skate shoes. The herringbone pattern is used on different sections of the shoe in order to ensure that at least part of the shoe is lying flat on the skateboard at any given time. These sections are delineated by deep and wide furrows in the pattern. The herringbone pattern itself is made up of repeated peaks and troughs in the rubber soles.
Skid Grip
Similar to the herringbone pattern, the skid grip was developed by the Converse skate shoe company. This quite simple grip pattern consists of a shallow indented "V" pattern which is repeated from the toe to the heel of the shoe in unbroken lines. The "V" pattern used on the shoe's heel and inner portion is both larger and more deeply furrowed. The same pattern is used with smaller "V" shapes elsewhere on the shoe.
Considerations
Skateboarding typically causes a lot of friction on the sole of a skate shoe, and as a result many skate shoes wear out quite quickly. If you skate professionally or intensively, you may wear out a pair of shoes in as little as a day. The friction and traction exerted on the soles of your skate shoes will be affected not only by the shoes' grip pattern, but also by the surface of the board itself. Whether or not you use grip tape will also make a difference.
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