It used to be the case that most of the brands selling the best skate shoes for men were small, rider-owned labels. However, with skatewear itself and the sport’s increasing popularity – 2020 marks the sport’s first appearance in the Olympic Games – many of the big-league sports companies have managed to muscle their way in.

Here we take a look at the scene’s most dominant brands, and the reasons why they’re deserving of your hard-earned cash.

The Best Skate Shoes For Men

Nike SB

When Nike SB first emerged in 1997, it was received with disdain by the skateboarding community. A global sports conglomerate trying to capitalise on a sport defined by its anti-establishment ethos was never going to be an overnight success, though, was it?

Decades on, however, Nike SB has proven itself useful in bringing skateboarding to a wider audience. Plus, with some of the sport’s most iconic pro models – Stafan Janoski, we’re looking at you – it’s not hard to see why the brand has won the community’s respect.

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Vans

It would be impossible to overstate the impact Californian label Vans has had on skateboarding footwear. After all, it did single-handedly give rise to the entire concept.

Key styles like the Sk8 Hi and the Authentic have become skate-culture icons; as popular today as they were revolutionary back in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Elsewhere, models like the Old Skool and the Slip-On have crossed over into the fashion world, opening the Vans brand up to a new audience and turning these simplistic, but still a contender for best skate shoes for men, into a global footwear phenomenon.

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Converse

You know it best as the brand that’s been making the best canvas basketball sneakers in the game for more than 100 years, but for the last decade or so, Converse has been making inroads in the skateboarding world, too.