Nike SB Koston 2

The Koston 2 by Nike SB have officially released in Hong Kong today, immediately available at 8five2 Shop. For those of you that had the first Koston shoes would know that those were ( & sill are ) one of the most comfortable skateboarding shoes ever. I remember when I first tried the the Koston 1′s, the comfort & lightness blew me away.

Today, the Koston 2′s inherit these features & more;

Lets look at the features of the Koston 2′s:

All suede uppers, but will also be available in leather – personally, I really like this black & pink colorway.

Perforated mesh tounge - Mesh keeps your feet cool & the tounge is part of a sock liner – no slipping tounges!

One piece toe cap – no different panels to break; this is fast becoming a standard in skateboarding shoes today.

Perforated side panels on the inside & outside of shoe – helps keep your feet cool & also helps make the shoe fit better – more about this later!

Neoprene collar for comfort & better fit, together with the hidden heel cup, this reduces heel slip & really keeps the shoe on your foot!

Mesh on heel – this part flexes & compresses when you land &  helps keep the shoe from slipping up your heel.

Multi direction grooves & pattern for better grip / better flexing sole / better board feel.

Inside, Lunarlon insoles – these are simply the best insoles to date.

After trying both Koston shoes, I must say I really like the new features of the Koston 2.   Some may argue which one is better, in terms of looks, comfort/feel & or performance, but I think it totally depends on individual preference & how one skates.  For me, the Koston 2 gets my thumbs up for looks, performance & feel.

Personally think they look great. Clean looking shoe with the swoosh. I kind of miss the 2-tone color on the sole that the 1′s had, I think that just looks cooler.

The lace area is smaller than the 1′s & not only does this look good, but on my feet the laces of the 2′s don’t break as easily as they do on the 1′s, where the bottom lace hole on the 1′s always get broken due to the way I ollie / flick my board.  Big Thumbs up for me!

The shape of the shoe is a bit more pointy than the K1′s, for some its no difference in terms of performance, but for me, I feel it helps my flick a bit. Bigger Thumbs UP from me.

As for comfort & performance, the 2′s are just as comfortable, if not more comfortable than the 1′s. The mesh on the heel together with the heel counter & neoprene collar made the 2′s feel that they fit better, when skating & even walking, the shoe just hugged on to your feet; No More shoes falling off when you bail your trick & much less pressure on the back of your heel & achilles tendon.

Perhaps its the little perforations on the side panel together with the tighter lacing  makes the shoe wrap around your foot a bit better,  this could be a good thing for skaters with wider feet?

With use,  the sidewalls change shape with the shape of your foot; together with the better flexing sole & heel cup, may give this shoe a more ‘loose’ feeling, but in fact the shoe is really snug on your feet.  For some who are used to a standard fit this may take some time to get used to, but for me, with my battered feet, this is added comfort.

This is as good as it gets for a skateboard shoe. After years & years of abuse to my feet, I can really appreciate the fine balance of performance & comfort that these shoes offer. Nike did a good job with Eric Koston in designing the details of this shoe with skateboarders needs in mind.

Its a must have shoe in your skate-shoe collection.

Highly recommended!

Big ups again to Eric Koston – awesome work with the shoe!