Nike SB Zoom FC

First of all I know this shoe is roughly 2 years old. Maybe even more, but you cant deny a good shoe no matter how old it is. Just look at the long lasting boom of the retro shoe craze!

Our first shoe to review is the Nike SB Zoom FC. This shoe was in production in 2006. It is a shoe that is inspired by Football ( Soccer Trainers ) trainers. I recently ran into these shoes while shopping at Willys Workshop in Mira Mesa, CA www.willysantos.com . To my surprise these shoes were a whopping 60% off! I just couldnt resist! This was also the shoe that inspired me to start this blog, therefore it gets the first review even though it is 2 years old. So here goes!


Construction:

There is really nothing new to the design of this shoe. It is a classic Football Trainer. Exquisite in its simplicity this shoe will catch your eyes on and off a skateboard. To those that are not familiar with football trainers, they basically are shoes that Football players use off the field therefore the style and construction mimics that of a Football/Soccer cleat.

The contrast double stiching on the shoe is a nice touch that adds elegance to its look while adding reinforcments to all areas of the shoe through the rigors of skateboarding.

Another nice touch is the faux snakeskin on the swoosh. Again a nice elegant touch by the Nike design team.

I have my doubts about the longevity of this shoe for skateboarding due to its denim fabric. I have a good feeling that after a few hours of skating you would really see a big difference in how your shoe looks after. I personally prefer a suede toe cap for skating 'cause IMO i just feel they last longer.



Toe Cap:

Due to the nature of skateboarding the toe cap plays a pivotal part in the longevity of the shoe. This shoe comes equipped with a double reinforced toe cap as well as added layers to ollie spots.
However these shoes are not bulky and provide an excellent feel when skating.


Breathability:

This is the one thing that worries me about the shoe, the most. Its Denim, I live in Southern California. When it gets hot, this shoe will get hot with it! The padded tounge appears to have this problem solved with a mesh overlay, but its more for aesthetics than anything. It will give you some relief, but not much.


Footbed:

As the name its self implies this shoe comes with a zoom air footbed. The zoom air footbed is a nice addition strong enough to prevent heel bruises, but also thin enough to give you that adequate board feel.




Outsole:

The outsole is a standard herringbone pattern with strategically placed sections at the ball and heel of the outsole for added traction during pivoting.




Insole:

To me an insole is an insole..but thats just me. This one comes with a anatomically contoured footbed, which was designed to make your feet that much more comfortable.

Overall:

I like this shoe... am I gonna skate in them? I highly doubt it! The NikeSB Zoom FC is tagged as a skateboarding shoe, but we all know the market for them. Hypbeasts, SneakerHeads. Sadly the FC was discontinued from the SB line, but suprisingly there has been 2 new colorways introduced in 09. We'll just have to wait and see!