Anyone who has rode BMX for a while knows there’s nothing worse than picking up a pair of shoes and having them get completely destroyed after a couple of sessions. It also sucks having shoes that aren’t grippy or are stiff as a board. When it comes to rubber, there’s different things you can do to make them softer and grippier or harder and more durable, but it can be tricky to find a combination that gives you softer, grippy and durable all in one shot. Etnies decided it was time to try something new to make a shoe that had all the features that are needed for BMX and skating, so they teamed up with Michelin Tires to create an outsole that did just that! Below you can find a video explaining how the idea all came about and how they made the shoes! This is real interesting and we’re definitely curious to try a pair out. You can pick the shoes up on the Etnies Webstore now!
Note: This post contains affiliate links and we could receive a commission if you were to purchase a pair. Don’t worry! We wouldn’t tell you about this if we weren’t stoked on it ourselves.
“etnies and Michelin have partnered to make the most durable shoe in skateboarding even more long-lasting with the global release of the Michelin Marana whose outsole is now equipped with Michelin’s rally racing rubber compound. In an effort to continuously improve the world’s most durable skateboarding footwear, etnies joined forces with Michelin to translate performance and durability of tires to shoes. After countless days of testing and research, Michelin’s PC00 rally racing compound was chosen to be added to the soles of the etnies Marana due to the: long-lasting formula, slip-resistant offering that includes unmatched durability, precision, enhanced adherence (grip) and maximum flexibility for a superior board feel that skateboarders desire.
The goal of the partnership between etnies and Michelin was to increase the durability of the outsole, while still retaining the same basic aesthetics that skaters love in the Marana by developing a rubber compound that would not lose any of the existing properties, but would add more durability to the outsole. When Michelin agreed to partner with etnies, not only did they come back with a compound more durable with high grip abrasion, but they also suggested a combination of tread patterns taken from their high-performance tire archive to provide an outsole tread design that provided better flexibility, extreme grip in dusty conditions and rigidity in areas of the sole to protect against harsh landings.”
Check out all the shoes using the Michelin outsole over on the Etnies website!
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
