We're super excited to announce that we will be one of the select few shops in Canada selling the new Vans Elijah Berle Pro shoes and apparel. These shoe have been very highly anticipated and look amazing! Elijah worked with Vans designers Neal Shoemaker and Juss Apivala to create a shoe that was built off of parts he liked from other shoes over the years. Vans also used this shoe to launch an all new sole thats been in the works for a while now called "waffle control".
"I was interested in doing this new technology on the sole, just because it sounded cool to switch things up. When I felt how comfortable they were I was really excited about it. They skate really well." -Elijah Berle King Skate Mag Interview (2019)
We did a little wear test party with the Vans guys to get some shoes on our feet, skate in them and give feedback. After skating in them for 3 hours on a freezing cold Alberta night in Calgary, here's some stuff that stood out. 
First thing that struck me when I picked up these shoes was how lightweight they are. Most cupsoles carry a little extra weight due to a heavier duty sole, but for how thick the sole is on these (especially in the heel area) they are surprisingly light. The tongues on these are super thin and breathable, with a sock liner that holds the tongue in place, but also stops seams or any points of discomfort. Most of the shoe is made of canvas which helps bring the weight down, but there is still suede where you need it. 
I usually skate really plain shoes (eras, authentic, etc...), so I wasn't really sure how I felt about the look of these at first. But on foot I really like the looks of these shoes and looking down on them, the toe box looks really good. The rubber on the sole comes up giving them a small toe-cap which I always enjoy for a little added durability and extra flick.
Now to the main attraction, the soles! The big news is that these shoes are the launch of the new "Waffle Control" soles. These soles are a really amazing midway point between board feel and protection, they might actually be the best thin cupsole on the market. As you can see in the video (2:09), the soles are super malleable right out the box, no wearing in, they are never super stiff and don't need an insane break in period.
One thing to note is that they don't have a removable insole, so if you're used to the UltraCush insoles being removable or you need to put orthotics in, these will make that tricky. The nice thing about the non removable insoles is that your foot sits snug and low in the shoe, giving some extra board feel and stability. I'm really excited for these Waffle Control soles to come out on some different shoes and have already seen Daniel Lutheran skating what looks like a Sk8-Hi with the waffle control sole.
SHOP VANS ELIJAH BERLE COLLECTION HERE
