Skate shoes: 901 models from 18 brands compared across 78 European shops
This page compares 901 skate shoes from 18 brands and shows, for every model, the cheapest offer among 78 European shops. The median is €89.95: more than a deck, more than trucks, more than a set of wheels. It is the priciest part of your setup and the shortest-lived.
What this page compares
Each model appears once, at the lowest price we found, instead of the same shoe repeated eight times. You can filter by brand, shop or country and sort by price.
The catalogue is very uneven: Nike SB has 228 models, Adidas 171 and New Balance Numeric 115 — more than half of everything between the three. Behind every price sits a real retailer, and they are all listed on shops.
What it costs to put shoes on
The cheapest 10% starts at €54.95, the first quartile sits at €75, the median at €89.95, the third quartile at €109.95 and the priciest 10% begins at €119.99. Eight out of ten shoes here fall between €55 and €120.
By brand: Adidas (€100), New Balance Numeric (€99.95) and Nike SB (€94.99) hold the top band; Vans €84.95, Lakai €77.50, Fallen €74.90 and DC Shoes €59. Between a pair of DC and a pair of Adidas there is €41 — near enough a set of wheels.
And the comparison that matters: €89.95 is more than the median deck (€74.90), more than trucks (€59.99) and more than a set of wheels (€55). The full sum is in how much a skateboard costs.
Vulcanised or cupsole, and why they always blow out in the same place
Between two models at the same price, the difference is usually the sole. A vulcanised sole is a rubber band bonded to the upper and cured with heat: thin, flexible, board feel from the first day. A cupsole is a moulded cup with the upper stitched inside: more cushioning and more rubber to grind away, less sensitivity.
Wear, though, is identical for all of them: the outer side of the front foot opens up, just ahead of the laces, where the shoe drags across the griptape on every ollie. Check whether that panel is suede or canvas before you check the colourway; at Emerica or Converse both soles sit at the same price. The guide on how to choose skate shoes breaks it down: comparison table, reinforcements and sizing in centimetres.
Why they are not worth the same as a lifestyle sneaker
Many have a lifestyle twin with the same silhouette and a lower price. But under the upper there is a flat sole made to grab griptape, suede where the foot drags and recessed stitching at the toe; the lifestyle version has a curved sole, one layer of material and no reinforcement.
So €89.95 on skate shoes and €89.95 on fashion sneakers do not buy the same object. The catalogue carries etnies, éS, Globe and Last Resort AB alongside the big sportswear names; the context for the European ones is in European skate brands.
How much do skate shoes cost?
The median is €89.95. The cheapest 10% starts at €54.95 and the priciest 10% at €119.99; most of the catalogue sits between €75 and €110. DC Shoes is the cheapest of the large brands (€59) and Adidas the most expensive (€100).
Vulcanised or cupsole?
Vulcanised if you want board feel and skate technical flatground; cupsole if you skate stairs and it is your heels that hurt. Vulcanised is usually the better starting point, and usually cheaper too.
Can I skate in ordinary trainers?
They will not last. A running shoe has a soft, curved sole with no flat contact surface, and no reinforcement over the ollie panel — exactly where griptape punches through first. If you are starting out, see the beginner's guide.
Why does the same model show different prices?
Because we query 78 European shops and each sets its own price. We always show the cheapest offer for a model, and every card says how many offers exist in total.
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