The Iconic Style and Function of Black Gum Skate Shoes

The Popularity of Black Gum Skate Shoes

Skateboarding has been around since the 1950s, rising in popularity over the decades to become a mainstream sport and hobby. An iconic part of skate culture is the footwear - skate shoes that provide the right combination of flexibility, grip, and impact protection for riding the board. Among the most popular styles are black gum skate shoes, featuring black uppers and that classic "gum" rubber outsole. Let's take a look at the history and appeal of this quintessential skate shoe style.

The Origins of Black Gum Skate Shoes

In the early days of skateboarding, skaters wore anything from sneakers to sandals on their feet. But they quickly realized the limitations of using regular footwear for the demands of skating. Without sufficient flexibility, grip, and impact protection, their shoes would wear out quickly and provide inadequate board control.

Several major sneaker companies began developing purpose-built skate shoes in the 1970s and 80s, including Vans and Vision Street Wear. But one of the most iconic was the Nike Dunk, first released in 1985. The original Dunk became hugely popular among skaters for its panel construction, padded collar, and cushy midsole. It also introduced the distinctive two-tone "gum" rubber outsole, with gum rubber wrapping up over the heel and toe areas.

The gum sole offered excellent traction and abrasion resistance for gripping the board. And the contrast of the light upper against the darker gum looked great. As the Dunk evolved through the late 80s and into the 90s, color schemes like black upper and gum outsole became a popular choice.

The Nike SB Dunk Era

Even when skateboarding declined in popularity in the 1990s, the black gum Dunk endured as a skate shoe staple. So when Nike launched its Nike Skateboarding line - known as Nike SB - in 2002, reviving and updating the Dunk was an obvious move.

The Dunk SB retained the classic black and gum color scheme but improved the materials and tech. Suede and leather uppers replaced canvas and nylon for more durability. Zoom Air cushioning and phylon wedges provided better impact protection. And sticky gum rubber outsoles enabled excellent grip.

Pro skaters on the Nike SB team like Richard Mulder, Reese Forbes, and Danny Supa helped popularize Dunk SBs. And black and gum colorways of models like the Dunk Low and Dunk High became sought-after kicks both on and off the board. They had the classic skate shoe look dialed to perfection.

Why Black Gum Skate Shoes Have Endured

There are several key reasons why the black and gum aesthetic has persevered as an iconic skate shoe style over the decades:

• Versatility - The simple, classic color scheme matches well with anything. Black shoes go with any pants or shorts, and gum soles add a subtle pop.
• Durability - Black leather/suede hides scuffs well, while gum rubber is hard-wearing and abrasion resistant.
• Grip - The flexible gum outsole provides excellent traction against griptape.
• Cushioning - The chunky midsole absorves impacts from tricks and drops.
• Style - The look just screams old school skater style, from the streets to the skate park.

While shoe tech has progressed, the core appeal of black skate shoes remains. They look great, perform excellently, and pay homage to skate history.

Popular Black Gum Skate Shoes

Nike SB, Vans, Adidas, Emerica, and Converse all continue producing black gum skate shoes that are popular today. A few examples:

• Nike Dunk Low - The quintessential example, with suede/leather uppers and gum sole.
• Vans Sk8-Hi - A high top classic, with padded collar and durable canvas/suede uppers.
• Adidas Busenitz - Iconic skate model with geometric gum sole and suede upper.
• Emerica The Reynolds G6 - Hermosa construction provides excellent flick and flexibility.
• Converse Cons One Star - Simple canvas upper with lace protector wing and grippy gum outsole.

Key Features of Black Gum Skate Shoes

Let's take a more in-depth look at some of the important design features that make black gum skate shoes so well-suited for the demands of skating.

Gum Rubber Outsoles

The gum rubber outsole is the most instantly recognizable feature of skate shoes like the Nike SB Dunk. Owing to its brownish off-white hue, gum rubber gets its name from its resemblance to chewing gum.

But there's more to it than appearance. Gum rubber offers an optimal balance of traction, flexibility, and durability. The soft rubber compound provides excellent grip against a skateboard's grip tape. Gum rubber outsoles also resist abrasion from repeated foot brake sliding.

Additionally, gum rubber is softer and more flexible than carbon rubber compounds. This helps provide board feel and flex for flip tricks. Overall, the grippy, flexible, durable properties of gum rubber make it ideally suited for skate shoe outsoles.

Impact Protection

Cushioning and impact protection are important in skate footwear. When jumping down stairs or gaps, landing hard tricks, or just riding over rough terrain, the feet take a beating. Features like thick midsoles, phylon wedges, and Zoom Air units help absorb these impacts and reduce foot fatigue.

Many black gum skate shoes use combination phylon midsoles and heel inserts. Phylon is an EVA foam blend engineered by Nike that provides lightweight cushioning. Strategically placed inserts in the heel and forefoot offer additional shock absorption right where skaters need it most.

Durability

Skating is tough on shoes, from the repeated flipping motions of tricks to slides and abrasions against grip tape. That's why black leather and suede are common upper materials in gum sole skate shoes. Leather and suede provide durability to withstand the abuse of skating while looking great.

Reinforced ollie areas and toe caps protect against blowouts and holes. Meanwhile, higher top collars and ankle padding prevent scrapes when doing hard flip tricks. Shoe construction and materials innovations over the decades have made black skate shoes even tougher and longer-lasting.

Board Feel

Skaters rely on the tactile connection between their feet and the board to control tricks and stance. So skate shoes aim to provide flexibility and just the right amount of stiffness to balance board feel, cushioning, and support.

Low, vulcanized sole profiles keep feet closer to the board. Internal shanks offer midfoot rigidity for stability. Panel construction rather than a single-piece upper improves flex. The result is excellent board feel and response.

The Significance of Gum Soles in Skate Culture

While technical features are important, skate shoes also have big cultural significance. Let's look at some of the cultural associations and status gum soles have within skateboarding.

Old School Cool

The origins of the gum sole extend back to the very beginnings of the skate shoe industry in the 70s and 80s. They're old school original gangster models. So for many skaters, black and gum just represents that pure, vintage style.

There's a cool factor that comes with wearing such an iconic, influential skate shoe. It's a nod to those early days of ripping empty pools and bombing hills. Even as new technologies emerge, the old school look remains timeless.

Function Over Fashion

In a world where image is everything, skateboarding has traditionally prided itself on valuing dedication and progression over appearances. And for many, the understated look of black gum shoes reflects that function-over-fashion ethos.

Rather than bold colors and wild designs intended purely for looking good, black and gum keeps the focus on skills. Skaters who stick to those simple early skate shoe color schemes make a statement that it's all about the craft.

DIY Attitude

Having originated with homemade ramps and illegal street skating, skateboarding has always embraced a do-it-yourself, subcultural attitude. Black leather skate shoes have an everyday, anybody-can-afford-them vibe that fits with those roots.

Rather than big corporate skate shoe brands dictating trends, many skaters prefer to customize their own looks. The adaptability of basic black shoes works for this purpose, easily personalized with DIY touches.

The Timeless Popularity of Gum Soles

While skate tech keeps evolving with the times, some styles remain timeless. The classic black skate shoe with gum sole has endured decade after decade as an iconic skate shoe look.

Through ups and downs in the skate industry and shifting fashions, certain styles persist. They become so ingrained in the culture that they can transcend passing trends and temporary hype.

For many skaters today, black and gum just represents a solid foundation. It's the ideal blank canvas for customization and personal expression. Or just a way to pay homage to those early skate shoe pioneers who engineered the first purpose-built kicks for skating.

So don't expect the popularity of the black gum skate shoe to die down any time soon. This stylish, high-performing combo has rightfully claimed its place in the skate shoe hall of fame.

FAQs

What are the key features of black gum skate shoes?

Black gum skate shoes typically have a gum rubber outsole for grip, suede/leather uppers for durability, impact cushioning features, and vulcanized construction for board feel.

Why has the black and gum color scheme endured as a skate shoe style?

The versatility, durability, grip, cushioning, and classic skater style of black gum shoes make this color scheme timeless and iconic in skateboarding.

What makes gum rubber good for skate shoe soles?

Gum rubber offers an optimal balance of traction, flexibility, and abrasion resistance for the demands of skateboarding. It grips well to griptape while also being durable.

How do black gum skate shoes reflect skate culture?

To many skaters, they represent an old school, function over fashion ethos and DIY attitude inherent to skateboarding.

Why have black gum skate shoes remained popular?

They are timeless classics that pay homage to early skate history. The simple style also serves as an ideal blank canvas for customization and personalization.