Jon Nguyen might not be a man of many words, but that’s no problem when you let your skateboarding do the talking. We caught up with Jon for our 2016 Footwear Guide presented by Skate Warehouse and got the rundown on his favorite DVS model, some of the key elements he looks for in a good skate shoe, and to see if he had any secret tricks for breaking in his kicks. Be sure to catch Jon in Substance, available now on DVD, Vimeo on Demand, and iTunes.

What DVS model do you skate the most?
Chico’s shoe, the “Nica.”

What are some key elements that you look for in a good skate shoe?
I like a basic looking shoe with a slim shape, something I can enjoy looking down at.

How involved are you with the designing of the shoes you skate?
Not at all.

How often do you go through a pair of shoes?
I go through a pair maybe once a week, sometimes more.

Vulcanized or cup sole? And why?
Cup. I grew up skating in cup soles, so that’s what I’m used to.

Toe cap or no cap?
No toe cap.

Hi top, mid top, or low top?
All of the above.

Some dudes prefer to skate without insoles but some dudes need a nice, thick insole to feel comfortable. Which do you prefer?
Skating without insoles sounds painful. I prefer somewhere in the middle. Not too thin, not too thick.

Do you skate your shoes straight out of the box or do you have some remedies like the microwave trick?
I have microwaved before but usually I’ll just twist and bend them with my hands.

If you could skate one pair of shoes for the rest of your life what would they be?
Chico’s Nica shoe.

Thanks Jon!

Check out all things DVS in the rest of our 2016 Footwear Guide presented by Skate Warehouse.

Jon Nguyen Substance Interview from our November issue.

Fourteen pro model shoes! Fourteen! It only made sense to highlight the Daewon 14 for our 2016 Footwear Guide presented by Skate Warehouse. Designed and tested by Daewon Song himself and available in a variety of different colorways and materials, this shoe features a one piece vamp with a rubber ollie area for extra durability and has a top suede collar lining to help avoid heelflip blowouts for all you heel-flippers out there!

If you’ve followed Daewon over the years then you know he’s had his fair share of footwear design preferences. He’s been through some changes—the big, puffy tongued shoes; the slimmed out, low profile vulcanized shoes; the heavy tech designs; but despite the look or feel of the shoe itself, Daewon has always designed his shoes one hundred percent with skateboarders and skateboarding in mind. The molded lightweight Eva Footbed in the Daewon 14 gives you a perfect amount of cushion and its non-slip vulcanized outsole with deep herringbone thread offers maximum flexibility.

It’s a clean. It’s thin. It’s strong. This shoe is durable and is bound to support the heaviest of sessions. And although they might not give you Daewon’s wizardly skateboarding powers, sliding your feet into a pair of these is definitely a start! Available at your local shop or online at skatewarehouse.com.

Be the first to check out the DVS Spring Line in our 2016 Footwear Guide presented by Skate Warehouse. From low tops to mid tops to runners and everything in between, DVS has all your tastes covered this season, so poke around and check out their entire line! And don’t forget that any items that catch your attention can be purchased with one click via skatewarehouse.com. Click the photo to get browsing and check back tomorrow for more from DVS!