Wes Kremer has a plan to put skateboarding back in the hands of the people! When his first pro model DC shoe came out, the shoe walls of your favorite skate shops got were glowing with stee. Anything from Wes is going to be rad, we all know that, but today is a special day. Today, his second pro model is officially available, and trust us when we say its a shoe for the people! In celebration of its release, it only made sense to gleam some light on Krusty K’s second pro model for our 2016 Footwear Guide presented by Skate Warehouse.

The Wes Kremer 2 is a classic vulcanized skate shoe and comes with Impact-S Sockliner for impact protection, super suede for durability, and a clean toe with high abrasion screen print coating. Elastic goring inside of the shoe gives it a slip-on fit so laces are optional, just depends on your preferences. If you’re asking what all of this means, let the In Crust We Trust Foundation explain in the video below.

Overall, Wes wanted a shoe that he could just slip on and hit the streets in, and the Wes Kremer 2 is definitely that shoe. Learn all about it on dcshoes.com and look for it online at skatewarehouse.com or at your local shop.

The Wes Kremer 2 is a shoe for the people. #WesWeCan!

Wes Kremer Quick 10 Interview.

He defines the phrase “your favorite skater’s favorite skater,” and he always will. He is the epitome of a “skate rat,” and embraces the lifestyle so naturally that it’s hard to decide what you envy more—his carefree approach to everything in life or his incredibly nonchalant skateboarding skills. And on the eve of his 2nd pro model DC shoe release, we figured it was the perfect time to hit up Krusty K to get his footwear preferences, break-in remedies, and more for our 2016 Footwear Guide presented by Skate Warehouse.

What DC model do you skate most?
The second round of the Krust. (Wes Kremer 2).

What are some key elements that you look for in a good skate shoe?
Something comfortable, easy to slip on, and that helps you feel your board.

You’re second pro model is about to drop. How involved are you with the designing of your shoes?
Me and my homies over in the footwear department collaborate and they ask me what I would like to see. I give them a description and they give some basic blueprints of where they took my idea. We figure out which direction we want to go in and make it happen. Luckily there’s not too much trial and error with this one [Wes Kremer 2].

How often do you go through a pair of shoes? Do you try and conserve them or just blast through them?
It depends on how much I’m skating. I skate my shoes until they’re dead. Usually it’ll take a month to break ’em off.

Where do you stand on the vulcanized shoes versus cup sole debate?
Vulcanized because for me, they’re easier to break in and help you get comfy on your board.

Toe cap or no cap?
Toe caps for All-Stars. No caps for the beach.

Hi top, mid top, or low top?
Just depends on the kick.

Some dudes prefer to skate without insoles but some need a nice, thick insole to feel comfortable. Which do you prefer?
However Jaws does it.

Do you skate your shoes straight out of the box or do you have some remedies like the microwave trick?
No tricks for the kicks. Just a good twist or two and maybe some old socks. A good hang-up to flat helps break in a fresh pair.

If you could skate one pair of shoes for the rest of your life what would they be?
The D3 2001. Duhhhh!

Evan Smith’s pro model. The Wolf by Kalis. Cole Light 3! Trase slip-ons?! The DC Shoes spring line is stocked full of goods. Be one of the first to peep all your new favorite models right here in our 2016 Footwear Guide presented by Skate Warehouse. And check back the rest of the week for more from DC.

The final week of our 2016 Footwear Guide presented by Skate Warehouse is here and we’re closing the curtains with DC Shoes. Today, Skate Warehouse will be giving away a $100 gift card to spend on DC gear on skatewarehouse.com! To enter, just make sure you’re following @transworldskate @dcshoes and @skatewarehouse on Instagram. Find the post on our Instagram, tag 3 friends in the comments, and sit tight. The winner will be DM’d tomorrow. Good luck!

Windsor James has been on C1RCA for over a decade so it only made sense to pick his brain on what he considers a good skate shoe. For our 2016 Footwear Guide presented by Skate Warehouse, we caught up with Windsor to get the rundown on his favorite C1RCA model, how involved he is with the designing of his shoes, toe cap vs. no cap, and much more.

What C1RCA model do you skate the most?
My pro model: The Essential.

What are some key elements that you look for in a good skate shoe?
Comfort, stability and I’d say looks! No one wants to look down at their feet and be bummed! That can ruin your day.

How involved are you with the designing of the shoes you skate?
I was involved with the design of my shoe about 60%. You can’t go too crazy because the sales people know what’s good and not good!

How often do you go through a pair of shoes?
I skate shoes like PJ Ladd did in the Coliseum video—if the padding in the sole is good I can skate a shoe for ages.

Do you prefer vulcanized shoes or cup soles?
Vulcanized is the best for feeling, but hurtful on the feet. So it’s really up to the person.

Where do you stand in the toe cap vs. no cap deabate?
I like them both!? They’re both WET.

Hi top, mid top, or low top?
ALL. If the shoe looks good, wear it no matter what!

Some dudes prefer to skate without insoles but some dudes need a nice, thick insole to feel comfortable. Which do you prefer?
I use the stock C1RCA insoles and just cruise with that. I’d rather have board feeling than pillows to land on [laughs].

Do you skate your shoes straight out of the box or do you have some remedies like the microwave trick?
Straight out the box, then grip tape the sides till the Casper flip is on. Trevor Colden knows what I’m talking about! [Laughs]

If you could skate one pair of shoes for the rest of your life what would they be?
The Essential, baby boy!

As a true extension of his personality, Windsor James’ pro model shoe from C1rca, the Essential, is clean, stylish, and classy. It provides a great deal of comfort for every day use and has two layers of foxing tape for strength and durability while you’re skating, which are just a few reasons we decided to highlight the Essential in our 2016 Footwear Guide presented by Skate Warehouse.

Skate the shoe straight out of the box—no break-in-trickery required. You don’t need to buy any additional insoles either because the Essentials come fully stocked with a lightweight molded EVA insole. It’s a timeless, low profile, genuine vulcanized skate shoe that comes in a variety of colorways and materials.

Check out Windsor’s Essential commercial from C1rca.

You’re best bet is to just try a pair out for yourself, whether you’re jumping onto handrails, hucking yourself down stairs, or just chilling at the skatepark, this shoe is an essential choice for all your footwear needs.

Take a look at C1RCA’s Spring Line in our 2016 Footwear Guide presented by Skate Warehouse. From classic staples like the Lopez 5050’s to Windsor James’ pro model the Essential, C1RCA’s Spring Line is looking tight! Click the photo to see what they have in store and if you like what you see, don’t forget that all models are available for purchase via skatewarehouse.com!

This week for our 2016 Footwear Guide presented by Skate Warehouse, we’re going to focus on all the new goods from C1rca Footwear. And since it’s Monday, our friends at Skate Warehouse are going to give a $100 gift card to spend on C1rca gear on skatewarehouse.com to one lucky winner. Details below!

To enter, first make sure you’re following us (@transworldskate) and Skate Warehouse (@skatewarehouse) on Instagram. Next, find the giveaway post and tag 3 friends in the comments. It’s that simple! Winners will be private messaged at the end of this week. Good luck!

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!

For the next week we’ll be focusing on DVS for our 2016 Footwear Guide presented by Skate Warehouse. And to start things off, we have another Instagram giveaway! Our friends at Skate Warehouse are offering a $100 gift card to spend on DVS gear on skatewarehouse.com for one lucky winner. Details below!

To enter, first make sure you’re following us (@transworldskate) and Skate Warehouse (@skatewarehouse) on Instagram. Next, find the giveaway post and tag 3 friends in the comments. It’s that simple! Winners will be private messaged at the end of this week. Good luck!

If you grew up skating in the 90’s or early 2000’s, then I’d bet a finger and a toe that you’ve heard of Chad Muska. I’d even bet that he might’ve influenced you a little bit. You might’ve even owned a pair of cargo pants with the zippers that turned into shorts, didn’t you? Or maybe a bright red or yellow 2XL tank top perhaps? You wore a crooked hat. You skated with a backpack on while holding parents broken boombox in your arms like an infant. Don’t deny it! Don’t be ashamed! We all did it. And we did it with pride. Chad Muska is one of skateboarding’s most influential characters, but his talent spans far beyond his skills on a skateboard. He’s an accomplished designer, an artist, a DJ, and, well, the list goes on. For our 2016 Footwear Guide presented by Skate Warehouse, we caught up with Chad to get the rundown on his current role at Supra, a few of his footwear preferences, and to see what’s in store for 2016.

What’s new for you and the Supra family?
Well, as a lot of you may have heard there has been some new corporate infrastructure changes that have happened recently for Supra and I just want to say that this does not really change our company at all from the outside looking in. We come from skateboarding and we will stay true to our roots as we continue to progress and grow into the future no matter where we call our office home. The skate team has been killing it on tours in Europe, America and in their own individual time. I have had a back injury that has taken me off the board for a while so I have just been creating and directing with the company as I always have, even when I was skating everyday.

So it sounds like you’re pretty involved with the ins and outs, yeah? Are you involved with the production process? What model are you most stoked on in the spring line?
In the past I have helped direct the brand as a whole and since its inception I have gone in phases of being there all the time to just communicating through emails, as I was on the road a lot in my life. Currently I have been in a phase of trying to communicate and give input on the whole line but have taken a step back as the brand has grown. Now I mostly focus primarily on my signature Skytop products. I am bad at knowing which shoes drop during which season because we are always working so far in advance and my main concern is the creation. I leave it up to the company to handle everything else. But if I am not mistaken we are dropping the Skytop III again after taking it out of the line for a while. I am really hyped about its reintroduction with a newly designed side cage. It gives an option for a lower profile cup sole shoe within my Skytop products.

Is the Skytop your favorite shoe? If not, tell me your favorite shoe that you’ve ever skated? (Supra or non-supra)
My favorite shoe is always the current one I’m working on! [Laughs] But if I had to pick one I would say the Skytop 001 because I (unlike most skaters) really like to skate in high tops. There is a lot of ankle support, protection from your board hitting you and it feels broken in straight out of the box with all the leather, suede and Tuff material models.

So are you a cupsole guy or a vulcanized guy?
I really think it depends on the shoe and what you are doing in it. I would say Vulc for everyday skating, flatground and ledges or cruising around a park, but if you are ready to jump down some big stairs or rails then I would say a cupsole because they are much stronger and will support your foot much better.

The essential design of skate shoes is definitely changing again. They’re getting bulkier, there’s more technology involved, yet there seems to be this need for the simple, low profile vulcanized shoes each season. Do you feel that all styles need to exist?
I feel that skateboarding has evolved over the years and trends will come and go… But like I said in the previous answer, you really do need both. I think the future is about creating shoes with technology again but they don’t have to look like they are from the future. The hardest thing as a designer is knowing when to stop. It’s really easy to over design and technical simplicity is a true thing of beauty when properly achieved. I consider my self a minimalist in this day and age but I have definitely been guilty of over designing. Being loud is fun at times although it usually fades with the trend. A simple Classic Vulc shoe is pretty much timeless and I don’t see them going anywhere anytime soon.

Which Supra model sells the best in skate shops?
I think it varies from region to region and changes with the times, also you have to consider what shop it’s in, as Supra is sold in many types of retail outlets. For the skate side of things we have done well with the Stacks in the past and the Cuba as far as I can remember. But I really don’t deal with sales and don’t keep up on that aspect, I just consider myself a creator and hope that the sales force we have understands the vision and can help explain it to the retail. My shoes have done well in the past in skate shops but a lot of the time they are a little too crazy and end up performing well in more lifestyle driven outlets.

Since the beginning, Supra has definitely done things its own way. What is your philosophy on designing/producing shoes for skateboarding?
I have never had a philosophy to anything in my life. I just do things from my heart and put everything I have inside of me into my creations and hope that they work and connect with an audience. So far it’s worked for me pretty well. The one thing I do always do is try to create something new that is still relevant. I feel like every company has the same exact shoes and it’s more about what logo you like than the actual design… So I challenge myself to come up with something that doesn’t exist instead of chasing the current trend in skateboarding. It’s a dangerous move at times but when it works it hits hard.

So you fully design and create your pro models, correct? Any new Muska signatures in the works right now?
I conceptualize and design my products 100%. I consider myself a designer just as much as a skater. I work on the design with an in-house designer to help finalize my vision but I always come up with the concept and initial sketch to get it started. I worked with Josh Brubaker on all the Skytop models up until now and have just finished working with Adam Contreras on the Skytop V and I really think it is one of my best shoes yet! I can’t wait for this to come out and shake up the skate industry once again. I just wish it could come out faster as I see all these other skate shoes start entering into a new technical era again. It will be here soon, though. Hopefully by Black Friday but I’m not 100% sure yet.

When you’re thinking about a new shoe, whom do you mainly have in mind? The customer, the riders, yourself? All of the above?
All the above. Especially as the company has grown and the Skytop franchise within Supra has become an important part of the business, I start to feel a need to create a shoe that is going to perform well both on your feet and in the market place, all while staying true to my design integrity. Almost every skater out there is handed a shoe with his name on it—they say a few things and it’s theirs. I make these products and they come from my heart… The good, the bad and the ugly. I stand for them all.

That’s awesome. Well let’s wrap this up. What is The Muska stoked on for the rest of 2016?
Been working on a project with Supra off Melrose where I have started a creative space where I can basically make things that influence my designs, bring interesting creatives together and hopefully inspire people. You can follow my adventures via my Instagram account @themuska and I will be posting pictures daily documenting my work and progression in the space. We are talking about doing an event in April but still haven’t set an exact date. There has also been talk of a pop up retail in the space but we are still working out the master game plan. My goal is to work so hard that I don’t have time to stress on anything in life except my positive creations and multiple platforms of self expression. Thank you to everyone who has ever supported me and a shout out to the haters, too! I’m still here!

Supra’s Spring Line is stacked with updated colorways from all your favorite models. And for our 2016 Footwear Guide presented by Skate Warehouse we decided to highlight The Chino as it’s currently becoming one of Supra’s staple shoes. Its simple yet sturdy design is easy on the eyes and provides a great deal of comfort for your feet. A favorite among many of the Supra riders, (whom Boo Johnson, Dee Ostrander, and Oscar Candon have their own signature colorways), the Chino is a necessity for every skate shops shoe wall. Hands down! Its straightforward design is built for skateboarding and offers a modern take on timeless vulcanized skate shoes in an upper comprised of a clean vamp and uninterrupted expanses of material. A lightly padded collar and tongue and a dual density EVA insole provide ample comfort and protection while a vulcanized sole of SUPRA tread ensures superior grip. So whether you’re cruising down the sidewalk or getting buck in the streets, this shoe has you covered. But as always, don’t take our word for it! Watch some of the best put the Chino to the test in the videos below.

SHOP THE CHINO HERE.

Oscar Candon Signature Colorway

Dee Ostrander Signature Colorway

Boo Johnson Signature Colorway

Our 2016 Footwear Guide presented by Skate Warehouse continues, and this week we’ll be shining the light on Supra. To start the week off, our friends at Skate Warehouse are going to hook up one lucky person with $100 to spend towards a Supra purchase on skatewarehouse.com!

To enter, first make sure you’re following us (@transworldskate) and Skate Warehouse (@skatewarehouse) on Instagram. Next, find the giveaway post and tag 3 friends in the comments. Lastly, cross your fingers! Winners will be private messaged this week. Good luck!

Check back each day for new content from Supra and stay tuned for the next few weeks as we rollout the other brands.