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Shoes - DC Virtua

About.com Rating fourhalf out of Five

By Steve Cave, About.com

DC Virtua skate shoes

The Bottom Line

DC's Virtua model offers as many special deatures as most signature skate shoe models, along with some great solid style and color schemes. The shoes are strong, with tough and grippy soles and toe caps, along with plenty of shock absorbsion. Just make sure that wide shoes with a flatter insole is what's right for you. For style, bonus features and strength, Virtuas are a good buy.
Pros
  • Wide - if you've got wider feet, or you just like comfort, you'll like these shoes
  • Sole - perfomalite midsole, heel airbag, and sticky rubber bottom with grooves for flex and tricks
  • Pal Ab abrasion resistant leather toe caps - more durable than rubber but flexible like leather
Cons
  • Small arch support - if you have a high arch on your foot, you're feet might hurt

Description

  • Action nubuck or action leather upper - strong and flexible
  • Toe cap made from abrasion resistant and grippy Pal Ab 2003 special leather, designed by DC
  • Performalite polyurethane lightweight midsole
  • Large heel airbag
  • Padded collar and tounge with elastic straps hold the foot in place
  • Solid "thermoplatic" heel and tounge pull tabs make putting the shoe on easy and quick
  • Sole is made of strong sticky rubber for good board control, using DC's "pill" pattern
  • Sole features flex grooves for added comfort and control
  • Breathable and soft tricot lining

Guide Review - Shoes - DC Virtua

One thing I love about skate shoes is how comfortable they are. I think of them as the boxers of shoes, while running shoes would be more like whitie tighties. Running shoes are tight and constricting, with a lumpy mountain-range of a sole. A good shoe for skateboarding has to have a nice large flat sole to stick to the board, and they have to be able to be tied off permanently, so you can slip the shoes on and off without messing with the laces again. DC's Virtuas are skate shoes to the core. They hold your foot in place with their elastic tongue straps and thick foam tongue and heel collars, while being wide enough to let the foot feel loose and relaxed.

But beyond comfort, a good skate shoe has to have features that help with skateboarding, right? Virtuas come packed. From the abrasion resistant Pal Ab 2003 toe caps (that actually cover the whole toe area, not just the tip - there's extra rubber on the tips!), to the Perfomalite polyurethane midsole to the large shock absorbing air bag in the heel, Virtuas have you covered. The sole is even made of a strong sticky rubber with built in flex points along the center, which help with flexibility but also with foot placement for tricks.

And lastly, style. Virtuas have a strong simple look, with two to three colors, but in a bold design. They are reminiscent of DC Titans, but not so loud. They look good.

DC Shoe Co's spring 2004 Virtua model offers a wide range of features along with slick stark style.

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