Please Be Kind & Tear Up These Vans SK8-HIs

Meet the Vans SK8-HI RECONSTRUCT, the skate brand’s latest shoe designed to be ripped to shreds.

That’s the point of skate shoes, anyways. Why wear kicks to a session if you aren’t okay with them taking some pummeling?

It’s all part of steez and the overall skate journey — you have to scuff and beat the sneakers up a little to break them in and provide better support during the ride.

While Vans’ previous SK8 have undoubtedly taken their fair share of beatings, the SK8-HI RECONSTRUCT celebrates that customization aspect of the subculture, whose naturally linked to the 80s punk scene (the two even merged to become skatecore).

Priced at 13,650 yen (roughly $102), Vans SK8-HI RECONSTRUCT arrives in black, marshmallow, navy, and olive, all equipped with a tear-away upper.

We’ve seen Vans do the work in the past, turning SK8 HIs outside-in and dropping Old Skools that looked like someone plucked them straight from the design team’s work table. Now, it’s up to fans to, well, reconstruct the latest SK8s to their liking.

Rip off the jazz stripe entirely, or let it hang halfway off. Tear back the upper to reveal skull heads or checkerboard prints. Take them out for a spin and let them get a scuff or three. You get the picture — you’re the designer here, and Vans trust the vision.

For the skater bois in the market for new beaters, Vans SK8-HI RECONSTRUCT is currently up for grabs at ABC Mart’s website and in-store.

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