Duffs Tierra has been around for over a year. However it just so happens the Duff site has a killer deal! I’ve been getting some emails to post more synthetic leather/suede stuff. So here is an update!
The upper is all synthetic suede in both black and red. Even though technically the shoe was built for vegan BMX rider Kevin Porter, it has some significant skate sensibility. The toe cap seem line is far enough back from the ollie area that its not going to rip apart. The collar and tongue are well padded to keep your feet protected. Vulcanized soles have a great board feel and grip. Plus for all the fashion forward hip kids, the sole bottoms match the upper, in red or black.
Duffs site has the deal, but if you really want the red you have another place to turn.
Black size 8-13 $30.00
Red sizes 9.5,11,12,13 $30.00
Albe’s Red 9-13 $54.95
I am a BMXer but regularly check your site when in the market for new shoes. I have had 2 pairs of these shoes, each pair lasting barely a month before falling apart, and that was with only using them for walking. Both pairs had the same exact issues, which is the glue does not hold the sole on. When the 1st pair fell apart I contacted Duffs and they told me that they were having issues with the glue and sent me the 2nd pair free. They may have fixed the issues with them since this was about 1 year ago, but I wouldn’t recommend them.
These kicks are extremely snug! I definitely recommend ordering a pair one size larger than your normal size (seems like overkill, but trust me – I can’t even fit my foot into my normal size in this model). I am in the process of exchanging mine, but once I get my new shoes and clock in some board time I’ll tell you how they ride.
Okay, it’s been a while since I’ve had these, but I wouldn’t recommend them as a skate shoe. I assume it’s because of the glue, but the soles of the shoe almost literally fell off (which I had to superglue back on – probably not the most vegan thing). They are extremely thin so they have lots of board feel with little cushioning. As for the ollie area, that seemed decent in terms of a vegan shoe and did not wear down too fast. Also, when I made the exchange they sent me the wrong shoe (I was send a bright blue high-top instead). Fortunately, they were kind enough to help make a second exchange on their half. I say if Duffs ever spends more time creating vegan footwear they will probably come up with something great. However, I would not recommend this shoe for skateboarding.