Etnies Jefferson is a whole new model in their Skate Collection. The brilliant green colorway is appropriately Vegan. Its low profile and slim, making it super comfortable to wear with great skate functionality. Inspired by the Jameson 2 the Jefferson has been tuned for the skateboard with slim cupsoles, DTTF (Drop to the Floor) footbed and padding in the right places.
The Jefferson is sleek and simple but one of the notable differences is the slim cupsole. Like the slim toe box, super slim cupsoles with minimal to no stitching are catching on and for good reason. They feel amazing, the flex is a little more significant then a vulcanized sole, and you can feel your board on the first ride. The Jefferson has all this in spades! No break in, just ride. 
Fresh out of the box with the tongue pealed up we get a good look at what differentiates the Jefferson from previous slim Etnies skate models. The collar has a mellow open scoop giving lots of free ankle movement. The padding is still there and this helps cup the heel which makes for a better overall fit and no slippage. The tongue has a medium amount of padding with some nice mesh to keep your feet from feeling the pressure of laces or sweat from building up. The feel is instantly better then a big padded tongue and give some sense of safety from flying boards.
New patterns on the sole, similar to the Jameson 2, maybe not as Eco-centric, but very flexible. They look and feel slick to the eye and touch but on the board and street have first rate grip. It will be interesting to see how much traction they have after the treads start to wear flat, compared to a regular gum sole. 
Solid piece toe box have been making they’re way into every new skate shoe lately. The Jefferson looks super clean because of this and it responds well on the board. The very tips of the rounded toes don’t have any extra padding, but they’re lined and have a stiffness that makes it feel like your toes have been encapsulated. This means you feel the board and don’t get any of the nastiness that sometimes comes with flicking a board.
We took the Jefferson out for a couple hours of skating and had a blast. The shoe is slimmer then you may be used to. Our experience, if you wear a 10 try that first, but a 10.5 could work out fine too. I wouldn’t say the shoe is a half size small but the slimness might make the shoe feel tighter then you may like. The board feel is excellent and makes you feel agile with your feet. The canvas shows a little wear, but over has held up. The edged out rubber of the outsole is reminiscent of how the Fallen Rambler wore and that was a great shoe to skate.
So far this is a great vegan skateboard shoe and falls into a small category of skate shoe that is light but protective, feels powerful and is really fun to skate. Check back for our progress in our second look.
Etnies
Green sizes 5-14 (no 5.5) $64.99
