The Sesla is the newest skateboard shoe from éS and it’s all vegan! What is possibly the most “tech” skate shoe out right now, the éS Sesla has some of the most innovative approaches to creating a comfortable ride with real durability. Did we mention, it’s completely animal-free in both the black and navy colorways? If you’re too excited to read on, jump to the bottom and get yourself a pair. They run a 1/2 size small, so if you wear a 10, you’re going to need a 10.5!
The Sesla utilizes a number of technologies to be one of the lightest skateboard shoes out right now and the one that we want to highlight before we jump in (though we will drill down into a bit more down the page) is the micro-suede toe/vamp.
The éS website has the material listed as “Premium suede”, it’s a disappointing oversight in marketing, and we’ve been getting a ton of email and direct messages on Instagram about it. What we can assure readers is, what we have been told directly from éS and SoleTechnology, the shoe is all synthetic, “man-made” materials.
The “suede” upper is a micro-fiber suede that is NOT animal derived. No word yet on if the marketing information on the site will change, but “ALL MANMADE MATERIALS” is printed on the shoes, we also have several emails and even a hand written note from éS/SoleTech exec Don Brown to confirm!!!
Aside from being cruelty-free, one of the benefits of going with animal-free suede is the weight reduction and clean look. The navy model pictured above is a great example of what can be done with a color other then black. 
Sesla isn’t a cupsole exactly, and it isn’t a vulcanized skateboard shoe either. While it definitively is designed for the skateboard, it has some material reference to a running shoe. Most notable in the heal, the STI Energy Foam is branded with a little E+.
This provides impact protection much more then a rubber sole can and makes the shoe incredibly light! Walking around your heel feels like you’re wearing super comfy running shoes.
Moving down the mid of the shoe is all mesh with a little bit of PU (polyurethane) coating. The massive breathability of the Sesla adds to the comfort but doesn’t leave the mesh open to easier rips in high-impact areas. Even around the outer lace eyelets, you’ve got breathable mesh!
Down to the business end of the shoe and a few common points of impact. The toecap is a material éS is calling THERMONTHANE. The abrasive resistance they say is comparable to urethane skate wheels. While toecaps might be all the rage in skate shoes right now, most are rubber. These seem a little more flick-able for flip tricks, and they just have better style then a big hunk of rubber. While the footbed and sole are primarily STI Energy Foam, the 400 NBS Gum rubber tread is the same as a traditional skate shoe. Here you can see the grey outsole come up to the side. This gives the shoe some added board grip, protection, and flexibility. The defining difference from a running shoe. 
The sole has a herringbone pattern on a traditional 400 NBS Gum rubber tread. You’re still going to feel the board similar to your last pair of shoes. All be it with some foam in the middle of your feet, rubber, and grip tape.
The swath of red at the bottom right of this photo is the tongue stabilizing strap. Not only will the tongue not shift around or bunch up, your feet will stay snug and centered. The collar has some nice medium padding but still maintains a really slim fit. All this adds up to a shoe that really hugs your foot with minimal travel. See that little sticker there with the diamonds and cross-stitch pattern? It’s a little more assurance for the vegan police of the animal-friendly materials. The diamonds mean manmade. 
The éS Sesla has two ways to lace up. Pictured on the left you can see the outer lace eyelets. Most likely a few of these will be laced out of the box. On the right (and a bit harder to see) are the inner eyelets. Also check out that super meshy tongue! 
The esthetics change a little bit, but the rope laces will be protected from grip tape damage if you go with the inner eyelets.
We decided to go with the inner-lace system to protect the laces from ripping up. A wise choice and a sleek look! This is a nice shot of the Sesla before skating. 
Several hours of skate sessions later, this is what we are looking at. Very little toe wear. The foam is chipping a little, but still completely holding form and shape. The very top of the THERMONTHANE in the ollie area is showing a tiny bit of wear, but nothing to complain about. With about 6 hours in of a typical 20 hours of skating for a shoe review, the Sesla hasn’t even begun to show actual signs of abuse.
éS Sesla is an amazing skateboard shoe. It’s so light, that out of the box, you might have doubts about the skate-ability. However the board feel is incredible. Your feet feel so close to the board that the doubts melt away. The difference between the Sesla board feel and a slim vulc shoe, is closeness without the pain. For skateboarders in their mid-thirties and above, this is a huge benefit. For the youth, born into this space-age shoe era, congratulations! You can stave off the crippling pain that may will come with high-impact foot trauma.
The pointy-er toe is great for flicks and isn’t terribly narrow. While some people may like a boxy toe and the protection of a lot of hard stuff to keep the shoe alive and flipping boards, the THERMOTHANE toecap has some great trade offs. It isn’t hard, so it feels more exacting in your flick. The material is slick and thin but durable. It feels good to kick!
The éS Sesla runs 1/2 size small. The first pair we tried were 10.5 and were just a little too snug. We traded up for an 11 and they fit perfectly. Foot hugging, not squeezing. So find your size and go up a half. Synthetic materials rarely stretch, so you want to get into the right size your first go-round.
The price of the Sesla is up there. At just under $100, it isn’t going to be a shoe everyone can afford. If you can afford it, you’re getting exactly what the Sesla is, and what éS is billing it as; A flagship shoe!
Finally, éS and SoleTech certainly haven’t forgotten they made a vegan shoe despite a glitch in their marketing material. They have mentioned the Sesla as a vegan shoe several times in their social media posts. We got word of the shoe about seven or eight months back, and though details had been limited, we were told it was going to be one hell of a shoe. The Sesla did not disappointment. Keep the emails coming if you have further questions. fakie@veganskateblog.com
éS
Black/Grey/Red size 7-12 $99.99
Navy size 7-13 $99.99
Kinetic Skate Shop (if you’re in the Philly/Delaware area head to the shop! )
Black/Grey/Red size 8-12 $95.00
