Riley Hawk Pro Shoe Review And Video

First Impression

My first impression of the new Riley Hawk pro model shoe from Lakai was that it looked very similar to the Lakai Owen, except it had an upper that included laces.  The shape of the toe is almost exactly like the Owen.  The Riley includes an added toe bumper that the Owen doesn’t have though.  When you first put the shoe on you notice that it is a bit stiff.  The reason behind that is because the back of the shoe around the heel is made of a tough canvas.  Depending on how your feet fit in ther shoe this could cause discomfort for the first day or so.  The LUX-LITE insole provides a decent bit of cushion and support.  The shape of the toe is a bit wider than I’m used to, but I don’t think it will have a negative effect at all.

One Week Of Skating

After a week of skating in the Riley’s, the break in process was finally over.  The bulked up sole and added toe bumper are great for making the shoe last longer, but the downfall is that it takes longer to break them in.  The insoles are holding up strong and have yet to pack down from taking impact.  The only major wear area is around the collar of the shoe.  The stitching ripped in the first couple of days and the foam padding around the collar is now exposed.  The laces that come with the shoe are thin, and the first one ripped pretty easily.  Once these shoes are broken in they start to skate very well.

Three Weeks Of Skating

After another week there really isn’t a huge difference in wear.  The most obvious area for concern is the collar and the lacing area.  At this point I had ripped all the laces, and the collar began to fall apart more.  An easy fix to all this would be to put a new lace in.  These issues did not affect the way the shoe skated though.  To be completely honest I was not a fan of this shoe at first, but the more I skated the shoe the more I began to like it.  This is the kind of shoe that gets better with time.  Pack a couple extra laces and these bad boys are good to go.  It has been three weeks and the Riley’s have more life left in them.  If I were to rate the shoe, I would give the Riley Hawk’s first pro model a 7 out of 10.

Find the Riley Hawk shoe right here!

 

 

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