As a middle-age skateboarder, and a professional designer practicing in the area of branding, I always have an eye to industries that enter the skateboarding space. Especially major shoe/clothing companies. As a "purist", I fought (in my mind only) the rationale for many years as to why companies like Nike, New Balance, Dickies, Levis, etc have launched lines marketed to skateboarders. I know for the money, right?! That's not completely untrue. However, as I've thought longer on the topic, I realized these companies have been skater supported from the beginning. Skaters have always worn Nike Dunks and Dickies pants, so it made sense that these brands retool some of their offerings to be in line with what skaters need to function out there. I've also been a fan of the Asics brand (specifically the Onitsuka Tiger line) for years because of their lineage in sports as a leader since the 1940s. So when Asics announced their new skateboard shoe collection, I was intrigued and excited. You can learn more about this new offering here.