Skate Footwear S/S 2026 Retail Buyer’s Guide
The ever-fluctuating market is currently in a challenging position, according to various sources. Smaller brands are struggling, whilst more established ones are trying all they can to remain afloat. With physical, independent skate shops sadly closing their doors across Europe, we ask what brands are doing to stay in demand among skateboarders and consumers, as highlighted in the SOURCE Retail Buyers Guide for Skate Footwear SS26.
Market
Bas Jansen – Head of Sales EMEA & APAC at Etnies, éS & Emerica said, “We’re aware that apparel and hard goods are picking up — but in speciality, footwear is somewhat behind.”1 Albeit the case, skateboarding continues to grow in Europe and the world as a whole, as Mirko Magnum, co-founder at Opus, explained: “As hard-goods brands continue to grow in numbers and expand DTC business, they continue to compete with shops’ monthly sales.” Customers who have access to online stores continue to look for footwear on sale, driving down prices and margins for traditional skate shops. Kenny Reed – Marketing, and Team Manager at the recently reborn Ipath said, “There are lots of giant sporting goods brands making and selling shoes to skateboarders”, which of course adds challenges to the market for smaller, core brands.
With Trump’s potential new tariffs on China, some brands are having to reevaluate their production methods. Mirko from OPUS said, “The Trump tariffs halted all shipments to the USA for OPUS, which allowed us to get more shoes into Europe ahead of our original European expansion timeline.” R.P. Bess, Brand Director at the renewed World Industries, noticed that “More shoes are coming from outside of China.” Fallen Footwear’s International Sales Manager Matt Sandler said similarly, “We’re already exploring sourcing strategies that help us remain competitive without compromising quality.” Bas from Etnies, éS & Emerica mentioned that their brands were not directly affected; however, “indirectly, it could affect brands on a global level, which can impact things from a budget perspective.”
Price Points
Most brands seem to be striving to maintain their price points, with some only increasing within the US. Fishing Lines Worldwide’s Founder/Owner, Michi Makrodt, said that they are “actually reducing their price points to make a more accessible shoe.”[1] Bas from Etnies, éS & Emerica said that “Price remains a sensitive topic in the market. We have reduced certain lines to better align with current competition.” Matt from Fallen said, “While global inflation affects production costs, we prioritise accessibility for skaters and aim to remain fair and competitive in all markets.”
Smaller Brands
Small brands have never had it easy in skateboarding. Dennis Martin, CEO at Hours Is Yours, said, “I believe shops should be supporting smaller skater-owned and operated footwear brands to help the industry as a whole.” It’s up to skate shops to support smaller brands. Mirko from Opus noted that “The market is always looking for something fresh and compelling, the challenge for a small or new brand is setting up infrastructure with a slow to moderate growth plan.” R.P. Bess from World Industries added that “ I think there is some room for smaller brands. They just have to make their mark and get noticed.” Matt from Fallen said perfectly that “Core skaters continue to value authenticity and purpose. Fallen has always been rooted in skateboarding, and that credibility resonates deeply with a loyal community.”
Collection themes and stories
The main stories for next season seem to be cupsoles and bulky styles. Dennis from Hours Is Yours spoke of the release of a “Cup sole penny loafer”, whereas Andres Araya, EMEA Sales manager, said “their focus was on the 933 launch & Jamie Foy cupsole models. Bas from Etnies, éS & Emerica said, “On the lifestyle side, we are leaning heavily into the Y2K trend with bulkier styles. On the skate side, we’re pushing for innovation and newness.” R.P. Bess from World Industries announced that “graphics are doing well for us, although we are discussing throttling it back in the coming seasons.” Kenny from Ipath said their main stories are “pushing casual, skate-able and comfort. Classic silhouettes with modern tones, like the new ‘Cat lows’ in buttery soft suede – Good to walk to the beach with no socks or hit up the local DIY and lay into some tranny.” DC’s Skateboarding Marketing Coordinator, Cedric Borderie said similar – “ Post-session, transition effortlessly into the running-inspired ROAMMAX, or relax in the Super Suede skateable mule, the LIEGE.”
Design
With people searching for more ‘all-rounder’ footwear, brands are having to sometimes adapt their designs to suit not just skateboarders’ tastes. Practical silhouettes with technical performance. ’Functional footwear as fashion’, as Michael Morey, footwear designer at Etnies, said simply. “I’ve noticed a surge in lifestyle-inspired sneakers that look good both on and off the board. For SS26, we’re introducing a new silhouette called the Emerson, which blends lifestyle aesthetics with skate performance attributes.” Michael also spoke of éS’s new silhouette – “the Imprint – a new style we’re debuting for SS26. We’re offering a special version using Kevlar for the toe and heel caps.” Emerica will be focusing on “ a few core silhouettes and updating their colour palettes to remain interesting whilst still wearable,” as Michael said. Fishing Lines owner Michi said, however, “The trends are going towards ‘more is more,’ but, as I say, we’re not trying to go that way.”
Hoursisyours’ Dennis said similarly, “We are always looking to offer skate and semi-casual silhouettes as part of our brand DNA.” Big puff OG’s, Osiris, however are sticking to their roots as Brian Barber said proudly “For us, we’re leaning into our legacy — focusing on heritage models and elevating them with upgraded materials and modern detailing” Fallen will be doing similar at Matt explained: “we’re leaning into the legacy of Fallen, highlighting key rider stories and reviving underground classics from our early 2000s archive.” R.P. Bess from World explained their current design tactics: “We tend to follow skate groms and apparel fashion to see into the future with product designs, graphics and marketing tools.”
Pro models/colour-ways
Fewer pro models next season, however, colour-ways are a different ballgame. éS will be releasing 2 new colour ways of TJ Roger’s pro shoe as Michael from éS explained: “a Black/Red colourway launching in Spring references the iconic launch colour of the Two Nine 8 — reflective silver mesh included, and a Summer colourway in clean white leather with baby blue accents.” Similarly, Emerica will be releasing 3 new colour-ways of Spankey’s KSL III. Mirko from OPUS spoke of “releasing an updated version of our Standard mid and Low, with longer lasting rubber compound and upgraded Suede.” DC will be releasing a Will Marshall colourway of the ONYX Vulc, which ‘provides lightweight control’ as Cedric explained. Hours Is Yours “will have some very good colour ups for the Herman 3 and Dilo Pro for SS26” as Denis said. Fallen’s Matt Saddler did announce that they’re “launching new pro models for Dalton Dern and Tommy Sandoval, each designed in close collaboration with the skaters themselves” so it’s not completely void of new pro models next season!
Collaborations
New Balance Numeric continue to fire on all pistons, now collaborating with Italian Neo Luxe Menswear brand Stone Island. This will see several redesigned silhouettes and apparel pieces that will make an impact next season. Osiris will also be bringing a strong collaboration to the table as Brian from Osiris said: “One of our most exciting collaborations is with YDB — Young Dirty Bastard — the son of the legendary Ol’ Dirty Bastard of the Wu-Tang Clan. This partnership is special on many levels.” Kenny from Ipath mentioned they’re “getting something going with Bronze 56k,” which only further catapults their somewhat cult appreciation within skateboarding.
Sustainability
In this day & age, it’s (hopefully!) accepted that most footwear brands will offer a vegan alternative for their best sellers. Brian from Osiris said, “We’ve been early adopters of synthetic materials and vegan footwear — dating back to Y2K, not only for animal-conscious reasons but also because many synthetics offer increased durability and longevity.” R.P. from World Industries said, “All of our footwear is 49% vegan leather. Safe for the environment and good to recycle. Etnies will be offering synthetic suede in the Marana model, whereas Emerica will be launching the Moca for SS26- the White/Gum colourway using entirely animal-friendly materials, and éS will have an animal-friendly version of the Accel for the first time since reintroducing the 1995 spec. Ipath, finally, “source and use sustainable materials whenever possible. We have at least 3 hemp styles available every season,” as Kenny said proudly.
Must-have styles for SS26 and wrap up:
Whilst new pro models are lacking this year, brands are making up for it with new colourways of successful silhouettes. Kenny from Ipath said their must-have would be the Bronze56K Grasshopper, and Brian from Osiris spoke of “The D3 2001 25th Anniversary Edition.” Some things never go out of fashion, it seems. DC will be launching the HYBRID OG- “offering technical precision with distinct DC heritage design language,” as Cedric explained. Emerica keep it plain and simple with ‘the Moca’, whilst éS’s Michael Morey says “the must-have style is the Imprint.” New Balance Numeric’s Andres said for them “ The NM306 cupsole is a standout must-have.” Hours Is Yours says their must-haves are “Cohiba SL90, Herman 3 & B1 Slip-on,” whereas Fallen will focus on “The Patriot, The Valor, and The Daytona- Dalton Dern’s pro shoe.”
Brand Previews
