The Complete History of Eric Koston's Skate Shoes

Image via Complex Original

Year: 1997

The one that started it all. The K1 was designed by Don Brown, and remains one of the best signature skate shoes ever. eS re-released it a few years later as the EK-01, updated with their System G2 gel cushioning. Lakai revived the design when Koston signed with them in 2007, a Nike version would be welcome as well.

Year: 1998

No, that grooved midsole isn't Lunarlon—just EVA foam. Apparently the K2 was the first skate shoe to feature an EVA midsole, which didn't do wonders for board feel but made the mallgrabbers comfortable. Don Brown was again involved in the design, and the upper was definitely just an evolutionary leap from the 1.

Year: 2000

Hidden laces, highly sculpted midsole, visible air bag, embossed logo at the heel—this was some Jordan-type ish. The early 2000s were a strange time for skate shoes, they didn't quite know what they wanted to be, but the K3 was amazing.

Year: 2002

Look at that midsole! Apparently once eS started using EVA, they just couldn't stop. Props for the earthtones, though—in brown, that shoe still goes.

Year: 2003

Something went off the rails here, as the K5 featured an overlasted midsole that would have looked more at home on an AND1 basketball shoe. Both the colorblocking and the heavy perforations gave it more of a skate-inspired look, paving the way for companies like Gravis and Clae.

Year: 2004

Utter simplicity. The K6 harkened back to eS's first signature shoe—Sal Barbier's classic Sal 23. It didn't feature a number on the heel (presumably, as a Laker fan, Kostons would have been '8') and the profile wasn't quite so fat, but the basic suede (or premium leather in some colorways) upper and cupsole was pure skateboarding satisfaction. The basic look hid a System G2 gel cushioning setup.

Year: 2005

Koston was a Nikehead long before he signed up with SB, and the K7 was the most overt example of that. There was a Lakers makeup signifying his fandom, but the most common colorway was this Jordanesque red, black and grey. The toebox definitely had some Dunk/Court Force inspiration that would carry over to his next shoe—and his next brand.

Year: 2007

The Kost One was more or less a Lakai re-interpretation of the K7, with the same Dunk/Court Force influence.

Year: 2007

A vulc signature? Why not? Koston may not have been the first skater to get a vulc pro model to go alongside his "regular" model, but the concept was still fairly new in 2007.

Year: 2007

The most "un-Koston" of Koston's signature shoes, the Lakoston looked more like a generic Lakai model. Then again, they were pumping out so much Koston-related product that something had to miss, right?

Year: 2008

Lakai's take on Koston's first shoe, there wasn't much need for re-thinking.

Year: 2009

A never-was, the Koston High was sampled up before Koston left Lakai for Nike SB, but never actually produced for retail. Shame.

Year: 2009

Koston's first order of business on becoming part of the Nike SB family was re-inventing the Dunk SB. And we're not just talking colorways, although his Thai-inspired highs and lows were highly sought after. He actually made some technical changes that carry on to this day, from revamping the familiar basketball-inspired outsole pattern to switching up the layering of the toepiece.

Year: 2010

The Zoom FP was a sign of things to come—a Presto-inspired skate shoe that combined an ultralightweight feel with a glovelike fit. Much of what started here would find its way into the upcoming Koston signature line.

Year: 2011

It took Nike two long years to put out a proper Koston signature shoe, but it was worth the wait. The Shawn Carboy designed Eric Koston 1 combined a slick, virtually seamless upper with a Lunarlon drop-in sole to create a near-perfect skate shoe.

Year: 2012

What do you get when you combine the Eric Koston 1 with the Air Max 90? This. Koston was a sneakerhead long before he signed with Nike, so this was a long time coming.

Year: 2013

The Eric Koston 2 picked up where the 1 left off, using the same basic shape with some key changes. The heel saw some Free-inspired changes for a glove-like fit, and the lacing was more like a Vans Era. Suede uppers were louvered for ventilation, and golf versions kept Koston in his pro model even on the greens.