Our first impression of the etnies Marana in Chase Hawk’s distinctive red colourway is that it’s an extremely durable shoe, due to a fused on rubber toecap, hidden loops to protect your laces and a chunky, very grippy cupsole rather than the usual vulcanised sole usually found on an average skate shoe. For such a beefed up construction, we were surprised by how swiftly they bedded in, and that despite the thick sole, you can still feel your pedals as you would with a thinner soled model. They’ve been designed with a padded tongue and collar, Pro Foam 1 Polyurethane insole and a grooved outsole which helps the shoe flex with your feet to keep things nice and comfortable. A lot of the feedback we received from the riders in the wear test made reference to how for a low-cut shoe, the Marana seems to offer more protection than was expected thanks to all that padding and an STI Evolution Foam midsole. In summary, in our opinion the etnies Marana hits that perfect balance between a shoe that is going to last a long time and make your feet feel protected, but also feels good to go straight out of the box, and allows you to feel your pedals under your feet right from the first ride.
