Ramp to Runway: The Evolution of Skate Fashion
From the pavements to Paris, how a board and four wheels altered the course of style.
Like any fashion movement, skate style has evolved. Look back at the original Zephyr Team from the ’70s and you’ll see a connection to surf culture—board shorts, striped shirts and logo graphics tees—but also a pragmatic twist. The crew’s adoption of jeans, for example, offered more protection as people started skating more challenging terrain such as pools and ditches, while others wore flannel and baggy chinos as a nod to Los Angeles Cholo culture. By the end of the decade, UK punk rock was exerting an influence on skate style, with pros like Steve Olson and Duane Peters opting for bondage pants, leather jackets, animal prints and Chuck Taylors.
As the ’80s hit, the influence of punk, early hip-hop and street skating pushed skate culture even further away from surfing. Several brands, Stüssy chief among them, mixed these cultures, yet a clothing brand specifically designed for skateboarding didn’t arrive until Vision Skateboards launched Vision Street Wear later that decade.
On the footwear front, Vans dominated the game, while newer companies like Vision, Airwalk and Etnies began pushing innovative products such as lace savers and ollie patches. The introduction of the Air Jordan 1 in 1985 turned the scene on its head as MJ’s first signature shoes—and the similarly styled Nike Dunk—appealed to skaters thanks to their reasonable price points and durable functionality. Nike, prescient as ever, even gifted the sneakers to the era’s most influential teams, including Powell Peralta’s Bones Brigade.