The Best Lakai Skateboard Shoes (Skated & Rated)

Lakai was one of my favorite brands growing up, and I always loved skating in their shoes because of how comfortable and predictable they felt. Every shoe feels incredible right out of the box and doesn’t have that awkward break-in period like so many other skate shoes. As a footwear company founded by skaters, for skaters, it’s clear that every shoe they design has a skater’s needs at heart. From the moment you lace up a pair of Lakai’s, you know you’re in for a great skate session.

Although we have a full breakdown below, here are the top three Lakai skate shoes at a glance:

Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of working my way through just about every model and feel pretty strongly about which ones are the best and worst. But to ensure I wasn’t too biased, I also talked to a bunch of skaters at my local park to get their thoughts on these shoes to get a fair list of rankings.

So instead of you having to buy and test all these shoes for yourself, this guide breaks down all the best Lakai skateboard shoes after literally years of skating them. You’ll learn the good, the bad, and the lesser-known nuggets about these shoes to help you feel confident before buying.

The 6 Best Lakai Skateboard Shoes

6. Lakai Telford Skate Shoe (Available As High & Low Tops)

The Lakai Telfords are available in high top and low top models with identical construction (minus the ankle, of course). These are cupsole skate shoes making them super supportive and comfortable while skating drops and stairs. There is also a surprising amount of padding around the shoe that makes your feet feel secure when committing to a new trick. Unfortunately, the padding of these insoles is pretty mediocre, and it can be worthwhile to upgrade them. Out of the box, the insoles are still cushioned enough for most skaters’ needs though.

The fit of the high-top Telford’s feels very similar to the Vans Sk8 Hi’s and has a consistent and smooth flick. Despite being a cupsole, this shoe still has great board feel that’s pretty close to a vulcanized shoe. This is primarily because it seems to be a relatively thin cupsole compared to other cupsole skate shoes out there.

The tread on these shoes isn’t the most grippy, but that can be a good thing when you’re skating on fresh grip, or if you prefer a more “slideable” shoe. The laces on these shoes around the ollie point seem to blow out relatively fast compared to other skate shoes, but the general durability of the shoe is nothing to scoff at. With a suede reinforced flick point plus a leather toe and side panel, these shoes don’t break down as fast as other all suede Lakai’s.

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5. Lakai Griffin Skate Shoe

If you want a basic skate shoe that gets the job done without any fancy bells and whistles, this is your shoe. The Lakai Griffin is a fully suede shoe with a leather collar around the ankle. They feel great out of the box and are super nice to flick tricks with. Unlike other, more bulky skate shoes, these are well-fitted to your foot and feel like a natural extension of your feet.

The entire toe is a single piece of suede which takes away the chance of stitches fraying and coming apart like with other shoes. The low profile design maximizes board feel, but the all-suede upper makes the shoe reasonably durable.

The only downside is that once the rubber outsole around the toe rounds out, it doesn’t take long to blow a hole through the suede toe. So if you put a lot of hours into these shoes right out of the gate, they probably won’t last as long as you’d like.

Ultimately the Griffins are a completely average skate shoe that feels great to skate in but isn’t the longest lasting. Since it’s a bit cheaper than other Lakai’s, the lifespan may not be a huge issue to you if your savings account is more important.

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4. Lakai Manchester Skate Shoe

The Manchester is a great middle-of-the-road skate shoe from Lakai that’s a bit more affordable than higher-end shoes but still skates great. Like with all Lakai skateboard shoes, they break-in the moment you put them on without any stiffness or discomfort around the foot. One nice perk to this shoe is the elastic on either side of the tongue that holds it in place and helps the shoe fit more snugly.

The shoe is fully suede with an extended rubber outsole around the toe that takes a bit to get through. However, you might notice the rubber on the toe will round off pretty quickly. Fortunately, it doesn’t affect the feel of flicking tricks much but puts more wear on the suede quicker than you might like.

A slightly annoying thing about these shoes is the Lakai logo will peel off pretty fast once the stitching blows out. For me, it was a couple of weeks of skating until I had to say goodbye to the logo on the side, but this will depend on how you skate and slide your foot.

If you want a classic-feeling skate shoe with decent durability (minus the logo), these are a great option. At a few bucks cheaper than the higher-end models from Lakai, like the Atlantic and Cambridge shoes, these are a good vulcanized skate shoe for just about any skater.

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3. Lakai Owen VLK Slip-On Skate Shoe

If you’re tired of your shoelaces ripping endlessly, slip-ons are a breath of fresh air, and the Owen VLKs are some of the best. With a fully suede toe and collar with a leather heel, these shoes are super durable and hug your foot like a dream. These shoes have some of the best board feel of any Lakai’s simply because they are slip-ons. You have less material on the upper between you and your board, making flicking feel more precise and consistent as the shoe wears.

The downside to these (and all slip-on shoes) is the lack of protection these offer your feet. Although these shoes have a surprisingly thick sole for a vulcanized shoe, the upper doesn’t offer much protection from your board. If you are skating stairs and drops a lot, don’t be surprised if your feet feel more bruised than normal, especially when your board karate chops your foot.

These are some of the most durable slip on skate shoes I’ve seen, and the inset elastic on the tongue goes a long way to improve the shoe’s lifespan. They also look great to skate in and wear casually, which isn’t something you can say about all skate shoes.

If you do decide to give these a shot, make sure to go up 1/2 a size if you’re typically between two different sizes or if you have wide feet.

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2. Lakai Atlantic Skate Shoe

The Atlantics are the best cupsole shoe Lakai offers by a landslide. They feel grippy without being overbearing, they have great impact protection without sacrificing board feel, and they don’t need any time to break in. The shoe is suede around the entire toe and the heel, but has a mesh side panel for extra breathability. On a hot summer’s day skating, these are a nice relief to wear compared to all suede shoes.

The heel of these shoes doesn’t seem to hold up as well as the toe, but the toe doesn’t get holes as easily as other Lakai shoes I’ve skated. Going into the shoe, these have XLK outsoles which add a lot more cushion and support compared to standard Lakai soles. The insole of these shoes is also molded to help cup your heel and prevent your foot from moving within the shoe.

Although these cost a bit more than some other Lakai skate shoes, the breathability, foot support, and durability these shoes offer make it worthwhile.

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1. Lakai Cambridge Skate Shoe

The Cambridge is the best overall Lakai skate shoe in terms of comfort, durability, and style. It has a few different materials, with stitched suede around the toe and heel, a mesh side panel, and artificial leather near the collar. A unique addition to these shoes is the extra rubber along the outsole of the heel. This makes the shoe feel a bit beefier than it is when flicking heelflips and helps protect the heel suede from wearing away as quickly.

This shoe is primarily meant for technical skaters who aren’t focused on sessioning drops and stairs for days on end. As a vulcanized shoe, it has good board feel but lacks that extra impact protection your feet would thank you for when skating bigger features. Overall it’s a very flexible shoe that feels great out of the box and looks sick to match.

The rubber bumper on the toe tends to round out quickly and forces you to flick more against the suede. There is a noticeable difference in flick feel when this starts to happen, but it’s not the end of the world. Another thing to note is the stitching on the suede toe comes apart pretty fast. It doesn’t seem to have much effect on the suede holding up, but it does start to change the look of the shoe.

If you want the best of everything from Lakai, the Cambridge should be your first and only choice.

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So Which Lakai Skateboard Shoe Should You Pick?

If you’re still stuck on which shoe to pick, here are all the shoes mentioned in this guide, ordered by ranking from our most to least favorite.

Shoe	Specs	Our Rating	Where To Buy
	Lakai Cambridge	Great technical skate shoe Good responsive flick The suede toe cap is long-lasting Nice padding around the tongue for added protection Surprisingly good impact protection for a vulcanized shoe Fits true to size	Check Price On AmazonFind At Tactics Boardshop
	Lakai Atlantic	A cupsole that doesn't limit board feel Super lightweight and comfortable Mesh side panel makes these shoes extremely breathable Toe holds up well compared to other Lakai's A flexible shoe with a responsive flick Good for skating stairs & drops	Check Price On AmazonFind At Tactics Boardshop
	Lakai Owen VLK Slip-Ons	Amazing board feel with thinner upper No laces to rip Thicker sole for added protection without losing the vulcanized feel Tongue elastic is inset to protect from wear Hugs the foot nicely for a slip-on shoe	Check Price On Amazon
	Lakai Manchester	Low profile shoe with great board feel Well padded insole No break-in period and feel great out of the box Feel like any typical skate shoe you're already used to	Check Price On AmazonFind At Tactics Boardshop
	Lakai Griffin	All suede upper & single piece toe box No break-in period and feel great out of the box Great board feel with a vulcanized sole Reasonably priced	Check Price On AmazonFind At Tactics Boardshop
	Lakai Telford High Tops	Leather & suede for great durability Cupsole with vulcanized board feel Tons of padding around the shoe Fits true to size	Check Price On AmazonFind At Tactics Boardshop

If you still want some other shoe options to consider outside of Lakai, our best skateboard shoes guide will offer some more suggestions!