Top Skate Shoe Picks for Summer 2026

Probably the best-known silhouette to grace this list, and one that, time after time, finds its way on to every shoe ranking we publish: the Nike SB Dunk Low Pro. Now obviously, there is an endless supply of Dunk collabs and colourways to pick from, but a recent one which caught our attention that really leans into the SB of Nike SB, the Dashawn Jordan' Dunk Low Pro Skate Shoes.

The April Skateboards Pro has been waiting for the moment he could take Nike SB’s most iconic silhouette and make it his own, so when his collaboration was finally confirmed, Dashawn knew exactly what he was going to do. Pulling references from all over his native Phoenix, the upper is dominated by faux snakeskin overlay panels, the design of which belongs to the Western diamondback rattlesnake, a nod to Dashawn’s beloved Arizona Diamondbacks, marking 25 year since their World Series winning run. The snakeskin is interrupted by a black Swoosh with dark blue outlines on both sides, whilst underneath, smooth black suede underlays give the pattern the best chance to shine. Underfoot, it’s full of all the tech you would expect from a shoe in the SB Dunk lineup. ⁠This is a shoe built for skateboarding, not hype.

Nike SB have one of the most stacked ranges of silhouettes out there, so it is difficult to pick out a favourite to rock this summer, but one which recently caught everybody’s eye here at Route One, the latest colourway of the revamped P-ROD 1.

The Paul Rodriguez Zoom Air Low Skate Shoes land in a Black/Gum colourway, the fourth colourway since the shoe’s reintroduction into the SB line, and probably the hardest. The P-ROD 1 was one of the first shoes to show what it means to blend style and performance; the sophisticated all black suede upper is adorned with the P-Rod monogram embroidery on the heel panels, whilst underneath it is all tech: solid cupsole construction with visible Zoom-Air unit in the midsole, giving you the cushioning you need underfoot. This iteration adds extra tech from its predecessor with an enhanced carbon plate for improved impact support.

The legend that is Louie Lopez landed his second signature silhouette for Converse CONS last year, releasing in an in-your-face Silver/White/Black. Whilst this silver bullet of a shoe might not have been for everyone, the potential in the silhouette itself was clear, and this potential was realised in subsequent colourways which have been released, including our favourite to release this Spring/Summer season, the Total Golden View/Mud Season effort. The LL2 represents a huge shift away from his first pro model, taking influence from all over the Converse archives. Built from scratch and loaded with all the usual CONS tech, the Louie Lopez 2 is reminiscent of a football boot with quilted stitching on the toe box, perfect with the World Cup on the horizon this summer.

Read our wear test of the Louie Lopez 2 for a full rundown of how the shoe skates and holds up to the wear and tear you can expect when skating them.

The Superstar silhouette has seen a huge resurgence since it joined the ADV lineup (adidas’ Skateboarding line, if you aren’t in the know). It has also seen a bunch of collaborations with adidas’ stacked team of pro skaters, with the latest to get their chance to put their own spin on the shoe Marcos Montoya, for a patent leather take on the iconic silhouette.

Marcos delves into the world of fashion for his take on the Superstar silhouette. The tumbled, unbuckled Red Night leather upper contrasts the patent details on the Trefoil heel and Three Stripes, which themselves match the classic shell toe cap. Rubber shell toe, perforated midfoot, and debossed Montoya/adi co-branding round out the vintage Superstar stylings, whilst the Adiprene moulded sockliner and rubber outsole ensure every step feels secure and comfortable. This collaboration brings together adidas heritage with Montoya’s own personal style.

Vans Skate have updated a bunch of their existing silhouettes with a new Wafflecup technology, bringing together the supreme board feel and flexibility that Vans are known for with the durability and support of cupsole construction. Our pick for this list (although it could have been any of the Wafflecup models), the Half Cab in Black/White. Incidentally, the vulc counterpart made our top 10 list for 2025, and why not? It is an absolute classic.

Perhaps the most recognisable purpose-built skate silhouette of all time, the Vans Skate Half Cab saw a renaissance of sorts in 2025 and the WAFFLECUP™ sole brings it up to date with the demands of modern skateboarding.

Back in January, we were lucky enough to get a UK exclusive colourway of one of our favourite silhouettes from the Three Stripes, the Busenitz Vintage in Core Black/Alumina/Gum.

adidas delved into the archive and came out with a gem. Inspired by classic football boots, the Busentiz Vintage features an all-black suede upper with reinforced stitching, adorned with the Three Stripes of Alumina (off-white, to you and me) with matching heel tab, and sits on gum cupsole construction, with all the tech for your skating needs. With the FIFA World Cup taking place this summer, this is the ideal shoe to bridge the gap between the long summer skates and watching the football down the pub with your mates.

The next shoe to hit our best shoes for summer ’26, the number one on our Top 10 Skate Shoes of 2025, the New Balance Numeric 933, Andrew Reynold’s super techy signature silhouette. This time, we’ve picked out the muted Mushroom/Light Blue, bringing a clean versatility to the silhouette in time for summer.

The shoe is heavy on the running/sports shoe influences through a skateboarding lens, especially from heritage NB running shoes, namely the 990, because Reynolds wanted to focus on fit, support and feel, and, well, because it looks sick. If you want to read more about the 933, check out our blog from the launch of the shoe.

Soon after joining the Lakai ranks, Chris Joslin made skate history by tre flipping el toro. Coincidence, maybe? But then again, maybe not. Fresh off the back of his bull slaying and subsequently becoming 2025 Thrasher SOTY, Chris Joslin added another notch on his belt with a special G—MA signature colourway for his favourite Lakai silhouette, the Telford Low. The shoe honours the grit and determination which saw him land the coveted Skater of the Year award, as well as to his G—MA, who he dedicated his victory.

If they’re good enough for a two-time Thrasher SOTY, well then, they’re good enough for us. Our next pick in our list of top 10 skate shoes for this summer, Jamie Foy’s signature silhouette for New Balance: the 306 in Sea Salt & Teal. This is one of the cleanest colourways of the silhouette that continues to get reupped time after time due to demand, and for good reason. It brings a characteristically NB colour palette that comes into its own in the warmer months.

The suede uppers and breathable mesh underlays of the 306 combine for an all-day wear that lasts, ensuring comfort and airflow, whilst the classic vulcanised construction ensures some of the best flick in the game. If vulc isn’t your style, New Balance have just released a cupsole model, bringing together the board feel of its vulc counterpart, but with the extra protection of cupsole construction.

The colourways keep on coming for Ishod Wair’s tech heavy Air Max Ishod Skate Shoes, and in celebration of Air Max Month in March 2026, Ishod worked with the Nike SB design team to reinterpret one of the Air Max 95’s most infamous colorways.⁠ The “Neon” colourway pays homage to an OG, whilst bringing influences from ‘90s Swoosh running and court aesthetics and borrowing design elements from the Air Max family tree, with a dropped midsole for added boardfeel. The Nike Air Max Ishod wears its tech on its sleeve, and the mid top design will look banging in a pair of shorts this summer.