When etnies and Ryan Sheckler sat down to create the design for his eighth pro model sneaker, the renowned skater knew one thing was what he wanted above all – versatility. Sheckler is a busy man and he can’t waste his time changing shoes for every possible situation, so he wanted a shoe that was designed for skating, working out and chilling.
“I designed the Estrella to be versatile, I wanted to be able to train in the shoe, skate in the shoe and hang out in the shoe,” explains Sheckler. “Pretty much everything I do on a daily basis; I can do that in this shoe.”
Sheckeler has worked with etnies for 25 years and in that time the two have become almost synonymous. It’s hard to imagine Etnies without conjuring up an image of Sheckler sliding down a rail with ease, and impossible to imagine the skater wearing any other shoes while doing so. “I’ve lived my life in Etnies shoes,” says Sheckler. “Everything I’ve done in my skating career, I’ve done with etnies shoes.”
With that in mind, the most intriguing part of the expertly crafted sneaker is – the star-shaped mandala on the 400 NBS rubber outsole. If the design looks familiar, it’s because it’s based on the mandala tattoo Sheckler has on his leg. Mandala designs are often spiritual in nature as they traditionally represent the entirety of the universe. By using the mandala in the Estrella’s design, Sheckler is not only stamping something cool he likes on the shoe, he’s connecting to his heart and what’s important to him. It’s a really cool feature that shouldn’t be overlooked.
In the video below you can see how the Estrella adapts to everything a pro skateboarder asks of it while still looking damn sharp. You can pick them up Estrella on etnies.com.