The Gel-Vickka Pro is one of the shoes that you’ll most often see other skaters running when you notice that they’re wearing a pair of Asics.
So why are so many skaters shredding in these right now? What makes them different from other cupsole skate models and are they right for you?
Read our review below to find all that out and more get our thoughts on what they feel like to skate and all the details you need to know to decide whether you should go get a pair.
(1.) – Design: “Slim, Low, Spacious”
The first thing you’ll notice about the Gel-Vickka’s slim, low profile is its minimal design. Stripped to the bare essentials, its one-piece upper construction contains very little stitching, except for on the area around the laces, the tiger logo on the side, two single strips on the lower end of the middle of the shoe and the heel tab. This means there are no seams in the toe and side areas that are usually the zones prone to ripping from flip tricks.
Then, when you check them up close, you notice that, on top of being thin, they are fairly narrow. However, when you pop them on, you realise there is a lot of space inside the shoe, due to its generous but well considered interior padding. Where it has padding is in all the places where you need it the most.
The meshed padding on the inside of the shoe feels very comfortable, and before you’ve even done a single trick in them, you realise these shoes look as light as they feel but have a sturdiness to them that is as strong as the majority of cupsoles on the market.
(2.) – Toecap: “Pointy”
The toe of the Gel-Vickkas is super pointy but suitably rounded, which makes it great for flip tricks but still stylish.
Due to it being made out of one piece of strong, thick suede, its premium feel is backed up by a decent level of durability. There inner feels padded and comfortable but also reactive and responsive.
There are multiple perforated toe holes to increase its breathability, placed over half of the toe area, so a lot of breathability considerations have been built into this model to increase its comfort for anybody skating them all day or on long sessions.
(3.) – Upper: “Breathable and Breezy
The Gel-Vickka’s collar is slim, it doesn’t have the paddedness of the Japan Pro but it’s enough to keep your feet safe and secure while skating in them.
The most interesting thing about the upper is the materials used to make it. The suede all around the shoe is thick and reinforced, but the inside material is a soft, breathable mesh, which makes slipping them on and off a breeze.
The Gel-Vickka were based on a running shoe from the 80s, and it’s these features it retains from the original model that helps you skate in them for longer – which a lot of cupsole shoes out there were not made with that in mind.
(4.) – Heel: “Style over Shock Absorbance”
The Gel-Vickka’s relative thinness clearly does not scream solid impact protection, but the Gel cushioning tech embedded in the outsole to strengthen shock absorbance says different and it more than does the job.
You can feel the padding working in these from the get go, and for decently high drops they will be able to keep your feet and heels in shape and safe, with no issues.
However, when it comes to seriously bigger drops or very long double sets, we would recommend popping a pair of more high-impact insoles into these, as ultimately, this is not a shoe that was made for that very high-impact skating.
But choosing low-impact steez over getting gnarly and wild is most likely what’s on the cards for most skaters looking at this shoe in the first place, and it doubles down on that intent with an indented, embroidered Gel heel tab, stitched on the collar of both heels for a classy look, that also further cushions your feet further into the shoe at the same time.
(5.) – Tongue: – “Silky and Sturdy”
The Gel-Vickka’s tongue is constructed out of the same flexible, silky smooth and padded mesh that the shoe’s inner is made from. The breathable tongue increases comfort levels and secures your feet without getting them too hot.
(6.) – Laces: – “Purposeful Placement”
The lace setup on the Gel-Vickkas continues the trend of Asics skate shoes to place their laces closer to the middle of your feet, so they are as far away from the flicking area as possible. So you won’t have to worry about ripping your laces every time you skate these.
(7.) – Inner Sock Liner: “Sturdy and Stable”
The lycra sock liner tongue strap, located underneath the Gel-Vickka’s tongue, keeps your feet locked in place at all times and gives you a sturdy, stable feeling when wearing them. They also seamlessly fit with the low-tech but super effective character of this model’s overall minimal but functional design.
(8.) – Outsole: ”Slippy & Grippy”
The Gel-Vickka’s outsole rubber is strong, flexible and very grippy. It has a super smooth top layer, that helps to make it more slippy for flips, connected to a larger more tightly packed bottom layer that is even more grippy. So by combining the two layers it makes the shoes great for Ollies and Flip tricks by separating the two materials in areas where you need them to be.
The Gel Vickka’s tread uses a series of slanted grids that give it a lot of grip and resistance when pushing. The grids are quite wide and although there’s a lot of flat space, in the key areas where you need to make the most contact with your board and the ground the pattern becomes much more tight and concentrated.
(9.) – Insole: “Gel Tech: Heel Protect”
The shoe is not the bulkiest, so it needs a lot of padding on the inside, and it delivers in the heel and on the breathable mesh on the inside, but also the insole. The insoles are embedded with gel cushioning tech to protect your heels and the side of your feet. It’s also perforated in the heel area, to further increases its overall breathability.
(10.) – Skateability: Fit: “True to Size”
The Gel-Vickka Pro is true to size. In all areas of the shoe, you are getting just enough room to move your feet but also the feeling of a tight, snug fit.
(11.) – Skateability: Out of the Box: “Great to Skate Straight Outta The Box”
The Gel-Vickka Pro are fully skateable, straight out of the box, and after about an hour, you will feel like you’ve skated in them for a week already. The first thing that you realise that is so rad about this shoe is its comparative boardfeel to a pair of vulcanised shoes but the Gel-Vickka feels a lot better than a lot of vulc shoe options out there for a lot of different reasons.
(12.) – Skateability: “The Vulc Cupsole”
Due to the Gel-Vickka’s vulc-like feel, it is easy to get a strong push in these, you feel close to your board; which if you skate a lot of vulc shoes, you know makes a lot of difference. But with these, you get that extra bit of weight and balance that comes with skating a pair of cupsole shoes, which makes pushing in them feel more solid than in any vulc shoe out there.
Adding on to that, you’re going to be able to do all of the flip tricks you would do normally. Ollies are going to feel banging. Skating street and transition, you’re going to have a lot of control over your board to keep clean and sketch tricks rolling. There’s a lot of good that comes with shredding a vulc-feeling cupsole shoe like this.
However, when eventually your board lands on your toes, rams into the side of your foot, or the side off your deck lands on the top of your feet, you will be swiftly reminded why bulkier shoes will always be better for protecting your feet.
(13.) – Colorways
The Gel-Vickka Pro is currently available in the White/Cream colorway that we skated,a dope Black/Black, contrasting Black/Bright White, classic Black/Brown, Black/Graphite – that has a blueish hued sole, Graphite Grey/Black, purple Peacoat/Black, blue Midnight/Tourmaline, Prussian Blue/Pure Silver, green Moss/Black, red Roselle/Ivor, light blue IronClad/White and Vibrant Yellow/Pure Silver.
(14.) – Price
UK: £95
US: $90
(15.) – Rating – 7/10
The Gel-Vickka is easily one of the top cupsole models in the market right now. Its flexibility and strong, protective features make it a great shoe for skaters who like vulc shoes that want to try a new model with a similar feel but with more durability and skaters who are tired of wearing super tech cupsoles with zero boardfeel.
Their stylish, minimal, simplicity allow the Gel-Vickka’s to stand out.
What you get is a stylish shoe, that has next-level boardfeel, that look goods with any outfit you want to rock, that’s available in lots of of colours, that feels as dope to wear skating a curb as drinking at a bar or on the way to do either.
So, if you are looking for a pair of shoes that does all that, the Gel-Vickka is one of the most well-fitting models out there you can run in to do all of it right now.
