Inked Mag Staff
October 11th, 2022
etnies & Ryan Sheckler Release Versatile New Estrella
Ryan Sheckler’s eighth pro model, the Estrella, is custom designed for any situation and inspired by one of the skater’s many tattoos
When etnies and Ryan Sheckler sat down to come up with the design for his eighth pro model sneaker the renowned skater knew he wanted one thing above all others—versatility. Sheckler is a busy man and he can’t waste his time changing shoes for every possible situation, so he wanted a shoe designed to skate, train and chill.
“I designed the Estrella to be versatile, I wanted to be able to work out in the shoe, skate in the shoe and hangout in the shoe,” Sheckler explains. “Pretty much everything I do on a daily basis; I can do in this shoe.”
Sheckeler has been working with etnies for 25 years, and over that period the two have become almost synonymous with each other. It’s hard to picture etnies without conjuring an image of Sheckler sliding down a rail with ease and it’s impossible to imagine the skater wearing any other shoes as he does so. “I have lived my life in etnies shoes,” Sheckler says. “Everything that I have done in my skate career has been in etnies footwear.”
The most intriguing part of the expertly-crafted sneaker is in that spirit—the star-shaped mandala on the 400 NBS rubber outsole. If the design looks familiar it’s because it’s based off of the mandala tattoo Sheckler wears 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 isn’t just stamping something cool he likes onto the shoe, he’s making a connection to his heart and what he finds important. It’s a really cool feature that is not to be overlooked.
In the video below you’ll see how the Estrella adapts to everything a pro skateboarder demands of it, while also looking pretty damn sharp going out. You can pick up the Estrella at etnies.com.
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