eS Shoes Silo SC Review: A Skate Performance and Wear Test

Since I started skateboarding in 1997, éS shoes have been a staple brand for me. For me, éS shoes are defined by their stylish aesthetic, well padded cupsole shoes, and phenomenal pro team.

I am a fan of skate shoes with a bit of extra padding for shock absorption, so I wanted to give the éS Silo SC shoes a try. Here is my full review of how well they skate, as well as a wear and tear test.

Rating Review of the éS Silo SC Skate Shoes

Our Rating: 91 out of a possible 100 or 4.55 out of a possible 5 stars for the éS Shoes Silo SC.

Where can you get these shoes? 

The Silo SC are available here from Amazon here and Tactics board shop here.

First Impressions of the éS Silo SC

I first saw these shoes in one of TJ Rogers’ clips on Instagram. He was skating them, and I thought, “He’s skating an updated version of the Koston One’s!” From that moment on, I knew I needed to get them.

When I first got the Silo SC, I compared them visually to an original pair of Koston one’s that I’d kept from the early 2000s. I did this because even when I saw them in person, I still had a tough time telling the difference between these shoes and the Koston one.

The Pros

1. It’s a padded low top cupsole skate shoe with enough mobility for flip tricks.
2. It has an outstanding level of shock absorption. This shoe has a generous amount of padding.
3. They are incredibly comfortable.
4. It’s durable enough to last you longer than most. This shoe features a high quality, grippy suede that takes around three months to tear through.
5. This shoe offers an exceptional level of grip.
6. They are incredibly comfortable.
7. They offer a nostalgic resemblance to the Koston One from 1997. (In other words, older skaters like me will love these shoes.)

The Cons

1. The level of board feel is lacking. These shoes will feel too padded for skaters used to a vulcanized skate shoe with a lot of board feel. 
2. They aren’t the lightest shoes.
3. The ventilation is mediocre. My feet were a bit sweatier than normal. 

Colors Available

Currently, the éS Silo SC is in white/blue, black/white, and grey/blue. I tested the grey/blue for this review.

Fit

I found these to run large and recommend trying one-half size smaller than your standard sneaker size.

I am normally an 8.5 in men’s shoes. Originally, I bought the éS Silo SC in the white/blue color originally in an 8.5. However, I just couldn’t get used to them due to their being too much shoe beyond my thumb toe. I tried again one half-size lower, and it worked perfectly.

How Long Did They Last?

So far it’s been two months, and I anticipate they will last me around three full months of skating.

To be specific, I’ve skated in these shoes so far for 45 days so far, and I am only through about 60% of it’s lifespan. I should get another 2 to 3 weeks out of them taking me over the three month mark.

Here is what they look like at the time of writing, and there is still a lot of skate-life left in them.

Here are my Silo SC wear test images from 45 days of skating.

• The most damage is where I do heelflips. The foam padding has torn on the upper part of the shoe. The suede underneath this section is still going. My heelflips don’t have the same level of grip or flick they did when I first got the shoe. It still works well, though.
  
• The fabric where I do ollies is fine and has many days left.
  
• The sole is still grippy with many days left.
  
• The éS logo has torn off.
  
• The gray suede was difficult to keep clean so they look dirty than a darker shoe would.

I am going to glue down the loose heelflip fabric and keep them going.

The Differences Between the éS Silo SC and the éS Koston One Shoes (the K1)

One of the main perks for me about the Silo SC was how closely it looks like the original éS Koston One (K1) shoe. Both shoes look similar. There are a few differences, though.

1. The sides of the shoes are slightly different. – The side of the upper part of the shoe is slightly different, with the horizontal fabric layer laid over the three diagonal suede layers. On the Koston ones, it’s the opposite, where the horizontal layer is underneath the three diagonal top fabric layers and on the Silo SC.
2. The Silo SC has an éS logo visible, whereas the Koston one has no logo on the side.
3. The diagonal suede layers of the Silo SC have a fabric imprint in them, whereas the Koston ones do not.
4. The éS Silo SC has tongue and heel pull tab loops that the Koston One’s do not have.
5. The  Silo SC has fabric running up the entire height of the heel while the Koston one does not.
6. After that, they are very similar looking shoes that feel similar to skate in.

It’s worth mentioning that the Koston One shoe also received its own re-release. You can now find this shoe available again as the éS One Nine Seven shoe.

How Are the éS Silo SC for Flip Tricks?

Even though it is very padded and lacks a bit of board feel, I found this shoe to still work very well for flip tricks. The shoe has a grippy sole with fabric netted sections all over the upper part of the shoe. The combination of the netting and the sole worked well to give the board a nice level of flick for flip tricks. The fabric netting helped with the flick, while the grippiness of the sole worked well for catching the flip tricks.

I am about halfway through the life of the shoe, and you can see the netting beginning to tear off, which is where I typically flip my heelflips. There was more grip with the netting for the first month of the shoe, and as I moved into the second month, I noticed there was less fabric to flip from.

How Is the Ventilation of the éS Silo SC?

I wouldn’t say the ventilation is a strong suit of the shoe. It just worked well enough to get by.

I would say the ventilation in these shoes is mediocre. It’s a very padded shoe, so it can get a bit warm. The foam-netted sections of the shoe helped a little bit, but my feet were still a bit sweatier than normal.  

Who is the éS Silo SC for?

The éS Silo SC is perfect for skaters who appreciate cupsole shoes that have a generous amount of padding.

This shoe will appeal more to the older, 30+-year-old skateboarder who is looking to get the nostalgic feel when they skate in a shoe that looks like their old favorite shoe. The Silo SC looks so similar to the éS Koston One from 1997, so it will be appreciated by someone who enjoys that era of skateboarding.

The Verdict: Is the éS Silo SC Worth Getting?

Ultimately, it depends on your shoe preference.

Yes, if you already like skating in cupsoles with a generous amount of shock absorption and padding. If padding is more important to you than board feel, you will really love the éS Silo SCs. 

However, it wouldn’t be worth it if you are used to skating in a minimal Vulc shoe with a lot of board feel. The Silo SC would take you too long to get used to for it to be worth it. 

Why I like the Silo SC

• The look and their impact absorption.

I am a 40 year old average skateboarder who has been skating on and off since 1997. I enjoy skating in the éS Silo SC because of their extra padding and the support they offer me when taking impacts. 

I find that when I skate a vulcanized shoe, my legs get tired faster due to feeling all of the vibrations of the surface that I am skating on. When I skate in the éS Silo Sc, the extra padding adds a level of dampness that helps me skate a little longer and allows me to take higher impacts that I wouldn’t be able to tolerate in a more minimal skate shoe.

If that sounds interesting, definitely check out the éS Silo Sc.

Looking for more skateboard reviews? Check out the other reviews I’ve written

• Cariuma Catiba Pro Skate Shoe Review
• Comparing the Strongest Skateboard Decks
• Powell Peralta Flight Deck Review
• Girl Pop Secret Deck Review
• Element Flat Bar Review
• Transformer Skate Rail Review
• Santa Cruz VX Skate Deck Review

Steve Weber

Steve Weber is the passionate snowboarder, skateboarder, and author behind Board of the World. He understands that most gear reviews focus on having the perfect snow conditions, but his testing methodology is different. Living in Pennsylvania, Steve describes exactly how a board performs when the conditions aren’t perfect. His reviews cover performance on ice, hardpack, and flat-out brick conditions. In other words, he reviews boards for the conditions that East Coast riders actually face.

Bringing 27 years of East Coast snowboarding and 21 years of skateboarding experience, Steve is a 42-year-old intermediate park rider. His recommendations are informed by decades of battling icy conditions, ensuring every review accounts for the board’s performance on the roughest of terrain.

For the last five years, Steve has poured his passion into writing in-depth, unbiased reviews that help riders make informed decisions about the gear they’ll use. He also works part-time at a snowboard shop in Northeastern Pennsylvania, which gives him a direct line to learning about the new gear tech months in advance. When he’s not writing reviews, Steve is often found riding at Montage Mountain and testing out new boards.

Steve’s goal with Board of the World is simple: to help every reader find the right gear so they can have fun outside from the first time they use it.