New vegan Etnies skate shoes

Etnies has come out with two new "hardcore" skate shoes that look really promising: a new vegan colourway of the "Marana Michelin" and a vegan colourway of the "Joslin". In my experience with Sole Tech shoes (Etnies, Emerica, éS) they usually fit "true to size", i.e. the sizing is always the same and very similar to Vans or DC, for example. 

I have skated the "Etnies Marana Michelin tan gum" and I find that the shoe is a quite narrow (if you have wide or very wide feet) in the middle of the shoe. Both of these shoes (below) are probably made from the same shoe last as the "Marana tan gum". I also found that my heel slipped out - despite the shoes being the right size. Both of these problems could be solved (especially the heel slipping out) by taking the insole out and replacing it with a thinner insole. These shoes are NOT as narrow as the Nike Nyjah (I've only tried the first one). So, likely for most (?) people the narrowness isn't going to be an issue.

Etnies promises that these shoes are durable, and it seems that these shoes can really deliver on this promise.


4101000403 (product ID)

MARANA MICHELIN black charcoal

Note: In the Fall 2021 line, only this colourway ("black charcoal") is vegan. There is also a slightly older (2020) vegan colourway: the "Marana Michelin tan gum" (you still might be able to find it in some shops). All the other colourways are leather.

Info by Etnies:

"Tough just got tougher. Skateboarding's most durable shoe is now more durable than ever - 3x more durable [may not be exaggerated] to be exact! etnies partnered with the planet's top manufacturer of rubber, Michelin, to help us reinvent the Marana outsole. The upper includes a fused on, injected rubber toe cap for incredible longevity [exaggeration] and hidden lace loops to protect your laces. For comfort and performance, the Marana includes a padded tongue and collar with a Pro Foam 1 insole. Thanks to Michelin, this all sits atop a cupsole formulated with durable Michelin rubber.
  • Pro Foam 1 Polyurethane Insole
  • STI EVOLUTION® FOAM Midsole
  • Durable tire tread with deep flex grooves
  • Michelin performance rubber outsole
  • Fused On, Injected Rubber Toe Cap
  • Padded Tongue And Collar
  • Hidden Lace Loops [From my experience with the "tan gum" I would say, the hidden lace loops aren't useful and this shoe could use some tongue straps]
  • Vegan
  • Synthetic Suede, Textile"







4101000484 (product ID)

JOSLIN brown/black/gum

Note: Only this colourway ("brown black gum") is vegan. All the other colourways are leather.

Info by Etnies:

"The Joslin was built to provide Chris with a shoe that is as unstoppable as he is. The Joslin features a hidden toecap below the vamp for durability and an STI Evolution Foam midsole for impact. This shoe is also stacked full of stealth technology. Down to every tiny detail, the Joslin is everything he wanted in his first pro skate shoe, a clean-cut style that’s affordable, tough, long lasting. “From the inside out, this shoe LASTS and that’s what I love!” – Chris Joslin
  • Designed and tested by Chris Joslin
  • Pro foam 1 insole
  • STI evolution foam midsole
  • Michelin performance rubber outsole
  • Hidden toe cap that extends into the ollie area
  • U-throat holds the upper together for durability
  • Elastic tongue straps for superior fit
  • Padded tongue and collar lining locks foot in
  • Hidden lace loops and inset eyelets
  • Vegan
  • Synthetic Suede"




Note that Etnies is not a vegan company, and most of their skate shoes are leather.

Note that Etnies makes quite a few other vegan shoes, and they especially list them as their "vegan collection" for our (vegans') delightful convenience. These other vegan shoes include "non-skate" shoes and a lot of canvas shoes (which you can skate in), and all of the Etnies "Sheep" shoes are also vegan nowadays.

Note that a lot of online sellers (and retail stores) may make mistakes when stating the material, or the shoes might come with a "leather symbol" sticker. However, the shoes above (in these colourways) are vegan, and if you check the Etnies "vegan collection" online, the info should be correct (I've never seen a non-vegan shoe in that collection).

What Etnies mean when they say "vegan" (pictures from the Etnies Fall 2021 catalogue):