Just as skateboarding has undergone many changes in the last 40 years, so have the shoes we skate! Besides decks, shoes are arguably the fastest part of your overall set-up to wear out. They also happen to be incredibly important for you to feel comfortable while on your board. Thin and lightweight shoes can offer excellent board feel, but without the right material or design, they could only last one session before there’s a hole in the side. Conversely, shoes can be made of incredibly durable materials and equipped with thick "Ollie Pads", "Toe Caps" and "Air Pads", which offer incredible durability, but can become nearly un-skateable when overdone. You really can’t go too far in either direction when designing a shoe, but that hasn’t stopped designers from pushing the boundaries. Let’s take a look 18 years in the past at a shoe model that eventually turned into the best-selling skate shoe of all time: Osiris D3!
Osiris D3 2001 | Weartest
Osiris Teamrider Josh Junkes testing the iconic skateshoe
History of the D3
The D3 was originally designed by Brian Reid, former filmmaker and team manager of Tony Magnussons´ EVOL, the successor company of H-Street. EVOL or their shoe line didn't exist for very long. However, Reid convinced Tony to rename the shoe division to a name he noticed by chance in a bookstore – Osiris! At the time, the 1997 skate shoe industry was basically run by DC and Etnies, but what was important was that the skaters in this era were very open to technical features and thick, heavily padded designs - perfect conditions for a little skate shoe “experimenting”! Brian tells in an interview that Dave Mayhew was actually lucky in misfortune. At the time, each of the Osiris team riders had their own model and Dave´s ideal design was already taken. So, they went to a shoe store, bought several shoes for inspiration, cut them apart, and glued them back together as one; the first D3 sample was born.
Osiris D3 | Look
Even the first version of the D3 was an eye-catcher and became a top-seller with the release of the 1999 Osiris video "The Storm". Nevertheless, it took 2 more years until the iconic D3 2001 filled skate shop shelves and sales truly exploded. It wasn’t just skaters who wanted the shoe, the design was embraced by the music industry, thanks to groups like Limp Bizkit and Avril Lavigne, who especially took a liking to the yellow model. The reflective side panels, huge tongue, and the extravagant shoelace eyelets gave the shoe a seriously unique look. Actually, the shoe was essentially a big advertisement for the Osiris brand as well as a reflection of Reid's personal taste in design. "At the time, I was really into "Robotech" and the resulting shoe created was a bit oversized - but also capable of fulfilling its purpose.” The thick padding in the ankle area prevented you from standing on your baggy pants, but it also provided heel protection for skateboarding.
Osiris D3 | Fitting
There are two things that can be said about the fit of the D3. First, it goes without saying that this shoe has a crazy amount of padding. You just can’t have so much padding without it being extremely comfortable, this shoe defines “walking on clouds”. However, the downside of this is that it takes the shoe a very long time to “break in” and at least somewhat adapt to the foot of the wearer. You can pretty much assume that this shoe has the lowest amount of board feel of any modern skate shoe. However, if you watch “The Storm” video from 20 years ago, you’ll see the Osiris team doing tricks in this shoe that are arguably good enough to be in a skate video of today. The moral of this - it just takes some getting used to!
Osiris D3 | Durability
Generally speaking, one of the biggest factors of doing a skate shoe wear test is to test the overall durability of a shoe. Well, the D3 pretty much passes the durability test with flying colors. As you’ll see in the video, Josh skated this shoe heavily for a full day. The result, some torn laces, and that’s about it! On top of that, the laces are only torn because they weren’t concealed under the optional lace “protectors”. Our conclusion is that this shoe would most likely last at least half a year, and that would be if you were skating hard every single day. We honestly think this is the most durable skate shoe ever made. Luckily, it’s available again today!
Osiris D3 | Conclusion
The most durable shoe, the most cushioned shoe, and the best-selling skate shoe of all time – even 17 years after its inception, all of these things still apply to the Osiris D3! It goes without saying that this shoe is seriously bulky, but it wouldn’t be what it is without this look! Josh, as with most skaters today, is used to much thinner skate shoes. It took him a while to get used to the weight (despite the helium-filled air pads) and to adapt the flick of his flip tricks to the overall size of the shoe. If there’s one thing he did appreciate, it was the amazing cushioning so that he practically didn’t even feel hard landings. In addition, the thick sole actually makes your ankle sit high enough off the ground that the board can’t hit your ankle directly. Due to things like this, a great way to describe the D3 is - “safe”. Whether on the street, in the club, or skating at your local street spot, the Osiris D3 is still just as much of an eye-catcher as it always was.
