Village PM 1PM | Honest Review

Wondering what the deal is with the new Village PM skate shoes? Find out how their signature 1PM model performed in our in-depth shoe review!

Buy Village PM skate shoes at CSC with free next day UK shipping on orders over £50!

At a time when every 'new' skate shoe that comes out is just a reimagining of some long-forgotten silhouette from the annals of history, it should come as no surprise that when a brand comes along that is actually doing something different then it's gonna turn a few heads. Village PM is one such brand. Using their years of experience in the outdoor footwear game to come up with a range of skate shoes that are certified NBDs, the shoes not only look unlike any skate shoe you've ever seen but also feature a load of innovative design choices, along with some pretty hefty claims regarding their performance. So, naturally, we had to put them to the test and see how they measure up. Have a read below to find out what we thought about the Village PM 1PM skate shoes in terms of comfort, performance, durability, fit and more!

Comfort

Maybe it's because of the fact that they look like climbing shoes (which typically offer Chinese foot binding levels of discomfort), but I wasn't really expecting the Village PM 1PM shoes to be ranking that highly when it comes to comfort. With that being said, I was pleasantly surprised (a theme that will become painfully common throughout this review) by how comfortable they were once I tried them on. It turns out the shoes have a decent amount of padding around the collar and throughout the inside which gives them a nice comfortable feel despite the bare bones aesthetic. I did notice some discomfort around the heel after skating in them, which could be due to the rubber rand which wraps around the heel making it overly stiff and causing it to rub on my achilles tendon, however I imagine this will soften up over time.

Likewise, while it's not as fancy as the insole in something like the Reynolds 933, the 1PM's removable insole does a very respectable job of offering a comfortable underfoot feel and solid support without getting in the way of boardfeel (but more on that later). I can't say the EVA midsole was massively noticeable and it seemed like the insole was doing the bulk of the heavy lifting in terms of cushioning but I wasn't expecting them to be quite as comfortable as they are, especially given their lightweight construction. They're obviously not on the same level as some of the more cushioning-focused cupsoles, like the Reynolds 933, but they're easily on-par with, if not better than, some of the thinner cupsoles, like the NB# 440 or 480, and they definitely outclass any vulc.

Performance

Now this is where things get really interesting. The Village PM 1PM honestly skates so well. Given the rubber toe-cap, I was fully expecting to spend the majority of the session struggling to get used to the flick but, while it did feel weird at first, it took less than 10 tries until I was landing kickflips consistently - and not just consistently, they felt amazing. It was pretty much impossible to wipe the shit-eating grin off my face each time I felt the deck slap up against my feet. I have no idea what type of 'climbing rubber' they've used - and haters will say it's just a gimmick - but fair play, they might actually be onto something here.

I couldn't believe how quickly they went from feeling a bit too sticky to having the perfect amount of flick - and this wasn't just for kickflips, every trick took just a few tries to get used to. Even the rubber ollie patch, which can often feel way too grippy at first, was barely noticeable and I was comfortably hopping onto the ledge without the bumhole-clenching fear that the board would end up sticking to my shoes in a weird way and causing a life-altering slam. Setting up for tricks was also entirely stress-free with the sole having just the right amount of grip while the asymmetrical shape made it really easy to dig your toes into the pocket when popping or scooping tricks.

To continue the glazing, I was also really impressed with the level of boardfeel the Village PM 1PM offers. It's very rare for me to get on with a shoe this well skating it straight out the box, especially when it's got so much rubber around it, and it usually takes a good few sessions for me to feel fully comfortable. Despite this, the Village PM 1PM broke in almost instantly with amazing boardfeel straight out the box despite still having impressive levels of cushioning and support. While I didn't expect to be making this claim, I can honestly say that they're my favourite shoes I've skated in a while and might just be the best I've ever gotten on with a new shoe.

Durability

Obviously the main advantage of having a rubber toe-cap on a skate shoe is the next-level durability this offers, so it should come as no surprise that the Village PM 1PM has been holding up really well during testing. To be honest, 'holding up really well' is a bit of an understatement as, so far, the 1PM seems near-enough indestructible with almost no signs of wear to the rubber after some pretty intense sessions. Not only does the rubber itself seem good-as-new but the seam where the rubber meets the upper (the main potential area of weakness) is also showing no sign of coming apart and the only real signs of wear on the suede upper is around the laces, but even that's fairly minimal.

The area where the durability did fall short was with the laces. While I expected the asymmetric positioning of the laces - which keeps them more towards the inside of the foot and, theoretically, out of harm's way - would help prevent the laces tearing, it wasn't long before they started showing signs of wear and by the end of the first two-hour session they were clinging on for dear life. Obviously ripped laces are fairly normal (and luckily they do come with spares) but they ended up completely destroyed unusually quickly, so clearly the theory of the asymmetric laces doesn't work quite so well in practice. I will say, however, that I'm probably not the best test case as I tend to flick with the top of my foot (I often get a hole in the tongue before the toe to give you an idea of how weird my flick is) and so go through laces like a hot knife through butter, so maybe it's just me.

On top of the shoe's already impressive durability, Village PM also make the claim that you can get the rand replaced when (or if) you do eventually wear though it. Naturally, I wanted to fact check this so I took the shoes in to Timpson to see if this would actually be doable. Surprisingly, they reckoned it is possible! However, for the best results you'd have to get Village PM to send you the bit of replacement rubber, otherwise Timpson would have to cut it out themselves from a different kind of rubber and it would look like 'Frankenstein' (I didn't bother to correct him on the fact that Frankenstein is the name of the doctor, not the monster...). To be honest, the shoes seem durable enough already and I'm not sure if you'd ever really need to do this but it's still a nice option to have and is a big step forward for the highly unsustainable nature of the skate shoe industry. 

Sizing & Fit

I'd say the fit of the 1PM is the aspect which I liked the least - although that's partly my fault for not trying them on first to make sure I was getting the right size. I usually wear a UK 10 in most New Balance shoes, including the 933 and 480, which generally fits me pretty well without being overly loose or tight. As a result, I went for the Village PM 1PM in a UK 10 as well, however they definitely feel a bit too big meaning I had to choke the laces (which I hate doing) and there's a fair bit of dead space at the tip of the shoes (which I also hate!). Naturally, it does depend on the shape of your foot but I wish I'd have gone down half a size for a more snug fit because even if they were too snug at first, the interior padding would've eventually given way over time for the perfect fit. Either way, I highly recommend trying them on before you buy to make sure you get the right size.

In general, I'd say the shape of the shoe does seem a little bit odd with different parts feeling wider and narrower. For me, I thought the 1PM felt fairly narrow around the middle of the foot which did cause some slight discomfort - and I have relatively narrow feet anyway. However, the toe box felt overly wide in comparison, resulting in some dead space around the sides of the forefoot and on top. Obviously I've already said that I should've sized down half a size but I thought it was a bit odd that they felt too big in places and a bit small in others. Saying that though, their extended lacing system does a really good job of allowing you to adjust the fit in specific areas throughout the entire length of the shoe - although this is somewhat undermined by the fact that the laces were almost completely destroyed after a couple of hours of skating...

Summary

Pros:

• Ideal blend of cushioning and boardfeel
• Surprisingly short break-in time
• Amazing flick
• Near-enough indestructible levels of durability
• Rubber rand can be replaced

Cons:

• Marmite aesthetic
• Unusual fit (definitely recommend trying them on before buying)
• Laces ripped quickly
• Some slight discomfort, mainly around the heel

Full honesty: I was very ready to not like these shoes. I haven't skated toe-cap shoes since the glory days of the Nike SB CK (RIP) and I wasn't really planning on reliving those days. I still come out in a cold sweat remembering the seemingly never-ending break-in period and the countless ankle biters that came with it. I was worried this would be even worse due to Village PM's use of climbing rubber, which is generally designed to be soft and sticky to better grip the rock. I even took a back-up pair of shoes to skate the first time I tested them just in case I really hated them. Well, I'm happy to say I was wrong.

The aesthetic is obviously going to be divisive but they definitely grew on me once I put them on. Regardless of whether you love or hate the way they look, it's pretty hard to argue with how they skate. Village PM have somehow managed to strike the perfect balance of next-level flick, minimal break-in time and near-infinite durability while also serving up the perfect blend of comfort, support and boardfeel. I really respect the vision these guys have had, and it's clear to see that they definitely know what they're doing when it comes to making shoes as they've not only made something which is truly unique (a respectable accomplishment on its own) but actually works. Whether you're sick of having holes in your shoes after a week or you just fancy trying something new, the Village PM 1PM is well worth trying out.

That's enough chit-chat though. Head to the shop to browse the full range of Village PM skate shoes and buy now from CSC. Or, find out more about the latest skate product on the CSC Blog. Safe.