Nike Sb Eric Koston 2

The first Nike Sb Eric Koston Pro model has been one of the best selling shoes on the market.  This is due to its durability, clean look, and mostly because of all the technology of nike athletic shoes were pooled into a skate shoe.  Such as the now popular lunerlon drop-in insole (which Nike uses in almost all of their skateboard shoes today), TPU reinforced suede, the neoprene geofit collar, and the grippy tread pattern that is featured on the thin flexible cup sole of the koston 1.

Eric Koston posted a picture on instagram earlier in the year.  This was a picture of a tab on a nike shoe that read "Eric Koston 2".  Ever since people have been long awaiting this new take on koston's first nike pro model.  

Nike Eric Koston 2

In this new shoe nike has kept some of the classic features of the koston 1(such as the sole and overall silhouette and shape of the shoe), and at the same time updated them.  

The Eric Koston 2 still features a thin, flexible, and easy to break in cup sole.  Nike also decided to keep the original tread pattern of the Koston 1 but make it deeper, and also add more treads to it.  These  added features serve the purpose of increasing the durability of the sole.  The Koston 2 is updating the lunerlon insole into a "Anatomical Fitted Lunerlon Insole."  This means the insole will better cup the bottom of your foot and will have a shape that will better fit the human foot.  This will give you more support, stability, comfort, and will prevent your feet from becoming fatigued so you can skate longer without sore feet.

A good look at the mesh located at the back of the shoe, and the sole of the Koston 2

They fixed one of the major flaws of the Koston 1.  The breathability of the shoe.  They fixed this by making the tongue made out of a new mesh material.  Which allows better air circulation to the top of your foot.  They put perforations on the side of the shoe to increase air flow.  They also lined the inside of the shoe with a new mesh.  Mesh is also located at the back of the heel.  Strategically placed to hide the material from wear. They moved the neoprene collar into the inside of the shoe instead of on the outside where abrasion can occur.  This fixed the flaw of the collar ripping open on the first shoe.  

Birds eye view of Koston 2

I haven't gotten any information on whether or not the new Koston will have a new heel reinforcement piece for support, but I have hearD rumors of a new heel support system.  

They have also kept the same shape of the shoe.  But have changed up some panels, and stitching around the mid to end of the shoe.  One of the main things about the Koston 1 was that it wasn't any seams, or stitching to rip.  I really liked this because it prolongs the durability on the shoe.  They unfortunately went with two panels this time.  Most likely because they need to have a different panel that has the side perforations on it.  The look is very comparable to the Nike Sb Vulc Rod mixed with the original Koston shoe.  The toecap is still one piece, but they switched up the stitching pattern.  This doesn't really matter to me.  Function > Looks.

Overall, the amount of high tech shit Nike put into this shoe is unbelievable.  Nike did their job on fixing some major issues on the original koston shoe.  There will for sure be a review on these shoes when they are released.  These will be dropping sometime in late 2012 to early 2013.

-Walt