Zack Schlemmer 
Historically, skateboarders have always been resistant to technological updates when it comes to their shoes. While the advancements in the footwear of other sports like basketball and running seem to change almost every year, you’re still much more likely to see a skateboarder wearing a shoe with a thin vulcanized sole no different from ones worn in the skateboarding world over thirty years ago. With the insane amount of progression in skateboarding—with tricks getting much bigger, faster, and complicated all the time—how has the footwear not progressed along with it?
That’s what Nike SB, Paul Rodriguez, and comedian JB Smoove ask in the commercial for the latest P-Rod signature shoe, the Nike SB Paul Rodriguez 9 Elite. Joining elite company in the Nike signature shoe department with his ninth model, Rodriguez and Nike SB introduce one of the most technologically advanced skate shoes ever. The P-Rod 9 features a return to Zoom Air for his signature series, with the new hexagonal Zoom units (just like the ones found in the LeBron 12). Ready to cushion the blow from a ten stair leap below, up top the P-Rod 9 comes equipped with a streamlined suede and textile construction with Flywire for lockdown support.
Daring the skateboarding world to try some innovation on their feet, the Nike SB Paul Rodriguez 9 Elite drops tomorrow, July 2, 2015 at select Nike SB retailers everywhere.
