The Knu Skool Vans coming out have shown the popularity of chunky shoes in the current day. They used to be popular back in the day but have now started to make a comeback They emerged in the 1990s in street skate culture in brands including DVS, DC, and Globe. They differed from the prior popular skate shoes that tended to be slimmer. The Osiris D3 is a famous skate shoe for its ridiculous size. It was the most notable shoe in the category of chunky shoes and was released in 1999. Freshman Anthony Vacca was asked if he liked chunky shoes and he simply said; “Yeah I like them.” (Picture of DC shoes) The purpose for skate shoes to be chunky was that they could take more impact when skating stairs and drops because in that era transition skating died down as street skating took over. They also were built like that because baggy pants usually dragged on the floor and bigger shoes would help fix that issue. During the 2000s, the trend of chunky shoes continued while more skate brands emerged and gained traction. Nike SB was released in 2009 and skate shoes are more mainstream. In the 2010s, chunky shoes started dying down as skate shoes began thinning down for a broad feel.

In recent years, they have made a comeback as many 90’s skate brands have re-released old shoes and big brands are bringing back the style. In 2018, A$AP Rocky made a collaboration shoe called the SRLo with Under Armour heavily based on the D3. It brought attention to the fact that not enough credit went to Osiris. (Picture of Knu Skools) A few years later in 2022, Vans brought back the 1998 Knu Skool in collaboration with Irman Potato and it gained some traction. The year after they fully re-released the Knu Skool and it was a hit. Zach Chebat owns a pair of Knu Skools and explained;” It was my birthday and my Uncle told me about them so I picked them.” Other brands released bigger versions of their shoes like Adidas and Puma coming out with versions of their classic shoes but thicker and labeling them as XLG. TikTok influenced the recent growth of chunky shoes as it praised the DC Court Graffik and other shoes. Mall stores such as Zumiez and Journeys carry chunky shoes making them widely available. That leaves off the current state of the trend.