Several generations that don't have a clue how you could ever attach those things to your shoes. I made my own skateboard too. I don't remember it being that crude. No bent nails as I recall.
Sometimes I see where on this end we called them Engineer boots. In 50s maybe the moms didn't want there kids to be in any way associated with the Motorcycle gangs so they went with engineer boots. Either way I couldn't have them at all, I got Keds and liked it. Thanks
NO !!! Hello, NO !!! We usually got a long time skateboarding on the concrete sidewalks. We did not go into the street, unless we were blasting out of our sloping driveway. The concrete sidewalk was smoother than the street. But, it was not as smooth as our backyard concrete pour and definitely not as smooth as our garage floor. Those steel wheels were no longer used, once we got the composite wheels. The turns were sharper and more stable. those mini rocks and pebbles threw the steel wheel riders into a nice face plant. the composite wheels just rolled over most of the pebbles. (advantage composite vs steel.) Each old composite set lasted longer and it gave us plenty of time sidewalk surfing in our neighborhood. By the time the second set wore down, the polyurethane wheels came out and the rest is history with soft compounds wearing fast and the harder compounds lasting until the plank boards broke. The steel wheels were now being attached to an all metal angle iron engine stand we welded together. So we could move our heavy hot rod stuff and engine blocks around the backyard garage surface. Finally, the useless steel wheels found a place in our garage as a supporting, rolling wheel set for our engine/ heavy stuff moving apparatus. Jnaki As soon as the polyurethane wheel came on the scene, most manufacturers turned to the mass produced polyurethane wheels for skateboards and even the roller skate industry jumped on the bandwagon. But, there were tons of unsuspecting parents who wanted to be the "parental support" person of a kid who wanted to be a skateboarder like other kids in the neighborhood. And now, did not want to spend some money for quality skateboards. So, they turned to those low cost thin boards, still being sold at discount stores and second hand stores. They looked the same and did the rolling down the street action, so, it is a skateboard... good luck... The steel wheel planks still did a high dollar business for those unsuspecting folks and kids. YRMV vs Early Skateboards: Quality versus a bad copy NOTE: By the way, who strapped steel skates to shoes for early skateboarding, anyway? We rode on top and needed to push ourselves down the sidewalk… it was called “sidewalk surfing,” not roller skating. When we got the original steel roller skates, they had to be clipped on or tightened to fit dress shoes, not tennies. The tennies gave away too much when clamped and fell off on the first push or if they stayed on long enough, fell off on a turn. Not good. The nails for attaching were the first choice, if one did not have a drill and screws. Hand drills were the only choice and those were not allowed to use for us, as they were for our dad’s custom cabinet and fishing equipment design work and if needed repairs. Not for a couple of little kids trying to make holes through steel. YRMV
When we used to go to the Main Street Saloon decades ago on motorcycles, we would sit at the window and watch the police take down license plate numbers and when we left, they filled out FI cards on all of us. Huntington was not big on custom bikes. I left there over ten years ago, and I am sure that its changed.
The Jalopy Journal
