Skateboarding culture is something I’ve always been interested in, I’ve always loved the personal style skateboarders have and the way the culture has infiltrated so many other facets of life. Skateboarding started around the 1940s when surfers were looking for a challenge, but it gained massive popularity in the 90s. Skateboarding was recognized as a pro sport in 1963 and freestyle skateboarding slowly gained popularity in the 80s and 90s. The skateboarding culture of the 90s paved the way for the iconic skate style of baggy clothes, oversized jeans and pants, and skate shoes.
Big players in the 90s skate scene included pro skaters, brands, and music. Skateboarding evolved from a sport to a vibrant culture filled with countless subcultures. Skaters like Tony Hawk brought global recognition to skating and his own personal aesthetic (baggy jeans, graphic tees, skate shoes) which quickly became associated with skater style. Tony Hawk’s international recognition and video game release heavily influenced skater fashion and turned skateboarding from a sport into a lifestyle.

Brands capitalized on the skater aesthetic by combining the skateboarding style with high fashion. Supreme built its brand on exactly that and became a cultural symbol for all that skateboarding stands for. In addition to Supreme, brands like Vans, Huf, and D.C shoes also influenced fashion by drawing inspiration from skate culture.

Music was another key player in the skateboarding aesthetic and a huge influence on the culture. Hip-hop and Punk had a huge influence on skate culture, both encouraging rebellion and anti-establishment. Punk music being rooted in rebellion aligned well with the skateboarding culture since street skating is rooted in breaking rules. Popular punk bands in the ’90s often made appearances in skate videos and were highly integrated into the skate scene. Hip-hop and skateboarding were also highly intertwined, mostly seen in the form of baggy and oversized clothes. Both hip-hop and skateboarding started in marginalized city communities and often drew inspiration from each other. In the 90s, hip-hop culture and skateboarding culture were highly intertwined. Hip Hop’s influence brought even bolder graphic tees, streetwear brands, and radical self-expression.
Since the 90s, skateboarding has influenced both the sport itself and the fashion industry. Huge brands like Supreme, palace, vans, etc have taken streetwear and cultivated a cult-like following, where they sell out clothes for luxury prices. Modern streetwear borrows heavily from the 90s skateboarding style, with baggy jeans, oversized shirts, and comfortable chunky sneakers. Nowadays, it’s much more common to see skate brands blurring the line between streetwear and high-end fashion. The skate aesthetic now still exemplifies rebellion, comfort, self-expression, and activism.

Sources:
Featured Image: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/504755070751199922/
Image 1:https://in.pinterest.com/pin/772789617345940260/
Image 2:https://webringjustice.wordpress.com/tag/supreme/
Supreme Ad campaign by Powell Peralta, early 1990s.
Image 3: https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/tony-hawk, Photo by Paul Harris, March 1983
Image 4: https://theface.com/culture/jeremy-elkin-all-the-streets-are-silent-the-convergence-of-hip-hop-and-skateboarding, Photo by Gunars Elmuts
Image 5: https://bucklemybelt.com/blogs/news/the-ultimate-guide-to-mens-streetwear-fashion-top-trends-for-2023
ChatGPT acknowledgment: ChatGPT helped with some of the research for this aesthetic.
2 Comments. Leave new
Great read! I really enjoyed learning more about how much skateboarding influenced popular culture. As a kid who played many hours of Tony Hawk Pro Skater, I can definitely say that it influenced the music that I listened to. I am curious, are the traditional skate apparel brands such as Element still popular?
I find topic of skateboarding aesthetic fascinating and love that you chose this as your topic! I really enjoyed that you discussed the influence of skateboarding culture rather than just describing the characteristics – which you also did well. If you want to get into its history a bit more, I highly recommend the documentary “Dogtown and Z-boys.” It walks you through the foundation of this movement, bringing in people like Tony Hawk and the ones who mentored him during his early career, showing the evolution of this aesthetic.