Vans Knu Skool review

We think that the Knu Skool silhouette could be a great match for people who:

• love puffy kicks (chunky tongues, oversized laces, generous collar padding, and 3D side straps)
• want to channel the throwback '90s skater vibe
• can't say no to a pair of highly durable shoes for only £80

If you like the bulky tongue but need a more comfortable kick for day-to-day wear, try the Adidas Campus 00s. It also comes with a removable insole allowing you to customise the in-shoe feel.

And if you want a simpler, more minimal silhouette from Vans, you can't go wrong with the Old Skool.

The Vans Knu Skool is by far the lowest sneaker in our lab with a heel stack of only 18.2 mm.

The runner-ups include the Vans Slip-On (18.7 mm) and the Adidas Samba (19.3 mm).

It is definitely NOT the shoe you want to wear all day long. There is essentially no cushioning to protect your feet from the constant impact of walking on hard surfaces.

But let's not forget that Vans is a brand that caters to the skateboarding community. And these folks do appreciate thinner soles for better connection with the board.

So it shouldn't come as a huge surprise that the forefoot stack of the Knu Skool is also very low at only 10.6 mm.

The heel-to-toe offset in the Vans Knu Skool also comes on the lower side at 7.6 mm.

This lower-than-aveareg drop puts the foot in a flatter position inside the shoe to promote a more grounded underfoot experience (also very much needed for skateboarding).

But it is not the best setup for clocking your daily 10K steps for sure.

If we consider that tiny layer of foam to be the Vans Knu Skool's midsole, then it happens to be a pretty firm one.

Applying a durometer, we got a reading of 46.4 HA which is about 30% harder than the average. Paired with the rubbery vulcanised sole, it doesn't have any squish for proper cushioning and shock absorption.

We recommend getting one of Vans ComfyCush trainers if you need a cosy sneaker for all-day wear.

Checking the Knu Skool's insole with a calliper, we found that it is thinner than average at 3.8 mm. This is not enough padding to compensate for the kick's rather firm platform.

We were also a bit disappointed to find that the insole is not removable in this Vans sneaker. There is no option to replace it with a custom insert, unfortunately.

We were happy with the spot-on sizing and fit of the Vans Knu Skool. No complaints in this regard whatsoever!

Measuring the widest part of this Vans shoe's toebox, we got 98.8 mm. It is just about the same as the average among medium-width trainers.

Trainers with thin, firm, and grounded platforms by default feel more stable.

It's not the kind of stability that supports overpronation or plantar fasciitis but it does lower the risk of rolling your foot over the sole or twisting your ankle.

Checking the Knu Skool's stiffness in our manual test, we were quite surprised with its pliability.

It took very little effort to twist and bend this Vans sneaker. On a 1-5 scale, where 1 is the most flexible, we gave it a score of 2.

The puffy silhouette may trick you into thinking that it's all stiff and unmalleable but in fact, it is quite forgiving. But given the low stack, such flexibility doesn't hurt the shoe's stability.

The Knu Skool provides a nice heel hold with its moderately stiff and generously padded heel counter.

Giving it a push and squeeze, we rated the heel counter stiffness an average score of 3 out of 3. Even though it's not highly rigid, it has enough firmness and structure to hold our heels and ankles securely in place.

It contributes to the shoe's stability by not letting the heels slide sideways.

Measuring the shoe's platform width with a calliper, we got 109.7 mm in the widest part of the forefoot. It is the average sole width for a sneaker.

The heel of the Knu Skool, however, turns out to be notably narrower than average at 73.3 mm. Nearly 10 mm less!

Even though it didn't make us feel tippy, such a narrow heel may feel odd if you're coming from a wider platform.

As we mentioned above, the Knu Skool feels pleasantly flexible on the foot.

It didn't require much force to bend the shoe to a 90-degree angle in our stiffness test. Only 17.8N according to our force gauge. It is 30% more flexible than it takes an average sneaker.

On the downside, this puffy little kick comes with a bit of a weight penalty.

Weighing the Knu Skool in a men's US size 9, our scale showed 16.5 oz (468g) which is a bit heavier than the average sneaker in our lab.

To give you some reference, it weighs the same as the Nike Air Force 1 07.

Believe it or not, this Vans kick breathes just fine for summertime!

Despite the enormous tongue and generously padded interiors, the Knu Skool has a way of keeping the interiors fresh and ventilated.

As you can see from our smoke-pumping breathability test, a good amount of smoke passes through the gaps in the shoe's tongue area.

Several perforations on both sides of the shoe's upper also contribute to the ventilation.

For an all-suede kick with an extra-puffy tongue, the Knu Skool has excellent airflow. On a 1-5 scale, where 5 is the most breathable, we gave it a solid 4.

Real suede upper for only £80? Let us grab our butane torch to check if that's possible.

After a few seconds of applying the torch to the shoe's upper material, we did not see it catch fire or melt. Further inspecting the burnt area with a scratch awl confirmed that the suede is indeed real! No cap (is that what they say these days?).

We also couldn't resist checking the brand's signature Sidestripes. Alas, these details are synthetic. But what else could we expect at such a low price point?

Further putting the Knu Skool through its paces, we found that the kick is full of surprises.

First of all, its suede upper is simply indestructible!

After 12 seconds of drilling the shoe's toebox with sandpaper, the tool merely scuffed the suede fibres. The upper remained intact.

For context, let's take a look at the comparison photo of the £80 Vans Knu Skool and the £100 New Balance 530. It proves that going for suede (or leather) is always a better idea if you prioritise longevity.

Rating the Knu Skool's toebox durability on a 1-5 scale, we surely gave it the highest 5!

Even the shoe's inner lining turned out to be sturdier than that of the more expensive trainers.

What looks like a very soft and delicate textile proved to be impressively robust in our Dremel test. After 4 seconds of drilling the fabric at a 5K RPM speed, it remained completely unscathed.

The Knu Skool earns another maximum possible score for durability - a solid 5 out of 5 for the heel padding! It is notably higher than the average among trainers.

Seeing a gum rubber sole on this Vans kick, we didn't expect exceptional durability. This type of outsole tends to wear out faster than the black rubber one.

But the Knu Skool surprised us yet again. Pressing our durometer against the outsole showed a pretty high reading of 80.0 HC. This indicates a good level of hardness and, as a result, better wear resistance.

Our trusty Dremel also helped us put the shoe's outsole through rigorous testing.

This time, we used extra harsh conditions such as higher speed (10K RPM) and longer exposure time (22 seconds) while the pressure remained consistent (3.2N).

The Knu Skool gloriously stood up to the test, showing only 1.2 mm of damage. It is just about the same as the average. Considering the shoe's low price, we are impressed!

The outsole thickness on the Knu Skool is just the same as the average at 5.5 mm.

With regular daily wear, we are sure that this Vans shoe can outlast many other kicks on the market, even the more expensive ones!

Based on our wear tests, the shoe's gum sole and signature waffle pattern offer a nice grip on the pavement and other urban surfaces.

The Vans Knu Skool doesn't have any reflective elements. At least not the basic version/colorway.

The tongue of the Vans Knu Skool is unbelievably, unapologetically THICK!

Measuring it with a calliper, we got a whopping 38.4 mm! It even undercuts the popular Adidas Campus 00s with its 23.0 mm

This spongy pillow gave our insteps a huge bear hug, enhancing the in-shoe comfort.

This Vans shoe comes with a finger loop at the back to ease the on-and-off action. But even without it, we could slide right in and out of the Knu Skool in a matter of seconds.

The shoe's tongue is not gusseted for obvious reasons. Believe us, you wouldn't need those anyway given how thick it is.

This Vans shoe comes with a finger loop at the back to ease the on-and-off action. But even without it, we could slide right in and out of the Knu Skool in a matter of seconds.