The etnies Marana Fiberlite is a skate shoe that has no equal. The long-established brand when it comes to skate shoes has turned a few screws on the Fiberlite Marana and equipped it with a whole range of new features and refinements.
READ IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE
DE | FR | NL
First impression & fit of the etnies Marana Fiberlite
From the first impression on, the etnies Marana Fiberlite has convinced me directly. The material felt high in quality and well processed. I have already skated several shoes from etnies and therefore knew that I would’t be disappointed.
As a rule, skate shoes from etnies have a wide fit in my opinion. The Marana Fiberlite seemed to me rather narrow. I would still recommend you to go for your normal size. The tight fit had a positive effect on my board feel and the flick. However, I had the feeling that the shoe was a bit stiffer than usual at the beginning.
Because of the resistant materials, the upper of the Fiberlite seems quite unflexible at the beginning and I needed a little longer to break in the shoe. Once I got used to the fit and the shoe felt softer, I felt very comfortable in it the entire time. At no time during the test did I feel like the shoe was losing shape or stability.
Boardfeel & Grip – Fiberlite Performance
Due to the rather stiff feel, the Fiberlite felt a little spongy at the beginning of the test in some tricks – it simply needs time to warm up. After only a few hours, however, I had a very familiar feeling and excellent flick in the shoes.
The Michelin sole provides a consistently good grip. At no time did I feel like I was slipping off the board or feeling insecure in any way. My feet were always well protected thanks to the Pro Foam Lite 1 footbed and even heavier impacts were no problem.
Technical facts of the etnies Marana Fiberlite
The etnies Marana Fiberlite is the advanced version of the etnies Marana. The shoe has been equipped with even more technical refinements. The Fiberlite technology from Michelin uses a thin textile-rubber fabric in the forefoot area of the sole and thus ensures low weight with improved flexibility.
Good air circulation is provided by the “Flo2” system and the STI Evolution Foam midsole construction means that the feet are always well protected. So even skating larger gaps and stairs is no problem for the etnies Marana Fiberlite.
The proven Michelin Fiber Lite Performance rubber cupsole gives the shoe really good grip and lasts seemingly forever. Other subtleties are, for example, elastic tongue straps, a reinforced heel area, hidden lacing of the laces and a padded tongue and hem.
Durability
In terms of durability, the etnies Marana Fiberlite is really something special. I skated the shoe about 15-20 hours and it shows very little signs of wear. I mainly skate street and do a lot of flip tricks – there’s not much to be seen in the usual high-wear areas, aside from single scratches.
Outlook: So far I’ve skated in the shoe for about 30+ hours and it’s still holding up really well. The individual scratches have now combined to form an even wear. Of course, wear is normal, but the shoe is still far from “done” and I will certainly be able to skate it for quite a while.
Conclusion
The etnies Marana Fiberlite has convinced me all along the line. The slightly narrower cut low version of the Marana is incredibly durable, has a lot of grip and provides an excellent board feel after some break-in time. Due to the many technical refinements and the above-average durability, even the high price can be justified.
Pros
- Board feel
- Durability
- Breathability
- Cushioning
Cons
- Breaking in takes long
- Price
