DC Shoes

For casual and beginner skaters, DC is a sensible pick: the shoes are built around action sports like skateboarding, with cushioned, durable construction at a friendly price. More technical skaters sometimes chase very specific board feel elsewhere, but for everyday riding and value, DC remains a dependable name with deep roots in the scene.

Both are established skate brands with different philosophies, so it comes down to feel. DC grew up alongside skateboarding and snowboarding and tends to offer padded, supportive silhouettes; Vans is the other classic. The honest answer most skaters give is to try both and see which board feel and fit you prefer, since neither is wrong.

DC originally stood for "Droors Clothing," the apparel brand it grew out of. After Droors Clothing was sold in 2004, the footwear company kept the initials but cut the ties, so today it is simply DC Shoes, Inc. with no connection to Droors.

DC was founded in June 1994 by Damon Way, Ken Block, and Clayton Blehm. It started in Carlsbad, California, focused on footwear for action sports, and is now based in Huntington Beach. The brand has always centered on skateboarding and snowboarding rather than general fashion.

Ken Block was a DC co-founder and became the face of the brand's most famous era through his rally-driving Gymkhana videos, which spread the DC name far beyond skate shops. He died in a snowmobile crash in January 2023. That motorsport-meets-skate energy is a big part of why the brand is remembered the way it is.

The brand itself is American footwear for action sports, but the retail picture has changed. In February 2025, Liberated Brands, the owner of DC Shoes retail stores, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced the closure of all remaining DC Shoes stores with liquidation sales. If you are buying, check which seller is fulfilling the order.

DC Shoes was acquired by Quiksilver on March 8, 2004, in an $87 million transaction, and in 2010 it moved into Quiksilver's Huntington Beach headquarters. That acquisition is why you will often see DC grouped with the wider action-sports portfolio rather than as a standalone independent.

Begin with a classic cupsole skate silhouette in suede or leather; it gives you durability and board feel without overthinking it. DC's whole design history points toward shoes that take abuse, so a core skate model is the safest entry. Once you know your style, you can branch into lighter or more vulcanized options.

Yes. Beyond shoes, the brand sells apparel, bags, accessories, hats, t-shirts, and posters, all carrying the same action-sports identity. The footwear is the core, but the apparel side reflects the brand's roots in skate and snowboard culture.

It built credibility inside skateboarding and snowboarding first, then reached a mainstream audience through Ken Block's Gymkhana driving videos, which carried the DC logo to a huge new crowd. That mix of genuine action-sports roots and viral motorsport spectacle is the reason the brand name still resonates.