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Deshi DK White Review - 04/08/18
 The
latest offering from Deshi comes as a boot-only package,
leaving the buyer with the choice over frames, bearings,
and wheels. Not only does this mean that you don't have
to splash out as much cash, but it also allows you to
create your dream set-up. Unlike some skate companies
that appear to put little research and effort into consistently
improving their skate designs, Deshi clearly have spent
a long time working on the minor problems with their
previous designs, and I really believe that they've
ironed out all of the creases with the DK White.
There are several new developments on the DK White.
The most obvious one is the fact that the boot now comes
with USD 2-piece soulplates as standard, as opposed
to the somewhat chunky and overweight Deshi soulplates.
The large majority of skaters rolling on Deshis in the
past changed to USD soulplates, but many found that
the reduced protection at the front of the boot led
to a lot of wear and tear. This has been combated on
the DK White with the introduction of a thick layer
of kevlar protection in the nose and heel areas. A mid-strap
has also been added, to increase ankle support and secure
your foot within the skate. While reading the various
information regarding the new skate, I was somewhat
surprised to hear that there is a new 'rubberised shaft'!
Now I don't know if I just watch too much porn, but
the last thing I expected from a new skate was a dildo
incorporated into the design! Luckily as it turned out,
the rubberised shaft isn't a 'marital aid', but in fact
an area of extra rubber protection at the top of the
skate, alongside the top-strap. To finish off the new-look
Deshi, metal eyelets have been introduced above the
mid-strap in order to protect the skate and the laces
from extra wear.
As the skate now comes with USD soulplates as standard,
it is officially the lightest skate on the market. Having
switched from Remedyz to Deshis, I immediately noticed
the difference, with the reduced weight meaning less
effort is required for hucks and rolling in general.
There quite simply isn't a better skate available in
terms of weight.
I've been skating the Deshis for a few weeks now, and
there is very little wear to report. The added kevlar
protection clearly has made a huge difference. I'm sure
that if I skated one of the older Deshi models with
USD soulplates, I would've worn through the boot by
now, but on the DK Whites, there is still hardly even
a mark in the kevlar areas. The rubberised shaft, despite
having a funny name, has stood firm to many cess-slides,
and certainly is a useful addition to the skate.
 The
first time I skated the DK Whites, after an hour or
so, they started to rub slightly on the inside of my
ankle. They are quite a narrow skate, but the liner
softens up after a couple of sessions, nothing that
an extra pair of socks can't solve. After the slight
rubbing that I experienced initially, the liner has
proved to very comfortable, and the mid-strap helps
to keep your feet firmly placed within the boot.
Previous Deshi models are well-known for being very
flexible, which is certainly good for boning over on
grinds, but for some skaters, there simply wasn't enough
ankle support. To be honest, when I first put the skates
on, I feared the case would be the same with the DK
Whites, as it felt almost too easy to flex over on my
ankle. However, after another skater that rolls on Deshis
suggested that I simply needed to tie them up as tight
as possible, I realised that it made all the difference,
my ankle instantly felt more secure. Basically, the
ankle support is fine, as long as you tie up the skates
tighter than a duck's butt, and that's water-tight!
Anyone that has skated on USD thrones or Deshis with
2-piece soulplates will know how good these skates will
be for grinding. The extra deep royale groove in the
USD soulplates that come with the DK White is perfect
for backslide and torque based tricks alike. Once locked
on in the groove, there is very little chance of sliding
out, its simply guides you along smoothly. Another advantage
of the extra deep groove is the fact that there is no
need for a 'wearing-in' phase, the groove is perfect
and straight out of the box. The soul area on the other
hand, took a little while to lose it's initial stickiness,
but once worn-in, grinding on rails and ledges was smooth
and easy. The soul-space is so big that you have to
be at least slightly retarded to miss a soul based grind
in these badboys!
The extra soul-space really comes into its own when
cess-sliding, making all varieties of cess-slides a
lot easier than on some other skate brands. Once locked
in position, the size of the soulplate ensures that
you will remain in that position for as long as you
wish.
 The
lightness of the skate certainly helps with gaps, as
there is less effort required in hucking yourself upwards.
I slipped out on the first couple of hucks I did, as
the skate is a bit more flat footed than some other
skates, but this is something that you simply get used
to in a matter of minutes. I feel comfortable doing
gaps in these skates, despite the fact that they are
quite flexible, as I was used to skating Remedyz anyway,
which are also a very flexible skate. I think that for
any skaters that are considering changing from a hard-boot
brand with a more rigid ankle support system, it will
take a little while to get used to the very different
feel of the DK White, bit it will be well worth it in
the long-run.
As I mentioned earlier, a lot of work has been put
into the DK White, and the results are there for anyone
that skates them to see. This skate has a vast array
of strong points, with the only possible negatives that
I noticed being a question mark over ankle support for
those that are used to hard-boots with a more rigid
support system, and the need for a small amount of time
for the liner to soften. A combination of stylish design,
a relatively cheap price, and added durability and support,
will surely make this skate a very popular option for
skaters world-wide.
- Alex Pym
Photos by: Alex Pym
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