I bought a pair last year that were black, white & gray and they had a zipper instead of Velcro on the lace cover and the lace cover flap on the old ones feels a little thicker and overall the older ones with the zipper felt like a better quality product and were right out of the box the most comfortable shoes I ever bought. The new ones are okay but not as comfortable out of the box as the older ones.
The shoe looks really cool but does not fit the shape off my foot. Also is the returning process too troublesome for me to handle, so there goes 100$ out the window.
Not only great for skating, but I bought this pair specifically for work to have a pair that are clean and not scuffed, and these shoes a very comfortable. Some days I am on my feet all day at work and these feel great all day, feet aren't sore and no back pain. They wrap around your foot like a padded glove. I love them!!! Thanks Etnies and Andy.