Forgot to mention: you should not have to pay that much for a decent pair of shoes. A much more affordable option is Converse Chuck Taylor high tops. Those are the shoes I wore until I got my first pair of Vans high tops. The Chuck Taylors have excellent grip on the board, though they don't have any ankle padding. If you lace em up nice and tight you get good support against turning your ankle, but they won't protect you if your board bangs into your ankle. The Vans high tops are excellent in every respect. I think I got a pair for about $50 several years ago but maybe they cost more now.