Today’s product review is on the Seismic Lokton grip. I personally think this is the best grip for downhill skaters out there. Read on to find out why.
Specs
- Grits – 36grit (coarse), 60grit (medium)
- Sheet designs – solid vs various cutouts
- Sizes – (11*11) * 3, 40*11
- Backing – Paper
- Adhesive – pressure sensitive
- Price – $25
Disclaimer – I am using this grip with brake soles. They are a layer of rubber you stick to your shoe. Brake soles increase grip to your board (make it feel sticky) and allow your shoes to last longer. They will perform differently to shoes without them.
I will mainly be talking from the perspective of using the 36 grit. When I am mentioning the 60grit, I will reference it.
Seismic Lokton Griptape review
Are they grippy?
The Seismic Lokton griptape is very very grippy. it has this initial bite/grab, like it grabs your foot and doesn’t want it to move from place. Once your foot is there, it’s locked in (lokton) place.
This is true for the 60grit as well, but it doesn’t have as much bite/grab. It’s easier to shift your feet around.
This bite/grab is considerable on the 36. This griptape is sharper than anything else I’ve tried and feels grippier too.
And yeah, Lokton is so sharp it will probably cut you at some point. Be careful around your boards!
It lasts forever
Unlike other grip, Lokton doesn’t wear down. It does gradually get less sharp and will maybe lose 10 to 20% of its sharpness, but this happens over a very long period. You’re looking at maybe 6months to a year for this to happen. It’s not indestructible after all.
But in comparison, other grip does wear down a lot more and a lot quicker than Seismic Lokton. For example, Cuei grip, lost about 20 to 30% of its sharpness in a few months(less than 4). And Vicious grip lost 70% of its sharpness in a matter of weeks.
Nothing compares to the durability of Lokton. It’s the most durable grip tape on the market … unless you’re like some of the community members who choose to superglue belt sander to the decks.
Doesn’t flake or go bald
Lokton doesn’t flake no matter how aggressive you are with it.
In comparison, Vicious grip would flake and would go bald especially if I used it with brake soles.
Lokton does flake a little …
Lokton does flake a little bit on the cutout version. I’ve seen it happen on the 36 grit version (probably happen a bit on the 60 grit too). It flakes abit on the rails and on areas where you move your feet a lot. I haven’t notice it affect performance. I believe it is just superficial flaking.
How does it stick?
Seismic grip doesn’t stick that well. It uses a pressure-sensitive adhesive that doesn’t stick easily.
The best way I’ve found to make it stick is by applying it and then standing on the grip tape after. Doing this or going for a skate after applying it is guaranteed to make it stick.
That said I still had trouble with it and I’ve had to superglue some areas.
Some people heated up to get the adhesive backing to work better. I’ve never really had to do this, but when I did do it, it didn’t seem to be very effective. Just applying pressure to the grip tape seemed to work better.
It has trouble on concave features (doesn’t wrap well either)
Seismic Lokton does not stick well on steep concave features, and it doesn’t wrap around rails well either.
It has a paper backing which isn’t very flexible. It makes doing these things difficult. Most other grip tapes out there have a plastic backing so it’s very easy for them to stick to complex concave features and rails.
The solution to this is using the Lokton that has cutouts. It’s more flexible due to the cutouts. It’s not as good as the flexible plastic-backed grip tape, but it’s the best option when it comes to Lokton.
Shifting your feet can suck
With Lokton you need to be deliberate about how you shift your feet. That can suck, especially at speed. Deliberate actions when going fast can sometimes lead to the board being unsettled. I’m not saying it causes wobbles, but it can make you feel uncomfortable.
You do get used to this though and you adapt to it. I think I’m able to shift my feet without worrying about unsettling the board these days.
Solid sheets vs cutouts which is better?
Solid sheets are:
- Grippier (especially with brake soles)
- “Bind” your foot more
- A bit harder to apply
- Cheaper.
Cutouts are:
- More flexible
- Easier to apply
- Not as grippy as solid sheets
- Expensive
- Look good
The only big difference is applying them. Things like the difference in grip is marginal – it is noticeable but not thaaaat big of a deal imo (some people disagree with me tho).
How does 60grit compare?
The 60 grit grip has that initial bite, but isn’t as grabby/grippy as the 36grit. It’s easier to shift feet. In some cases it feels just as grippy as other griptape.
I rode fresh magnums on the Comet Orbiter (which has 60grit Lokton), and I never once felt wanting for more grip from the griptape. I was impressed.
As such I’ve used 60grit Seismic Lokton on some of my boards now. I think it’s really great for freeride primarily as you have that initial bite to lock you in but you can still shift your feet when you need to. I generally think these 36 grit Lokton on is overkill especially if you are using freeride wheels. You just don’t need that much grip IMO (especially with brake soles).
I am also using it for my back foot on my DH boards. I don’t need as much grip at the rear, so it makes sense to have it there.
Also, being a bit less grippy it means my shoes don’t wear as much. This is nice.
I definitely think 60grit might be the more versatile of the two, especially if you use it with brake soles too.
How I have lokton setup on my boards
- Landyachtz Freedive Reef – 60grit
- Comet Orbiter – 60grit
- Landyachtz Small Blind – 36grit Honeycomb
- Landyachtz El Peligro – 36grit front/60grit back.
What do you think? Is Seismic Lokton right for you?
If you say no, we can’t be friends. But honestly yet, apart from the issue of it not adhering well to boards and not being flexible, Lokton is the best griptape in my eyes. It is undefeated. And with a pair of brake soles, your feet aren’t going anywhere. I highly recommend it.
Big thanks to all my patrons for the support – Jed, Mowgii, Jan, Jay, Bryan, Owen, Samil, Daniel, Alex, Kasajja, Leah, Helge, DeLacoste, Anthony, Ismail, and Justin. I couldn’t write articles like this without you guys’ support.
