A footstop is any object placed on the top, front side of a skate deck, secured with bolts through new holes in the deck and/or through the holes for securing the trucks. This object serves the dual purposes of restricting a skaters foot from moving beyond the footstop in a physical sense as well as a mental reminder of where someone's foot is on the board without looking.
The dynamic of footstops over the last decade or so has really transformed the world of downhill and freeride. Anything from old urethane, to baseplates(i'm looking at you Adrian Treimanis), to CNC milled hunks of metal can be used to keep your front foot in a designated spot over your front trucks. The rudementary designs from Riptide (i.e. the Slab) or PSD seem to be the most commonly seen products these days. Scythe has a premium offering of CNC footstops in universal and directional shapes, as well as some new toestops for some extra lock.
If you were looking for your first footstop, I would highly recommend the Slab from Riptide Sports. They're urethane poured, well-optioned with colors, and will swivel with your foot if you tend to slide around a bit. Riptide is also a great company for bushings, so the fact that they can make a good footstop at a great price is a testament to their love for the community.
