Vans
From Solepedia.com - Online Sneaker Encyclopedia
Contents |
Shoes
- Vans x Beams x Madsaki Slip On
- Vans “3 Feet High” Program
- Vans Madera Slip-On
- Vans x United Arrows Era
- Vans x DQM x HUF x Kicks/Hi
- Vans x Classic Kicks
- Supreme x Vans SK8-HI LS
- Vans x Undercoverism - Monogram Style
- Vans x Underworld
- Supreme x Vans Sk8-Hi
- Vans Classic LX Erin Go Brah
- Vans 40th Anniversary
- Vans x Milkcrate x Lucien Pellat Finet
- Supreme x Vans Half-Cab
- Vans x Iron Maiden
- Vans x Descendents
Vans Syndicate Group 3 / Fall 06
- Jason Jessee Pack
- W)Taps Pack
- Half Cabs - Legacy Series Update
- Mid Skools - History of Camo Series
- W)Taps x Vans Syndicate Authentic Sneakers
Vans Vault
General Information
The Van Doren Rubber Company, better known as "Vans", has been since 1966 a Southern California based manufacturer of sneakers and other shoe types catering primarily to the active youth market. They market heavily in the surfing and skateboarding areas. In more recent years, Vans has marketed additional items such as clothing and skateboarding accessories.
In the 1980s, Vans lost much of its core customer base when the company started producing baseball and football shoes. The corporation was forced into bankruptcy in 1984. Four years after emerging from bankruptcy protection, investment bankers McCown DeLeeuw Company bought Vans and went public in 1991.
Since approximately 2001 Vans has opened retail stores containing large indoor skate parks at The Block at Orange, Acoustic Funk Train, Ontario Mills, the Moorestown Mall, Potomac Mills, the Plaza at King of Prussia, and other locations.
In 2004 the company was acquired by VF Corporation, manufacturers of Lee and Wrangler Jeans for $396 million.
Vans also sponsors the Warped Tour, a punk/ska music and extreme sports festival since 1995. The tour is named Vans Warped Tour
Popularity
Vans skate shoes are a well-known trend on today's music scene. A new Vans trend has hit the punk/hardcore community, the slip-on. This has rapidly reduced the previous popularity of the long time scene favorite, the Classic Chuck Taylor. The black and white checkerboard pattern is currently the most popular and most availible variation of the Vans slip-on. Currently, the slip-on is "in," and will continue to be popular amongst youngsters until a new shoe strikes the scene's fancy.
Fig. 1: Varieties of the Classic Slip-On
Fig. 2: A socially-praised "hardcore" variation of the slip-on design.
