VANS

Vans and the Skateboarding culture in California

Vans is an all-American brand, created and launched in sunny California, U.S.A. Vans is rife with the skateboard culture that in California was born at the end of the 1940s, when surfers started looking for a way to pass time when the waves were not good. It does not therefore surprise that they are the best skateboarding shoes around, or that they are so popular among skateboarders: skating is in their DNA.

Vans is not only shoes, but also clothing and accessories. Vans is not only a proud designer and producer of skating shoes: the brand also designs and develops its own line of clothing and accessories. The brand offers a full range of casualwear pieces: T-shirts, tanks, shirts, sweaters, hoodies, jackets, pants, and jeans. There is also a collection of accessories: backpacks, belts, hats and beanies, wallets and keychains, sunglasses, socks, and laces. So, if you are looking for a laidback, cool surfing or skateboarding-inspired casualwear, Vans has you covered, from hat to shoe.

 

Vans as a proud sponsor of extreme sports

Vans supports many different types of sport. The U.S. brand is sponsoring athletes and teams competing in skateboard, surf, snow, BMX, and motocross contests. Vans also organizes many extreme sports events every year. Among them, the Vans US Open of Surfing is one of the most important surf events around the globe, together with Vans Triple Crown of surfing and skateboarding. Vans is also a big lover of music, and has sponsored many music festivals, such as the Vans Warped Tour, the largest traveling music festival in the U.S.A., or the free Vans House Parties in Brooklyn, New York.

 

Vans' history

Vans' first shop was opened way back in 1966. Shoes would be manufactured for the customer after they had selected the colour among the samples in the store. Vans was already selling its deck shoes, which are now known worldwide as Vans "Authentic" shoe. It was in 1970 that skateboarders started noticing and appreciating the virtues of Vans' rugged and sticky sole, which would offer optimal grip on the surface of the skateboard. That would soon lead to collaborations between Vans and some of the best skateboarders of the time, like professional skater Tony Alva, who designed the iconic Vans Era shoe, equipped with a sole that prevents from slipping. The Vans Era shoe soon became one of the favourite shoes for skateboarders.

 

Vans custom design

The Vans Slip-On shoe was created in 1976, and its revolutionary slip-on design with no laces was immediately a huge success. Since 2004, Vans also offers its customers the possibility of customizing their shoes. That's correct! You can design your own, customized Vans Era, Slip-On, Old Skool, Authentic, Authentic Lo-Pro, 106 Vulcanized, Chukka Low, and Sk8-Hi shoes.