Classic design - ''Vans''

Classic Vans

 Vans were founded in California in 1966 by the Van Doren brothers under the name The Van Doren Rubber Company, which was later shortened to just Vans. In the early years they worked closely with skate boarders and created three very distinctive models, The Era, the Vans Classic Old Skool and most importantly the Slip-on. These were popular among skaters due to the no slip sole. The mighty Waffle sole!  The waffle sole is their child, something that has matured over the decades to be the best in the world. It is called the waffle sole, because well it looks like a Belgian waffle. During this time they were the go to shoe for skate legends such as Tony Alva, Steve Peralta and Christian Hosoi whom were all members of the legendary Dog town and Z-boys, the god fathers of skateboarding. Some of these members went on to create some of the best skate companies today, all because of what one shoe had inspired them.  Vans gained international attention when Shaun Penn was seen wearing a pair of slip-ons in the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Waffle Sole

During this time vans had incorporated the phrase “off the wall” as their company slogan. This comes from when skaters started skating in pools and were literally off the pool wall and made air. In modern day terms it regards something as being Crazy, awesome or when some one is excited, “wow, that film was off the wall!”

But this doesn’t make it a classic design, no this makes a classic foundation for a classic design to be built on. A foundation that paved the way for generations to come. Vans are a classic design because they are instantly recognizable, from extreme sports athletes to musicians to the casual dog walker. Vans are original. In music you have everything from punk rock to hardcore, like skins had Martens, they had Vans. The look, the comfort, the style and most importantly the legend that preceded them. Many great Bands have collaborated with Vans, from the sex pistols to the clash to Suicidal tendencies. Vans to this day organise music festivals, extreme sports events and are one of the leaders in this field.

Slip-on

Vans define style, they complete the look that people desire and now almost forty years later they have stood the test of time. But they are not all about aesthetics, they offered performance and function. The waffle sole is as famous as the Nike tick, the Addidas 3-stripe.

Vans, they were original, they are original. Trends come and go but classics do something, they are the winners of wars, and the winners as we all know re-write history.

Vans, the shoe of choice for the freeman, often copied, but never bettered!