Vans Sneakers is one of the few brands that has been able to grow and thrive as an independent entity. An amazing feat considering the cutthroat nature of the footwear industry. Vans Sneakers has grown from a small skate shop in Anaheim, CA to a brand that has become synonymous with its iconic checkerboard-patterned skater’s sneakers and famous logo. In this article, we’ll take you through the history of Vans Sneakers and how it became the powerhouse brand it is today!
Go directly to see the most iconic Vans Sneakers models!When did Vans first came out?
Vans sneakers is a Southern California footwear and apparel brand that specializes in skateboarding footwear, surf footwear, and lifestyle footwear. It’s one of the oldest and most respected skateboard shoe brands in the world. Though Vans Sneakers was originally a Southern California footwear brand, by the turn of the millennium, it had grown into a full lifestyle brand with stores all over the world. Vans Sneakers currently has a market cap of $4.4 billion. Linda Hendershot and Paul Van Doren founded the Van Doren Rubber Company in 1966. They started out making shoes out of the back of their car. A few years later, when skateboarding became a thing, Van Doren decided to start making skateboard shoes. He partnered with his son, Steve Van Doren, who had recently graduated from high school.
Who seels Vans Sneakers?
Vans Sneakers products are available at stores like Nordstrom, Kohl’s, and Macy’s, and the brand has even expanded into other areas like lifestyle apparel. Nowadays, you can also find it online at Vans Online Store.
1960’s: The Early Days
In the early 60’s, skateboarding was just starting to pick up momentum. However, skateboarders didn’t have many reliable footwear choices. Skateboarders needed footwear that was functional, comfortable, and durable enough to withstand the abuse inherent to skateboarding. If a skater wasn’t wearing the right footwear, they risked injury, which would inhibit their ability to skate. There was also the aesthetic element: if skaters were seen wearing the wrong shoes, they were either laughed at or ridiculed. At the time, the most well-known skateboard footwear brand was Converse. Due to its association with basketball, many skaters preferred Converse as their footwear of choice. However, Converse didn’t have a skateboarding-specific line of shoes in the early 60’s. Van Doren Rubber Company, on the other hand, did. Vans Sneakers was able to capitalize on the lack of functional skateboard footwear available at the time.
1970’s: Going Pro
By the 70’s skateboarding had become a very popular sport, and many skaters were wearing Vans Sneakers. Vans Sneakers’ popularity among skaters translated into the brand’s sales increasing by 800% by 1971. Vans Sneakers’ popularity was on the rise, but it still wasn’t a mainstream brand. During the 70’s, Vans Sneakears was more of a cult brand, with skaters as its target market. The 70’s were a time when brands didn’t need to be popular to be successful. In 1978, Vans Sneakers became the official footwear brand of the newly formed skateboarding association, the American Skateboard Association. It was also during this time that Vans Sneakers’ parent company, Van Doren Rubber Company, sold its first million pairs of shoes. In the same year, two skaters were sponsored by the Vans Sneakers brand: skateboarders Steve Caballero and Stacy Peralta.
1980’s and 90’s: Van Sneakers Excellence
In the early 80’s, Vans Sneakers was the undisputed skate footwear brand. The brand was so popular among skaters that it even had its own subculture. Vans Sneakers’ popularity among skaters attracted the attention of the mainstream market, and the brand’s sales skyrocketed even more. Vans Sneakers was the brand of choice for a large number of skaters, including the members of the skateboarding trio, the Shamrocks. The Shamrocks were comprised of professional skateboarders Steve Caballero, Kevin Bradley, and Geoff Rowley. The Shamrocks were the members of the Van Doren Rubber Company’s skateboarding team.
2000’s: The Slip-On Boom
The 2000’s were a time of growth for Vans Sneakers. The brand was making it big in almost every area of skateboarding and beyond. In the early 2000’s, the Vans Sneakers brand was experiencing a boom in sales because of its line of slip-on sneakers, especially the Authentic and the Classic. While these two models were doing well, Vans Sneakers was also expanding into the lifestyle footwear market. Vans Sneakers opened new stores in a number of international markets, including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The brand continued to break into new markets and new categories throughout the 2000’s. The 2000’s also marked the opening of the first Vans Sneakers store in Japan.
2010 to Today: Continued Growth and Expert Collaborations
The Vans Sneakers brand continued to grow throughout the 2010’s, operating under the mantra “Authentic HawaiianSurf.” During this decade, Vans Sneakers continued expanding its lifestyle footwear line. It also expanded its skateboarding footwear line with new styles, such as the Vans UltraRange and Vans Sk8-Hi. In 2017, Vans Sneakers expanded into the golf footwear market with its Vans Golf line. The brand also continued its collaborations with other brands, such as Japan-based label COMME des GARCONS, which is owned by Vans Sneakers’ parent company, Comme des Garçons. Vans Sneakers also continued branching out from footwear and into other areas, such as apparel. In 2018, the brand launched its first full collection of apparel.
How much do vans cost?
Vans Sneakers cost between $60 to $120. During sales, you can get some pairs for $39.99.
See the most iconic Vans Sneakers models!
Let´s take a look at Vans shoes vintage or vans 90’s shoes. They are the classic, those that everyone buys.
- Here you can see the model Vans sneakers OLD SKOOL STACKED. Some of the Vans sneakers platform models. These are very popular Vans sneakers for women.
2. Vans sneakers high tops are among the best sellers of the brand. These are Vans sneakers for women. These are very special because they are Vans sneakers white.
3. These Vans sneakers high tops in black are also very popular. These are Vans sneakers for women. These are classic, vans 90’s shoes.
4. These are classic, vans 90’s shoes or you can call them vans shoes vintage. These are very popular. Top seller in the online store of Vans.
5. Vans sneakers slip on, these are my favorite, the CHECKERBOARD SLIP-ON, comfortable and you slip them on and go to skateboard very fast. Of course, these are Vans sneakers for men and Vans sneakers for men.
6. Another variation, these are Vans shoes velcro and they are Vans womens velcro. Very convenient, top sellers as well and of course they are for men too.
7. Vans sneakers black, another classic, of course, they are Vans sneakers for men and Vans sneakers for women.
8. Of course we can not miss these low-top Black Old Skool Vans sneakers. Perfect for every time, unisex, for women and men.
