Vans

It all kicked off in March 1966, when two Californian brothers, Paul and Jim Van Doren, teamed up with Serge Delia and Gordon Lee to create the Van Doren Rubber Company —a place where you could buy shoes made that morning and wear them out the door by lunch. Their first hit? The now-legendary #44 deck shoe, known today as the Authentic. Rugged, grippy, and effortlessly cool, it was basically the sneaker equivalent of a surfboard you could wear. By 1974, skaters caught wind of Vans’ sticky soles, perfect for ollies, kickflips, and staying alive. Then came 1976, a landmark year: the #95 (aka The Era) dropped, co-designed by skate royalty Tony Alva and Stacy Peralta, complete with a padded collar and wild colourways. That same year, the now-infamous “Off The Wall” logo appeared, cementing Vans’ place as the patron saint of pavement rebels. Vans was on a roll—literally. In 1977, they unveiled the #36, now known as the Old Skool, featuring the first leather-textile combo and Paul Van Doren’s casual little doodle on the side—the “jazz stripe.” That same year also birthed the #98, a.k.a. the Classic Slip-On: beloved by skaters, BMXers, and kids who hate laces.

When Fast Times at Ridgemont High hit in the '80s, Jeff Spicoli’s checkered Slip-Ons became an instant cultural relic. Stoners, skaters, and suburban teens alike bowed down. But Vans didn’t just ride the wave—they built the half-pipe. By the '90s, Vans had taken things from street to stadium: launching the Warped Tour in 1995 (because why not combine punk rock and sunburn?) and backing the first-ever Triple Crown of Skateboarding in 1996. Then came Dogtown and Z-Boys in 2001, a Sundance-winning doc that helped the world understand why skateboarding wasn’t just a sport —it was a revolution on four wheels. Today, Vans is more than a sneaker brand. It's a cultural juggernaut, a canvas for self-expression, and a symbol of rebellion in rubber sole form. From skateparks to snowy slopes, surf breaks to sweaty punk shows —Vans is still Off The Wall and proud of it.