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About Vans
Vans Shoes
It was Paul Van Doren who first came up with the idea of making shoes and selling them directly to the public, cutting out the middleman as it were, and effectively making the shoes himself. Okay, so perhaps this wasn't a completely new concept, cobblers and cordwainers (shoe makers) have been doing this for centuries, but this was the sixties and mass manufacturing had almost completely taken away the 'personal touch'.
Paul moved to Southern California with his partners Jim van Doren, Gordy Lee and Sege D'Elia and the first official day of business was March 15th, 1966.They only offered three styles of Vans shoes on that first day and even these were display shoes; they had to stack the shelves with empty boxes to make it look like a more 'successful' store. Twelve customers came into the shop that morning and picked out the styles and colours they wanted and with a promise from the boys, agreed to come back later in the afternoon to pick them up.
Paul and Gordy rushed back to the factory on that same day, made the shoes that the customers had asked for, and amazingly, managed to get the job done. The customers were impressed, and it's just as well as the service was surely a little unprecedented; did I mention that the boys hadn't though to put any change in the till so had to ask the customers to return the next day to pay for their shoes? Luckily for them, all twelve customers did, and the rest, as they say, is history.
In the early days, Vans shoes had a diamond pattern in the sole across the entire bottom of the shoe and vertical lines were added later to give it added strength. It wasn't really until the 1970's when the brand became synonymous with skateboarders and skaters who hailed them as the ultimate designs for this new cultural phase.
Vans shoes took on the approach of asking professional skaters to help with their designs, probably much sooner than many other brands can claim to have done. In March 1976, Vans produced the first 'Era' in blue and red (Vans authentic); it was designed by Tony Alva and Stacy Peralta and the brand was really thrust into the limelight.
Today Vans shoes continues to shine, and has also flourished in its association with action sports including skating, snow sports, surfing, BMX, Wake boarding and Motor-Cross. For each activity, Vans has a team of riders, professional sports men and women who proudly wear the Vans products and work alongside the development teams who are constantly looking to improve the ergonomics of their footwear.
The range of shoes available is vast, including low edged flexible pumps such as the 'Old Skool' Classic which dates back as far as 1978. This classic Vans style features a suede upper with the Vans classic waffle sole and Vans signature side stripe. The style itself is popular and is available in a spectrum of colours for originality.
The Core Classic range features a selection of slightly heavier shoe for durability, but retains a strong sense of flexibility for the wearer. The 'Half Cab' classic for example, features a mid-top of suede with double stitching in the 'ollie' area, ventilation in the toes and has the classic waffle sole. Like many others in the brand, the Half Cab has become the signature shoe of one of the Vans riders; skater Steve Caballero rarely wears anything else proving that these shoes combine functionality with aesthetics. The Skateboard magazine even voted this as the best shoe of 2006 though it's popularity really flourished in the early 90's proving that Vans shoes is a brand with longevity.
The range of men's surf shoes come in a variety of shapes and styles; this is partly because the needs of the individual wearer will understandably be different from person to person. Whilst a simple flip-flop or sandal might be more appropriate for anyone who simply wants the ease of being able to flick their shoes from their feet as they run out into the ocean, for others the need for comfort and perhaps even warmth when they come out is just as desirable. Vans have a selection of fleece lined footwear which do not only give increased comfort, but are well insulated too, ideal for surfers and for those post-snow activities too.
The women's range of footwear is just as varied as the men's when it comes to shapes and styles. There is a good mix of footwear for those girls who can hold their place amongst the boys and likewise require flexible and durable footwear; they have their own 'Old Skool' and 'Era' shoes for this, but Vans also has a range of styles that could be considered much more feminine. The canvas 'Mary Jane' for example, comes in a variety of bold and beautiful colours and has a much lower reaching upper. Combined with the classic vans waffle sole, they make for distinguished and comfortable footwear.
Vans shoes are by far one of the largest and most successful rider brands around, and fully embrace the world of action sports and all those who are a part of it. Through a combination of science, design and feedback from the professionals, the brand has managed to evolve in both comfort and style, producing a range of footwear that never seems to fade from the zeitgeist.
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