Vans

Brothers Paul and James Van Doren arrived in California in 1964, where they founded, along with partners Gordon Lee and Serge Delia, the Van Doren Rubber Company, now known as Vans.

For the first ten years of business, the company struggled to stay afloat. Nevertheless, at the level of customization Vans was light years ahead. Thanks to the innovative production method, in fact, customers could practically design their ideal shoe, even having the possibility to bring fabrics and materials of their choice. Vans was able to deliver the sneaker of their dreams within a day.

Surfers were the ones who very often chose their shoes for skate training. It was Tony Alva and Stacy Peralta who, in 1975, approached Vans directly asking to produce a model designed specifically for skaters, acting as their own consultants for the design and choice of colors and materials of the shoe. The Van Doren brothers' company then creates the #95, the Era, one of the brand's best-selling shoes, the shoe of an entire generation of skaters. It is also in this sneaker that the "Off The Wall" logo appeared for the first time, which is still an integral part of the Vans symbol today.

In 1996, Vans launched a ten-year collaboration with what at the time was a small brand known and loved by true skate enthusiasts, Supreme New York.

Over the years Vans, from a brand loved and worn only on the streets by skaters, surfers or young boys, has also become part of the world of high fashion. The former creative director of Celine, Phoebe Philo, always showed up at the fashion house's shows with a pair of checkered Slip-Ons, which inspired her to create a luxury version for her brand; an example later followed by Saint Laurent and Givenchy. In 2017, it was the Kaiser of fashion, Karl Lagerfeld, who designed a collection for Vans.