Vans Skate x Richardson – Cancelled Collaboration

Dec 27 18 under Collaborations, Pro | Comments Off

Word is, only a handful of people at Vans know why this Richardson collaboration was scrapped, and not one of them is going to say anything about it!

Here’s what Hypebeast had to say about it:

“Though Richardson had an entire Vans collaboration all ready to go, the project was unfortunately canceled before completion. Nevertheless, we have imagery of the sneakers that would’ve released, which include nearly all of Vans’ signature models: the Old Skool, Slip-On, Era and Authentic. Prints and patterns dominate the range, with the Richardson Glyph printed across the Slip-On and Old Skool and a special dazzle camouflage emblazoned across the Era. The Authentic was designed with two military-inspired colorways, complete with A-1, 2 etc. midsole graphics as a nod to the printing process.

Unfortunately, the collaboration is unlikely to ever see release.”

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Vans Asia x Purlicue – “Year Of The Pig” Collection (2019)

Dec 27 18 under Asia, Collaborations | Comments Off

This one’s sort of a head scratcher for me, because Purlicue first made some unauthorized yet very authentic pairs of Vans-style shoes, similar to what the cut and paste pack looked like. You’d have sworn that these were manufactured on the same production line as Vans, but who knows what arrangements are made with factories overseas! Anyways, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em! Here’s what Hypebeast had to say:

“With the Chinese Lunar New Year right around the corner, Vans has partnered up with Chinese brand Purlicue to celebrate the Year of the Pig with a lineup of exclusive footwear.

Donning four shoes in total, the collection wields two unique colorways each of Vans’ signature Era and Sk8-Hi models. The “Year of the Pig” collection ironically emphasizes a “Laid Back, Not Lazy” motto, adding the traditional Chinese greeting “The Fat Year” on the shoes vulcanized waffle outsoles.

The Era models feature canvas and suede uppers with a pink iteration paired with bold black outsoles, and a white version with vibrant red outsoles. The Sk8-Hi models utilize a similar canvas and suede upper, with the color scheme from the Era being reversed. The Sk8-His are also paired with a magnified, interchangeable side stripe. All shoes come with wide cotton laces in tonal colors and an exaggerated “Off The Wall” heel tab.

The Purlicue x Vans “Year of the Pig” collection will be arriving at select Vans and partner stores around the globe beginning this January. Be sure to be on the lookout for more information.”

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Vault By Vans x Bows And Arrows – “5×5” OG Sk8-Hi LX (UTP P/Review & On-Feet Pics) @bowsandarrowsberkeley #bowsandarrowsberkeley

Dec 13 18 under Collaborations, Reviews, UTP, Vault | Comments Off

We’ve been posting up a lot of info lately, about this weekend’s upcoming 5×5 project, between 5 Vault retailers, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have been gifted a pair of these amazing OG Sk8-Hi LXs from Bows And Arrows up in NorCal. We’ve already talked extensively about the features of the shoe, but this is one of those shoes that plays a lot with textures, and you sometimes need a few macro shots to really get the full impact. It’s the suppleness of the leather that we’re talking about. It’s padded, so it’s soft, and smooth, yet wrinkly when you press on it, and each stitch just sinks into the leather oh so nicely. *cue your favorite Barry White background music*. The way the blue, red, and yellow triple-jazz stripes are layered on top of each other, creates this ripple-effect that just looks so sexy, sitting on top of that black leather, and the white contrast stitching shows off every single line, silhouette and panel that is used to create an OG Sk8-Hi LX, one of the most popular and iconic Vans shoes of all time. This shoe gives off an emotion that you just can’t deny. The custom printed laces are also a nice touch, which I’m glad to see more of now days. I think it’s a sneakerhead thing. Bows keeps it clean and classy, by only putting a very minimal brand logo on the tongue, and it’s worth noting that the waffle soles carry the same triple striped color theme as well. No drawer box for this release, but the box is printed with a custom “5×5” logo, for a nice finishing touch.

It’s not very often that I get to get my hands on releases early, but I’m always grateful for when I do, and I try to do a good job at giving a real perspective on what you’d be getting if you decide to purchase. I hope you enjoy the pics and info I’ve shared on these, and like always, hopefully it kicks you off the fence if you’re feeling a little uncertain about whether you’re leaning towards a cop or a drop. Enjoy all the pics I took for y’all, and a special thanks goes out to Jerry!

The shoes release this Saturday on bowsandarrowsberkeley.com, so follow them for the details!

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Vault By Vans – “5×5 Project” Line-up (Releasing 12.15.18)

Dec 12 18 under Collaborations, Vault | Comments Off

So right after we released the Bows And Arrows collab, we saw that Hypebeast posted up the names of the other four shops taking part in this 5×5 project. Joining Bows And Arrows will be the following Vault retailers: Chicago’s Notre, Seoul Korea’s WORKSOUT, Italy’s Slam Jam, and Antwerp Belgium’s Vier. Each shop has a unique shoe, none similar to each others, and no common theme. Just 5 shops, releasing a collab at the same time. Since we’ve already featured the B&A shoe, we will just talk a little bit about each of the other ones.

Notre, known for curating some of the higher end brands you may or may not have heard of, have gone with an OG Old Skool, covered in green and light gray hairy suede, with a unique hand-shaking jazz stripe. The color blocking is what stands out the most to me, on these, and they’re looking pretty clean!

WORKSOUT is one of the newer boutiques to carry Vaults, and for their first collab, we get an OG Authentic LX. The design of their Authentic was inspired by Worksout’s iconic material “Zinc” and “Mesh” which is used for the exterior and the interior of the Worksout store. The shoe body is covered by “Mesh” and the metallic shoelace represents “Zinc”. Finally, the hidden reflective layer represents the worthiness of WORKSOUT. (Translated…sorta.)

Slam Jam has had a few Vault collabs, and the OG Era LX they went with this time, is straight out of the 80’s. Going with that BMX-pack feel, we get a white, red, and black checkerboard print, with some custom Slam Jam logotypes printed on the sidewalls, designed by Fergus Purcell aka “Fergadelic”. There is also a hidden message printed on the gum waffle sole, that reads “Stamp Out Mediocrity”. These are definitely not mediocre!

Vier, comes at us with the OG Slip-On LX, done up in a few different patterns. Tiger stripes, and Palm Leafs. The vulcanized sidewalls have a script message that reads “Vamos a la playa”, or “Come with us to the beach” if my 10th grade spanish serves me correct.

This is a cool little pack we have here. I won’t rank them in any order of favorites, as there’s something here for everyone, but I like that each shop chose a different model, and I like that we get to see a few first-timers here with the Vault collabs. Each shoe will be releasing this Saturday, 12/15, so keep an eye out on each shop’s site and social media for release info.

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House of Vans Announces Detroit Pop-Up (January 24-27, 2019)

Dec 12 18 under Art, Bands, Collaborations, Events, Heritage, House of Vans | Comments Off

Bringing “Off The Wall” to Life featuring Live Musical Performances by Thundercat and Danny Brown, Art Installations, Workshops, Open Skate, a Detroit Community Street Market and More!

Free and Open to the Public

RSVP on HouseofVans.com Now!

House of Vans announces its latest destination arriving to Detroit, MI January 24-27, 2019, at The Jefferson School. Vans will transform the historic building at 950 Selden Street in West Midtown, into a cultural hub to celebrate art, music, action sports and street culture bringing Vans’ “Off The Wall” ethos to life. With an array of curated programming free to the community, this unique pop-up experience will be the largest House of Vans experience to date. Other pop-ups have included Paris, Montreal, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Mexico City, along with permanent House of Vans locations in Chicago and London.

“Detroit has a rich and eclectic history across music and art, along with a burgeoning skate scene that closely aligns with Vans’ own history and mindset,” said Brooke Burt, Vans’ Senior Manager of Lifestyle Brand Marketing. “It is truly an honor to bring House of Vans to life in Detroit alongside this incredibly creative and inspiring community.”

The House of Vans Detroit pop-up will kick-off Thursday, January 24 with a concert featuring acclaimed bassist and songwriter Thundercat, local post-punk legends Protomartyr and the soulful pop of Amber Mark. Music continues through the weekend with rapper and Detroit’s-own Danny Brown, who will bring his high energy show to the mainstage on January 25 along with SoCal rock quartet Joyce Manor and acclaimed cellist and singer Kelsey Lu. House of Vans will also introduce its signature SESSIONS series to the pop-up turning the stage over to local Detroit talent. Musicians interested in playing SESSIONS at House of Vans Detroit can email music to submitmusic_houseofvans@vfc.com.

The House of Vans Detroit pop-up will offer an extensive array of art programming including installations, retrospectives and workshops by artists Niagara, Jay Howell, Greg Hunt, Ellen Rutt, Joe Brook and more! Photography from the local community will also be featured from past Vans events and attendees can add their mark onsite by taking part in a zine making workshop hosted by Juxtapoz Magazine.

Vans is proud to partner with a wide array of vendors including Third Man Records, Genusee, SMPLFD, B_KS@ and many more, spotlighting Detroit’s artistic ingenuity and creativity through a street market along with Detroit mainstays and new food and beverage fan favorites. Attendees can also expect a record-fair, screen printing and customization station workshop, mobile vinyl pressing and local merch. Ann Arbor-based independent record label Ghostly International will begin their 20th Anniversary celebrations at House of Vans Detroit hosting a street market booth where they will be leading a modular synth workshop with music producer, DJ and electronic avant-pop artist, Matthew Dear.

House of Vans wouldn’t be complete without skateboarding, so Vans partnered with local Detroit organization, Community Push to transform the gymnasium of the Jefferson School into an indoor skatepark. Open skate sessions will be available throughout the weekend along with Vans’ signature Get On Board girls skate clinic and board building. The skate park open hours will culminate in a “Pyramid Scheme” trick contest with obstacles created by partners QUASI, Alltimers, and Quartersnacks with LQQK Studios and Trilogy Tapes partnering to curate local Detroit talent to DJ and curate the music throughout the weekend within the skatepark.

#houseofvans

Vault By Vans x Bows And Arrows – OG Sk8-Hi LX “5×5” (12.15.18) @bows_and_arrows

Dec 11 18 under Collaborations, Vault | Comments Off

We haven’t seen a Vans collab with Berkeley’s Bows And Arrows for a minute, but sometimes you just have to wait for greatness! This particular release, is a 5-shop project, like we saw a few years back to promote the then newly released Vault OG Runner LX. The current project has been kept pretty close to the vest, and this is the first we’ve heard about it, and as far as we know, none of the other shops have released any pics or info about their contribution. We aren’t even sure who else is involved.

Bows And Arrows has gone with one of their favorite models, the Sk8-Hi, and turned it into something that is distinctly theirs. Right away, you see a triple-wide jazz stripe, in bold blue, red, and yellow colors. The shoe is inspired by traditional motorsports and graphics, and the all-black leather, with black soles, and white contrast stitching, along with the photo shoot in the old automotive garage also helps drive home that aesthetic. Minimal branding can be found on a tongue tag, as well as on the inside heel pad, and the waffle soles feature the same primary colors as the jazz stripe, in a striped pattern.

The shoe is set to release this coming Saturday, the 15th, for a set price of $110, according to a comment on their IG, which is a great price for this level of quality! Sizes 4-13 will be available.

more pics after the jump

Vans Japan x Mastermind – Sk8-Hi (12.14.18)

Dec 9 18 under Collaborations, Japan Only | Comments Off

Words via Hypebeast:

“mastermind JAPAN teams up with Vans for a small capsule release. In the capsule, we see a special edition of the Sk8-Hi model, and a long-sleeve tee.

Following mastermind JAPAN’s customary design language, the Sk8-Hi is clad in a black-and-white colorway, with its signature skull-and-crossbones graphic throughout the uppers. Subtle details like textured-black foxing, leather lining, and a rear heel zipper set this pair of Sk8-Hi apart from the rest.

The long-sleeve shirt follows a similar approach in design as co-branded text appears on the chest of the shirt, followed by a Vans checkerboard graphic and mastermind JAPAN skull printed on both of the sleeves.

Those interested, and are based in Japan, can find these at selected Vans Japan stockists on December 14.”

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Vans Skate x Pop Trading Company – Style 36 Pro, Chukka Pro, & Salman Agah Pro (12.8.18)

Dec 9 18 under Collaborations, Europe Exclusive, Pro | Comments Off

Amsterdam’s Pop Trading Company has teamed up with Vans Skate to bring this trio of Pro’s. Falling right in line with their subtle aesthetic, each pair was designed with a focus on texture. To start out, the Chukka comes wrapped in all-navy corduroy, while the Style 36 gets a mixture of turtledove woven textiles and nappy suede. The third and final model, the Salman Agah Pro, gets a potent purple hairy suede mock-up. Each pair features a debossed pop script logo on the medial side of the foxing, something we’ve been seeing a lot more lately. UltraCush removable insoles are standard on each Pro model, as well as a pair of backup laces. These have already released on the Pop webstore, but have no fear, shops like END Clothing will be releasing them soon.

pics via Pop Trading Company

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Vault By Vans x Union – Polka Dot OG Era LX & OG Classic Slip-On LX (12.7.18)

Dec 7 18 under Collaborations, Vault | Comments Off

Vans has teamed up with Union Los Angeles, to release the Polka Dot pack. Available in a Burnt Sienna & Atlantic Deep colorway, the pack consists of two OG Era LX’s and two OG Classic Slip-On LX’s. We first got a preview of this design at ComplexCON, where Union released a navy and white exclusive. Pairs are currently up on their site, for $90 a piece.

The following excerpt is from Union:

“This seasons offering of the Union Van’s colab we wanted to pay homage to the traditional check pattern but with a twist. We decided to reimagine the check pattern but instead of squares do circles…uh, uh….get it??? The problem with squares vs. circles is that circles leave negative space so we had to find a third color. That’s when we decided to add another layer and do 3 colors ways; Red, Black and Green (if you think about it, you’ll know what I mean). But in true Union fashion we didn’t use the atypical RBG and instead offered some reimagined colorways. The other difficult thing about circles is everyone things is polka dots…so in the end we just decided to go with the flow and call them dots. So with no further adieu we present to you the Union RBG Dot collection.”

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Vans Japan x Mooneyes – 2018 Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show Authentic & Old Skool (2018)

Dec 5 18 under Collaborations, Japan Only | Comments Off

Vans Japan has teamed up with Mooneyes Japan to release another dope set of Vans, that were sold at this past weekend’s Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show. The Old Skool is the more elaborate pair, featuring similar artwork to last year’s Slip-On and Half Cab. Tons of yellow tones to go around, and lots of Moon branding throughout. The Authentic is a throwback retro, to their original design created back in the day when pairs were made here in the good ‘ol U.S. of A, featuring an all white canvas, with black Mooneyes prints all over it. We saw a version of this shoe, in Era form, released as part of the Vault By Vans collection, which are also a nice variation to try and get your hands on. Each pair comes with a custom box, and although the YHRCS show just passed in Japan, the Mooneyes Christmas show will be happening this coming Saturday, here in Irwindale, CA on the 8th, and maybe a few left over pairs will secretly show up, just as last year’s pairs did. There’s only one way to find out!

pics via Hypebeast