This is Shepard Fairey’s contribution to the Half Cab 20th Anniversary exhibit at this year’s Downtown Showdown in Amsterdam recently. He took the all white canvas Half Cab and doctored it up in some OBEY steez. Vans needs to get this one in production!
Update 8/20:
All votes are tallied, and here’s the results!
1st place – @traviiclause with 528 likes
2nd place – @ryanresco with 325 likes
3rd place – @sensualhotsauce with 209 likes
Congrats to all the winners, and thanks to everyone who participated! We also have to thank all of the fine folks who stuck with us, and didn’t unfollow us on Instagram during this crazy contest. We’re back to our awesome selves again, so come on back and follow us to see some seriously awesome Vans kicks!!!
It’s been way too long since we’ve seen a custom Vans sneaker. One of the best sneaker decon artists, Desp1, of Fresh&Fly Customs has done a few past Vans sneaker deconstruction projects, but this is his first Chukka Del Barco, and I must admit I’m really liking them! The gator skin material goes perfect with this style of shoe, and the base model, with the charcoal suede was the right choice as well. He’s currently taking preorders for your own size, and keep in mind there is a little bit of a delay due to these being hand made, one-off, customs. Head on over to his webstore to check it out.
info via Fresh&Fly
more pics after the jump Read More
Words via Chris at Vans OTW:
“Vans Custom Culture is back for its third year and registration for the nationwide competition is now open at http://www.vans.com/customculture. In 2010, Vans gave high school students across the US an opportunity to customize our Classics (the 106 Vulcanized, Authentic, Classic Slip-On & Sk8-Hi) and win $50,000 for their school’s art program. This year, we invited several notable figures from the world of media, fashion and art to customize the Classic Slip-On and help spread the word of the 2012 edition of Vans Custom Culture. Vans Custom Culture Ambassadors include: actress Kristen Stewart, talk show host Conan O’Brien, comedian Andy Richter, Paper Crown designers Lauren Conrad and Maura McManus, designer Timo Weiland, Honestly WTF Editor Erica Coffman, artist Alex Axelrod and more! Check out all designs on Facebook.”
check out a few more designs after the jump Read More
So it’s been about a year since I last spoke with Kel, aka FalseQuest, one of the few sneaker deconstruction artists out there, and even one of the fewer who work on Vans. Today, I got an email from him, letting me know that he’s been locked away in his work space, honing his craft, and learning an incredible deal about crafting footwear, and he is now ready to show off his latest creation.
First off, let me tell you, deconstructing any sneaker, is a painstaking tedious task, especially when it’s done by hand, stitch-by-stitch, panel-by-panel. So when you notice that he even went as far as to create custom rubber heel tabs, and silk-screened logos on the footbed, so they don’t just rub off after the first wear, then you know he wants to be taken serious. The details aren’t just in the customizable parts of the shoe, but also in the overall construction. Look at the tight, even seams, around the ankle collar. No puffiness, or protruding portions at all. DETAILS people! The materials chosen mesh well together, with the oil and waxed treated black canvas that gives each pair a unique finish, and the vegetable tanned calfskin wave stripe that lets you know these are made of quality. Not to mention, the pigskin liner, and pig skin suede tongue for comfort! The overall design sort of gives off an industrial, work-wear inspired design, with some touches of American Made nostalgia, right out of a 1940s era wardrobe set! If I’m wrong, then sorry, but that’s what I felt about these! Bottom line, is they’re dope.
If you’re interested in having one made exclusively for you, individually numbered, and highly limited, then hit FalseQuest up at info@FalseQuest.com. Check out his website www.falsequest.com for updates, as well as some other recent creations he’s been working on, and do yourself a favor and peep the large detailed pics of this awesome Sk8-Hi after the jump. You need to admire the details!
more detailed pics after the jump Read More
OTWS member Havick33 recently shown us some pics of his custom pair of Authentics, done up by tattoo artist Chris, owner and operator of Daddyo’s Tattoo Shop in Centralia, Illinois. The most unique part about this shoe, other than the awesome artwork, is that they were inked with a tattoo gun! That’s a first for me, and I’ve come across quite a bit of custom Vans. Check out the detail, and unique style that the ink gun brings to the canvas, and there are tons more pics after the jump!
more pics after the jump Read More
What could be more sick than being able to customize your very own boardshorts? Well, that’s what Shortomatic and Vans are doing for everyone. They’re offering up the popular Vans Era boardshorts, for you to completely customize to your style, and believe me, with 16 colors, 6 patterns including checkerboards, zebra stripes, polka-dots, stickerbombed, and hibiscus flowers, plus a few vintage prints…you can’t lose! You also get to choose one of four Vans patches to place on the shorts. Go play with the boardshort builder on their site right now, and explore all of the patterns, color combos, and styles they have to offer up! Each pair runs $99, and takes 2 weeks to get to your door step!
Build yours here.
info via Hypebeast
Words via Highsnobiety:
“Usually we are now big fans of too much color and graphics on sneakers, but we have to hand it to stylist Robert Verdi, who had the brilliant idea of adding a series of vintage Hermes silk scarves to the classic Vans Slip-On sneaker. Each sneaker features a Hermes silk scarf upper, perfect for the summer with its colorful graphic uppers.”
more pics after the jump Read More
Words via FreshnessMag:
“Art and design students can resonate with the fact that Art is not taken as seriously in many high schools as it should and VANS is taking matters in its own hands by initiating the Custom Culture program. It is a program that pushes the talents of young artists and gives an opportunity for students to customize shoes in a nation wide competition format. VANS will select ten high schools from each region (North/South/East/West/California) and each will eventually move onto the final showcase held in June 2011. Five schools will be given a travel budget to make way to New York and registration is open right now. Also take a look at the campaign trailers featuring the veterans in the game including Mister Cartoon and Lanie Alabanza-Barcena as well as the VANS creative team.”
theMenace is on fire right now! With the black Vintage Acid Wash‘s only a few weeks old, he’s already released another pair, this time in a blue acid wash Levi’s denim. There will only be one pair of these made, so jump on this, if it’s calling out your name. Nobody else will have these! These are available for preorder now, on his web shop for $325. Which color do you like better, the black or the blue? Either way, they’re both dope. Don’t sleep!
more pics after the jump
Currently on a little hiatus, but normally you can drop in for the live Twitch stream, or you can get caught up later on, by viewing us on our Youtube channel. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Anchor.
Check out and add to our collaborative playlist on Spotify. Let's hear some of your favorite, obscure, B-side, and personal selections. The funkier and more eclectic it gets, the better. Let's show everyone how much range our community has!
