OG Made In USA Vans Breakers vs. Lowland 2.0 Breakers – Comparison Shots

Aug 23 24 under 31 Days of Vans, ComfyCush, Heritage, History, OTWS, Reviews, UTP, Van Doren, Vans Family, Vintage, Waffleheads | Comments Off

Here’s something I felt like you’d all appreciate! Here’s the inspiration for the Vans Lowland 2.0 Breakers. The OG Made in the USA Vans Breakers! Now, those deep into our Vans collecting community know about these, but some of you have never even heard of ’em. Rare and obscure. Consider yourself lucky to own a pair of the new version, if you got em.

Scroll to the end to see a few vids, including the original ad for the Vans Breakers, which I bought off eBay over 15 years ago and am so stoked to finally have a reason to share it.

tons of pics after the jump Read More

Vans – Lowland 2.0 Breakers (Waffleheads BBQ 2024 Friends & Family Exclusive!)

Aug 22 24 under 31 Days of Vans, ComfyCush, OTWS, UTP, Van Doren, Vans Family, Waffleheads | Comments Off

Vans Lowland ComfyCush 2.0 “Breakers”. Here they are peeps. The official pics of the shoe gifted to us by Steve Van Doren for this year’s 31 Days of Vans gathering at Vans HQ. To say I didn’t expect these, was an understatement, but I am thoroughly excited. The Vans Breakers that these were inspired by, have been sought after by Vans collectors for decades, but unobtainable due to their rarity and high prices. Consider yourself lucky to own these if you were lucky enough to be blessed by SVD!

Stay tuned for something cool I am working on in regards to these

Waffleheads – 31 Days of Vans Wrap-Up BBQ at Vans HQ! (8.15.24)

Aug 21 24 under Events, Friends, History, OTWS, UTP, Van Doren, Waffleheads | Comments Off

Well folks. Clayton and I managed to pull it off again. Not sure how, but Steve Van Doren graciously hosted another Waffleheads event at Vans HQ, to wrap up this year’s 31 Days of Vans. I am beyond grateful, and it’s humbling to see everyone come out and support us, most being my close friends and family, who I do acknowledge are there to support me, but they understand how important this is to me, and to my community of Vans nerds. I have converted many to Waffleheads, mainly through our love of sneakers, but I think my eVANSgelism is rubbing off on them, as they see just what our community is about, and the vibes we all have. How can you not love us? Also, a big shout out to everyone that had to travel, whether by plane or roadtrip. I know it’s not easy, or cheap, so I appreciate you. Sorry to those we couldn’t invite, but if you can somehow promise that you can attend next year, I will do my best to extend the invite. Shit, if we have to sell admission or pairs of the shoes, would you still be down?! I’m open to any options to keep this thing rolling FOREVER!

We’re all unique. We find our own paths within’ this growing community. We all come from different walks of life, and our demographic is a marketers worst nightmare (Ages 0 – 100+ jk!). We had babies less than one year old at the event, and we had quite a few folks with a lot of wisdom and knowledge under their belt as well! I was absolutely in awe at the family atmosphere we had, and you definitely felt the love. I really admire that we were able to represent for our “Vans Family” which is proof to be a real thing. To quote the late Paul Van Doren, “It was always about the people, and never about the product”. I hope that’s what everyone felt when they went home afterwards.

We had the honor and privilege to be around some great folks that evening. Steve Van Doren was the center piece to it all, and I’m glad he didn’t have to grill this time, and got to mingle and take pics with any and everyone who went up to him. Christian Hosoi was back again, which was just so dope. You have no idea. He’s one of my favorite skaters of all time. His Vans shoes are by far my favorite to collect, and boy does he got stories to tell. We love you Holmes! Rian Pozzebon was in the building again, this time just chilling and chopping it up about the good old days of Vans Syndicate, Vault, and the stuff our core collectors just eat up. Thank you for hanging with us afterwards at Salty Bear too, sir! Always a great time.

Steve ordered us a huge spread of BBQ and sides, and boy did it not disappoint! They provided beverages, including some beer and wine this time, which was a surprise. Not sure if they thought it was going to be a 21+ event or not, but sorry if they thought it was! For future reference, if we ever get invited back again, we can skip the alcohol if it means we get to bring back all the families. That’s number 1 on my priorities. But we thank Vans, and everyone they had on hand to help out. Kristy, Bob, and everyone else who we just don’t know on a personal level YET! We plan to, because we owe you a debt of gratitude as well. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Obviously, y’all have seen the shoe that Steve had made for us this year, which was a Lowland 2.0 model, heavily inspired by the original Vans Breakers from the Serio line of the 80’s, which were made for breakdancing. I was completely caught off guard with it, to be honest, but I personally knew the significance of the shoe, and what it was inspired by, but I was at first a little worried about what some would think of it. The Breakers are a Vans collector’s grail. They’re so damn obscure, and rare, and expensive on the resell market, so most will never own a pair. That is until now. Word is, these will be releasing later on, but not sure how, as our pairs are a Zero SKU project, aka Van Doren Approved collection, similar to other private projects he has done. Zero SKUs are gold to us! We will just have to wait and see, but I will create a separate post for just the shoe pics whenever I get around to it. Be patient!

All in all, I am just humbled. Completely filled with love and joy after an amazing and long weekend, filled with lots of hanging out, and endless sneaker talk. We also did our annual meetup on the following Saturday at Blends Costa Mesa, which is where this whole idea started 3 years ago. I posted up those pics too! Thank you again to everybody who came out to support, and I hope you thoroughly enjoyed yourselves. I am just happy that you came out to support me and mine. I love y’all! -Bill (Guamstyles)

tons of pics after the jump Read More

Vans x Saving Our Sharks Foundation – Collection (Available Now!)

Sep 5 23 under Collaborations, General Release, Van Doren | 2 Comments

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

You guys. We need to help out Steve Van Doren with this initiative. Can you all please repost this for him? He’s bringing awareness to the definning of sharks, thru the @savingoursharksfoundation. He’s also created a shoe that is available on the Vans site. Please support!

Did you know that 11,000 sharks are killed every hour? Vans and Saving Our Sharks Foundation are working to change that reality with the Vans X Isla Mujeres Shark Initiative limited-edition shark shoes. Featuring a special design made exclusively for our Shark Heroes, this unique Classic Slip-On lets you dive into a world where style meets purpose. Every time you wear this vibrant slip-on shoe, you show your support to keep sharks hook-free and promote their conservation by empowering local fishermen in Isla Mujeres, Mexico.

In addition to this powerful collaboration, Vans donated $20k to Saving Our Sharks Foundation to support sustainable livelihoods and non-extractive ecotourism, like diving with sharks. So unleash your love for the ocean, embrace your inner conservationist, and be part of the movement to keep Sharks Off The Hook.

more pics after the jump

Steve Van Doren Hosts BBQ For 31 Days of Vans Fans At Vans HQ!

Aug 12 23 under 31 Days of Vans, Events, Friends, History, OTWS, UTP, Van Doren | Comments Off

A great community is made up of people who all have unique gifts and talents to share, and I can’t think of a better one than our Vans family. It’s been over 15 years that we’ve been fostering this culture, and we’ve met some really amazing folks along the way. Folks who’ve found unique ways to show their love and appreciation for Vans, proving that Vans is not just one thing. #31daysofvans was created by one of us. #meetthevansfam was created by one of us. Entire Vans sneaker rooms were created by one of us. A Facebook group of over 30k members were created by one of us. The most dedicated Vans sneaker blog, forum, and pioneering Instagram page in the world were created by one of us.

Our community constantly evolves and grows. The platform changes, and the one sailing the ship switches seats, but we’re all on board for the wild ride, wherever it takes us. From OTWS, to Under The Palms, to SV, to Strictly Waffles, to now Wearing Waffles. I’ve witnessed every single day of it, so recognizing how far we’ve come is hard to put into perspective, but damn. Looking back, we’ve sure done some cool shit.

I sit here trying to form the right words to show my gratitude and appreciation for @stevevandoren and the amazing team at Vans who put together this event of a lifetime for our peoples. You are our hero, and you set the example we all strive to live by. I want to thank our bro @wearingwaffles for charming Steve into creating this opportunity. We’re riding your coattails now brotha’! None of this was possible w/o our brother @newkon. NONE OF THIS! There’s so many more to thank, so sorry. I couldn’t feel more blessed, and my heart is beyond full. Let’s run this back again next year, what do you say?! -Bill

enjoy tons of pics after the jump Read More

Rest In Peace Vans Co-Founder Paul Van Doren (1930-2021)

May 7 21 under Heritage, History, NEWS, Van Doren, Waffleheads | 3 Comments

This is pretty heavy news right here to wake up to this morning. Vans co-founder Paul Van Doren, has passed away after being on this earth for 90 years. This news comes just one week after the launch of his memoir, “Authentic“. We have him to thank, for this awesome brand that has given us an identity, and a true sense of community. Always reminding us to be authentic, and do things our own way, while remembering to make it about the people. We will never lose sight of that. Vans has created more opportunity for us, than anything else, and we ultimately have Paul Van Doren to thank for that. We’ll always honor you, and your name lives on through your family, and through the extended Wafflehead family. You will be missed, but never forgotten. Thank you, Paul.

Vans x Funko – Steve Van Doren Pop! (Gift With Purchase of NASA Collection?)

Oct 31 18 under Accessories, Collaborations, Merchandise, Promos, Van Doren | Comments Off

pics via Newtoynews:

It appears that the cat is out of the bag on this one. As part of this Friday’s NASA “Space Voyager” collection, Vans and Funko teamed up to create this absolutely amazing Funko Pop! of Steve Van Doren. This has got to be one of the coolest things that I have got to get my hands on this year! Steve is all dressed up on a space suit, throwing up a shaka, while in his checkerboard slip-ons. There’s also another rendition, that I believe is rumored to be a Pac Sun exclusive, or somewhere else, but who knows. All I know is I need a few of these, so please help a brotha’ out! I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how they will be released, but most likely it will be a gift with purchase when buying the NASA collection. So sick!

Edit: The 2nd edition with the floral print will be released by Pac Sun exclusively at ComplexCon. Great. No chance getting that one at retail then, lol. ComplexCon is for the culture, right?!

Vans – 50th Anniversary “Van Doren Approved” Collection (August 2016)

Aug 4 16 under 50th, Van Doren | Comments Off

Words via Vans:

“In continuation of the brand’s 50^th anniversary Vans capsule, the original action sports footwear and apparel brand launches the “Van Doren Approved” Collection, an assortment of footwear and apparel featuring heritage prints hand picked by Steve Van Doren, son of Vans founder Paul Van Doren. “I had the pleasure of creating this collection and recreating a vintage shot of me buried under the Van Doren Approved collection. Speaking to our heritage, this timeless image is inspired by a photo taken 20 years ago, which similarly brings back lots of great memories of the last 50 years of Vans. This collection honors some unique heritage prints, which date back to the ‘70s and ‘80s when this original photo was shot” recalls Van Doren. The Van Doren Approved assortment includes reissued styles with vintage graphics from the Vans archives.

The collection channels the spirit of Vans’ DIY-beginnings with pattern-clashing and color-contrasting footwear including old school tones and unconventional swatch blocking. Legendary Vans prints such as the iconic checkerboard, the skull pirate and the aloha leaf can be found on silhouettes such as the Sk8-Hi 38 Reissue, Era 95 Reissue, Slip-On 98 Reissue and Chukka Boot 49A Reissue—in addition to an updated flying Vans logo tee, classic patch trucker hat and the Old Skool backpack.

Originally known as The Van Doren Rubber Company, Vans opened up shop in Southern California on March 16, 1966. First Vans stores offered customers the opportunity to customize and order their shoes on-site. As a result, these vulcanized sneakers elevated creative expression to new levels, a characteristic that lives on in the brand’s DNA to this day.

Shop the 50th Anniversary Edition Van Doren Approved Collection in-stores and online this August at Vans.com.

tons more pics after the jump

Erwin’s Current Vans Room

Feb 15 16 under California, China, Collaborations, Friends, General Release, Heritage, History, Japan Only, OTWS, Pro, Supreme, Syndicate, UK Exclusive, UTP, Van Doren, Vault, Vintage, WDYWT | Comments Off

Erwin is the originator of the Vans sneaker room. When he first joined our forum and shared photos of what he had safely locked inside of his house, we were stunned. It’s something that takes a long time to build, and many more have replicated what he has done, and in their own tasteful way, but I just had to pay homage to our friend. Erwin has been thinning the herd, selling off some less favored pairs, but he plans to keep most of the gems. As you can tell, he has a thing for the Sk8-Hi. When we were all buying Chukkas and Half Cabs, Erwin was picking up all of the rarest and coolest Sk8-Hi’s. What blows my mind is that he managed to do this all while residing in the Netherlands. That’s some serious dedication! Thanks for being a part of our core community, and helping educate the new Vans collectors. Salute!

Check out a few prior pics of what the room looked like after the jump

Van Doren – Flamingo Pack (Available Now!)

Apr 6 15 under General Release, Van Doren | Comments Off

Check out one of our favorite Van Doren releases for the summer, dubbed the Flamingo Pack. Featuring an all-over vintage inspired print of Flamingos, in a mostly pink and turquoise color combination. The pack consists of an Old Skool and an Authentic, both sitting on top of a white midsole with the standard Van Doren black foxing stripe. These are available from the Vans webstore now by clicking on the pic above. Support UTP!