Vans – “Year Of The Horse” Sk8-Hi Reissue (2014)

Dec 20 13 under China, UK Exclusive | Comments Off

“Vans will be releasing a four-piece capsule collection for the coming Chinese New Year composed of the original Sk8-Hi silhouette with iconic Sidestripe branding. The “Year of the Horse” pack is offered in red, blue and pink colorways, as well as a limited black edition. Further details include faux horse hair, leather heel counter and horseshoe print on the waffle sole. The Vans Sk8-Hi Reissue 2014 “Year of the Horse” pack will be releasing in China on December 20, with the limited black version hitting select accounts on January 1, 2014.”

Vans Syndicate x 8Five2 – Authentic “S” & Cab-Lite “S” (Video and pics)

Dec 20 13 under Collaborations, Syndicate, Videos | Comments Off

The latest international Vans Syndicate release is scheduled to drop soon, this time with Hong “Muthafucking” Kong’s very own 8FIVE2 skate shop. This will be their third Syndicate release, and their fourth Vans release. You may recall their Versa Mid “S” with the white toecap, as well as their Seylynn “S” which was technically a Zero Lo “S”. Their non-“S” release was a black Chukka Low, wrapped in premium black leather, with their signature floral camo pattern on the lining, in some purple hues. This time they will be releasing two models, the Authentic “S”, and the Cab-Lite “S”, both wrapped in their signature floral pattern, but this time in a tan and golden colorway. Both pairs feature brown accents throughout, and sit on top of all white vulcanized soles. 8Five2 has put out this awesome video, and I’ve attached a few pics of the shoes after the jump. Both shoes are now available for purchase from 8FIVE2’s webshop!

Fun fact: Those of you who are new to Vans collecting, and those of you who were original Offthewallsite (RIP) members, may have never heard of their first collab, the all black Chukka Low, with this same floral print (except in purple) for the inside lining. It released sometime between the old and new OTWS, and wasn’t on a lot of people’s radar, but being that they were produced in limited numbers, they attracted a few of us die-hard collectors. Mine are still on ice!

Vans Japan x Pendleton – Collection (Fall/Winter 2013)

Dec 16 13 under Collaborations, Japan Only | Comments Off

We finally get a better look at the recently released Pendleton x Vans Japan collaboration. Created exclusively for the Japan market, these were sold at ABC Mart and Beams, and perhaps a few other spots? Not sure. Not ever sure, lol. They utilized the Pendleton Canyonlands blanket for the entire collection, which has a lot of tan, brown, orange, black, and red colors in the Native-American inspired pattern. Check out pics of the Era, Sk8-Hi, and Slip-On after the jump, and if your Vans shoe taste is for a near counterfeit shaped shoe, but genuinely official, then pick up any Vans Japan release like these, as you will surely get that! Just sayin’.

info via HypeKanye

Vans Vault x Bows & Arrows – “Have A Nice Trip” Era 59 LX (Coming 12.28.13)

Dec 16 13 under Collaborations, Vault | Comments Off

The good folks over at Bows & Arrows in Berkeley, CA just dropped their first official teaser of their upcoming collaboration with Vans Vault, called “Have A Nice Trip”. Featuring an Era 59 LX, in some wild patterns that are sure to turn some heads. They dropped a dope skate video dubbed “Acid Test”, shot in lo-fidelity black and white, giving that edgy, psychedelic artistic feel, with music to match. Take a ride with Bows & Arrows, and stick with us for any future info as it arises. So far we have a set release date of 12.28.13 exclusively at Bows & Arrows!

Vans x Active Ride Shop – “War And Peace” Half Cab Pro Pack (Under The Palms Exclusive Review!) @activerideshop @activesandimas

Dec 11 13 under Collaborations, Pro, Reviews | Comments Off

Here’s the first information you’ve probably seen on Active Ride Shop’s latest Vans collaboration, dubbed “War And Peace”. Being that Active is a Southern California skate shop, with over 20 stores throughout the lower part of the state, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon these last night, while stopping into my local Active Ride Shop in San Dimas. I was chopping it up with Brian, the store manager, about our recent launch of our new name and what not, and he pointed out that the War and Peace pack just came in a few hours earlier. I was surprised, because we were expecting this shoe later on in the week, and with such a dope design and idea for inspiration, you’d have thought there would have been a more celebrated build-up and release for the shoe! To their defense, it is Christmas, and they have been super busy with the daily shop priorities, but no big deal. That’s why we’re here! I told Brian that I’d get the info out, and write up a nice review on them. (Disclaimer: I bought these myself, and didn’t get them for free! Although, I always graciously accept any pairs that are thrown to me. One to rock and one to stock is always a good thing!)

So here we are with Active’s latest Vans collab. Once again they went with their tried and true model of choice, the Half Cab Pro. Just like their DSNB 1 and 2 packs, and similar to their past Vans collaborations , there are two variations being offered. The concept is totally original, and dope as hell. They contrast each other, not in color or design, but in what they are portraying. On one side, you have the olive green military-inspired shoe, complete with camouflage linings, quick lace eyelets, and hiker laces, while on the other design, you have an all black hippie-inspired theme, with rainbow tie-dye lining, and round black cord laces, protesting loud and clear! I can just see all the Dead Heads buying up this model. Both pairs feature tear-away Half Cab patches, surely a nod to Active’s DSNB 1 Half Cab Pack a few years ago, in their respective lining colorway, but Active also threw in two more sets of patches for each shoe, in case you wanted to switch it up a bit. The olive pair comes with extra standard flat black laces, while the black pair includes a black/blue hiker lace, which I laced up for you all to see. Both shoes feature suede on the uppers, heavy-duty canvas on the tongues, and screen-printed twill for the lining. The footbeds match the lining as well, with a screen-printed custom logo on the heel. Being that the shoes are Pro models, they feature the UltraCUSH footbed, padded tongues, as well as a DURACAP toe bumper. Another nice feature and something we don’t see too much anymore, are the perforations on the toe and ankle padding. Taking it back to the Half Cabs of years ago! Fitment is the same as all your Pro model Half Cabs, and if you’ve never owned a pair of Half Cabs, then they typically run a little more snug than your Authentic, Era, Old Skool, or Sk8-Hi. This pack just might be a contender for one of this year’s favorite releases! I hope my pictures help do these some justice, and really portray the awesomeness that they are, and may they also kick you off the fence! Enjoy!

Both models are available now on Active’s webshop:

Olive/Camo

Black/Tie-Dye

tons more pics after the jump Read More

Vans 20 Years: Off the Wall On the Snow (Video)

Dec 9 13 under Snow, Videos | Comments Off

Words via RadCollector:

“For your Friday viewing enjoyment, Vans just dropped the full length version of their 20 year snowboarding retrospective “Off the Wall, On the Snow.” Produced by Standard Film’s Mike Hatchett and Travis Robb, the film includes history from Jamie Lynn, John Cardiel and Circe Wallace plus fresh action from Pat Moore, Zac Marben, Darrell Mathes and more.”

Offthewallsite and OTWS are now “Under The Palms” #underthepalms

Dec 8 13 under OTWS | Comments Off

There’s no easy way to break this news, but I’ll get straight to the point. The name Offthewallsite and OTWS are going to be leaving us soon. Vans has finally come to us and respectfully asked that we stop using those names, as they are too similar to Off The Wall and OTW, which are their rightfully owned trademarks. We were given a pass all this time, because let’s be honest, they like us, and love what we do for them, and for our beloved sneaker community. This fan site that we’ve created has grown by leaps and bounds over the years, as have the popularity in Vans, especially in the exclusive and limited releases, and collaboration projects , which us Vans collectors seek out mostly. That’s who we cater to, and naturally that’s who we represent. So with that, we will be changing our name to “Under The Palms”, which has a few meanings to me, but in all honesty, it’s just a timeless name. It appeals to us “cool guy Vans heads” who are down with the palm leaf pattern, it looks good on stuff, represents that Cali brand that they are, and most importantly doesn’t infringe on any trademarks! You could also say that we’re “under the palms” of our favorite brand, being held down by the man! Just kidding.

Let me break it down to you for a minute. We represent all that is dope about Vans. All this time, I haven’t really taken the time to sit back and think about that. I mean, I’ve always known that we were the most knowledgeable core group of Vans enthusiasts in the sneaker community. Not just with the shoes, but with the culture, the history, and the heritage. Vans has a ton of that, unlike a few other brands who buy their way into an industry, and constantly are called out for calling something limited, and creating tons of hype, and then re-releasing it later on, just making their customers mad, and in many cases, causing some to defect from said brand. Those tactics have allowed for many other brands to win over a new customer, especially our favorite brand, Vans. We embrace that authenticity about Vans, and we show the people that there’s also a sneaker collector community within Vans. We even convert fans into advocates. We find people all the time, who have worn nothing but Vans their entire life, but never knew there were Vans Vaults, Syndicates, and many dope collabs. We show them that there’s so much more to Vans out there. Without a place to gain knowledge, share release info, show off collections, and buy and sell your Vans to people who are specifically looking for your shoes, then why collect? Vans might as well not even do limited and cool stuff. We invite all to come and hang out with us “Under The Palms”.

-Guamstyles

Coming soon:

www.underthepalmleaves.com

Instagram: @underthepalms

Twitter: @underthepalms_

Vans x Stance – Legends Crew Socks (Available Now!)

Nov 27 13 under Accessories, Apparel, Heritage, History, Pro | Comments Off

Check out these awesome Stance socks that Vans collaborated on, featuring all of the Vans Legends! We got Christian Hosoi, Steve Caballero, Ray Barbee, Jeff Grosso, and John Cardiel. These are epic, and now available at your local Vans shop, or on their website, through our links. Please support OTWS and purchase these by clicking on the pic above, or after the jump!

photo credit to @vansfranklinpark

individual pics after the jump Read More

Vans Syndicate 024.149 – “Rapidweld Pack” Sk8-Hi Pro “S” & Old Skool Pro “S” (Coming Soon!) @silostore

Nov 27 13 under Syndicate | Comments Off

Our next Vans Syndicate release is right around the corner, and once again the “S” is introducing a new shoe and technology for us all. We first seen the RAPIDWELD technology on the LXVI series, and then on the Rowley Pro Lite. Now it is being introduced on a few classic silhouettes, the Sk8-Hi Pro, and the Old Skool Pro. These might take some getting used to, especially for us traditionalists, but who knows! These might be the best thing since sliced bread! I’m willing to give these a shot, especially since they come in black. The subtle hits of reflective 3M material, crystal clear waffle soles, and the Luxliner are a great combination. Check out the pics from Silo’s webshop, after the jump, and them, along with your local “S” dealer should be receiving these soon.

pics via Silo

tons more pics after the jump Read More

Vans – Mid Skool 77 Suede (Holiday 2013)

Nov 27 13 under General Release | Comments Off

The Vans Classics team has brought back one of my favorites, the Mid Skool 77 with a brand new suede makeover in two new colorways, Bright Cobalt/Marshmallow, and Paloma/Andorra. Sitting on top of a standard vulcanized sole, each model is built with a soft suede upper, canvas tongue, and supple leather accents for a nice contrast in material use. Both pairs are now available on the Vans webstore. Support OTWS, and purchase them by clicking on the pic above and after the jump!

info via Hypebeast

one more color after the jump Read More