Vans, the original action sports footwear and apparel brand, is proud to introduce a collaboration with Hong Kong-based street fashion brand Madness; A footwear collection that combines Vans Classics with founder, Shawn Yue’s, fine sense of style and design inspiration. Both brands share similar values that encourage and facilitate creativity. The collection leveraged two Vans iconic styles: the SK8-Hi and the SK8-Mid; which are personal favourites of Shawn’s as they cater to different styles and fit everyday urban life with styling ease.
We also had the opportunity to interview Shawn himself where he talks about what inspired him in this recent collaboration. Peep the interview below.
1. Run us through the creative process behind this collaboration, what was the base idea and how did it expand to the finished product?
I WANTED TO CREATE SNEAKERS WITH MY FAVOURITE COLOR COMBINATIONS, AND WHAT I WEAR THE MOST OFTEN IN MY DAILY LIFE IS A PAIR OF SK8, SO I JUST SIMPLY PUT THEM TOGETHER.
2. What is the first thing that goes through your head when you hear the word “VANS”?
ORIGINAL STREET CULTURE.
3. What are your first memories of Vans?
THAT WAS A PAIR OF BLACK SK8 WHEN I WAS IN SECONDARY SCHOOL. AND I AM STILL WEARING THE SAME THING TODAY.
4. How big of a sneakerhead are you?
ACTUALLY I AM NOT A SNEAKERHEAD. I JUST WANT TO WEAR WHATEVER I FEEL AND FEEL COMFORTABLE WEARING IT.
5. You’ve chosen this particular silhouette for the collab, is it safe to say that this is your favourite silhouette from Vans?
DEFINITELY. I ALWAYS LOVE SK8, AND AUTHENTIC, AND SLIP-ON, AND …
6. You’ve mentioned in many previous interviews that you only do things that you like, and you basically started Madness to make clothes for yourself to wear. is it safe to say that Vans shoes is something that you wear on a daily basis? if yes, why?
YES, I HAVE MANY PAIRS OF VANS SNEAKERS AT HOME, THEY CAN BE MATCHED WITH ALMOST ANY KIND OF STYLES, NO MATTER MILITARY, OUTDOORS OR VINTAGE, AND THEY ARE JUST REALLY COZY.
Both the SK8-Hi and the SK8-Mid key elements include grey and blue tones in full suede upper, creating a low profile two-tone effect. The outsole features “all work and no play makes you mad” which comes from the tattoo on Shawn’s hand inspired by the movie “The Shining” – “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. The proportion and the detail of the tongue gusset are specifically made to fit Shawn’s style allowing you to rock with or without shoelaces and the SK8-Hi feature an additional zipper in the rear for easy access.
If you’re interested in coping one of the design the Vans x Madness Collection will be releasing in Malaysia on the 18th February and will be available at SoleWhat, Midvalley only.
