Disclaimer: The English version is an authorised translation of the original article in Mandarin for informational purposes only. In case of any discrepancy, the original Mandarin article by Ah Nel can be found here.
Have you ever thought that the shoe you’re wearing now is way more than a shoe? It is an invention, innovation, creation and effort by a professional team. This is especially true if you’re wearing Vans.
Vans was founded in 1966 and it is one of the OGs of skate-oriented footwear, having been around nearly as long as the skateboard itself. So how did a skate shoe brand like Vans dive full throttle into the whole sneaker scene?
Everything started in 2005 when Vans collaborated for a breathtaking collection with Marc Jacobs that innovated upon the ordinary slip-on.
Above: Vans X Marc Jacobs in 2005. They took inspiration from the TV.
They collaborated for the 2nd time at 2007.
Take note that other competitive brands Nike, adidas and Converse also have renowned designers like Hiroshi Fujiwara, Yohji Yamamoto and John Varvatos. Marc Jacobs was the creative director of LV during that time.
Now we get to buy a shoe, which was designed by a high-end fashion designer at a very affordable price. That’s how Vans got into the streetwear fashion scene.
Vans started to get in touch with high-end fashion and streetwear fashion simultaneously.
Supreme was kinda the thing back in 2000, but still mostly within the streetwear and skateboarding circle. People who were not really in that circle weren’t aware or else couldn’t care less about this subculture.
The rebellious attitude has always been Supreme’s hallmark while also representing New York skate culture. What Supreme and Vans did are pretty identical, both of them fit in easily and engage in collaborations for almost every season.
I always thought they started their relationship back in 2004. But after doing more extensive research was, it was said that both brands started collaborating back to 1996.
The very first Supreme Vans Old Skool happened in 1996.
Vans started to help Supreme out when they were still new, even though Supreme was not hyped back then as it is now. The relationship was positive and symbiotic, which was likely due to the fact both brands spoke the same tone, in a sense.
Fast forward a few years later and Supreme is the head of the hype train now; it is now their turn to help Vans. In 2007, Supreme hooked Vans up with Neighborhood (NBHD) to produce the shoe depicted below. Everyone should know this; NBHD is really famous for their quality jeans.
Supreme x Neighborhood x Vans “Troops of Tomorrow” Collection, 2007.
After they associated with NBHD, they also liaised with Wtaps too.
Vans X Wtaps, 2015
Never heard of Wtaps? It’s Shawn Yue’s favorite brand.
In 2012, with the hand of Supreme, Vans collaborated with CDG and Supreme. How easy it is for these 3 brands to come across one another, producing a full collection including t-shirt, shirt, cap and sneakers.
2012 Supreme x CDG capsule collection
This Vans really drives me crazy.
Well, this release became a big thing and people were queuing up overnight at worldwide stores to cop one for themselves.
The collaboration with Takashi Murakami in 2015 can be said to be a climax point for Vans. I believe this collaboration was also hooked up by Supreme.
Supreme x Takashi Murakami.
Takashi Murakami is a big deal. He’s the one who brought LV back to life, back when Marc Jacobs was taking care of the brand.
This collection included sneakers, clothes and decks. The resell price is quite decent but too bad the market demand is very low. A diligent effort on designing this collection and they almost used up the best design they had.
Even the distribution point had to be decorated with their concept. Yes, they are that particular.
Well, everything has to be taken down after a month’s worth on display. I know this because I have to take down the one in my shop too! How I wish I can sneak it back to my room, but we need to submit a video as proof of destroying it or else we are considered to be breaching the contract.
Yes, they are that strict.
Until next time, there are many more interesting stories about Vans I haven’t mentioned and we will talk more about it in the next article.
