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2025-08-18T15:22:04Z

Recent history

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{{Short description|American manufacturer of shoes}}
{{About|the apparel company|the road vehicle|Van|other uses}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Vans
| logo = Vans (brand) logo.svg
| image = Vans - Store (51395753693).jpg
| image_caption = Vans store in [[Midtown Manhattan]]
| alt = Storefront with large "VANS" sign and display windows showing shoes
| former_name = The Van Doren Rubber Company
| type = [[Subsidiary]]
| defunct =
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = [[Solána Rowe]] (artistic director)
| industry = [[Fashion#Fashion industry|Fashion]]
| genre =
| products = {{hlist|[[Footwear]]|[[clothing]]|[[Fashion accessories|accessories]]}}
| brands =
| services =
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| assets =
| equity =
| founders = {{ubl|Paul Van Doren|James Van Doren|Gordon Lee<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vans.com/history.html#1966|title=History |website=Vans |access-date=December 2, 2024}}</ref>}}
| num_employees =
| parent = [[VF Corporation|VF Outdoor]]
| divisions =
| subsid =
| foundation = {{start date and age|1966|3|16}} in [[Anaheim, California]]
| location = [[Costa Mesa, California]], U.S.
| locations =
| website = {{URL|https://www.vans.com/|vans.com}}
| footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vfc.com/index.php/news/press-releases?nws_id=48E9C0EE-B5BE-2ECF-E040-0A0A580069C5|title=VF Outdoor Completes Acquisition of Eagle Creek, Inc.|access-date=December 8, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402094616/http://www.vfc.com/index.php/news/press-releases?nws_id=48E9C0EE-B5BE-2ECF-E040-0A0A580069C5|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}

'''Vans''' (originally called the '''Van Doren Rubber Company''') is an American apparel, accessories, and [[skate shoe|skateboarding shoes]] brand, established in [[Anaheim, California]], and owned by [[VF Corporation]]. The company also sponsors [[surfing|surf]], [[snowboarding]], [[BMX]], and [[motocross]] teams.<ref>{{cite web |title=Home |url=http://www.vans.com/|work=Vans.com|publisher=Vans, A VF Company|access-date=August 25, 2013|date=August 2013}}</ref> From 1996 to 2019, and beginning again in 2025, the brand has been a primary sponsor of the annual [[Warped Tour]] music festival.

==History==
===Founding and early history===
[[File:Vans in King of Prussia Mall.jpeg|thumb|right|alt=Exterior view of a Vans retail store in a shopping mall|Vans store at the [[King of Prussia (mall)|King of Prussia]] mall in [[King of Prussia, Pennsylvania]]]]
[[Paul Van Doren]], his brother James, and Gordon C. Lee opened the first Vans store as "The Van Doren Rubber Company" on March 16, 1966, at 704 East Broadway in Anaheim, California.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Connelly|first1=Laylan|title=Happy 50th, Vans: How the Iconic Shoe Brand Born in Anaheim Has Kept on Surviving|url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/vans-707801-shoe-company.html|access-date=March 12, 2016|newspaper=[[The Orange County Register]]|date=March 11, 2016}}</ref> The business manufactured shoes and sold them directly to the public. Upon opening, twelve customers purchased Vans deck shoes (now called "Authentic"), similar to those manufactured by [[Keds]] but with a thicker sole. The store had display models of three styles of shoes, priced between US$2.49 and $4.99, but did not have any inventory ready to sell and Paul Van Doren did not have change to give customers; customers took their shoes home and came back the next day to pay.<ref name="Fund">{{cite web|title=Vans, Inc. History|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/vans-inc-history/|work=Funding Universe|access-date=August 25, 2013|year=2012}}</ref>

===Middle history===
The original Vans skateboard logo was designed in [[Costa Mesa, California]], in the 1970s by Mark Van Doren, son of then-President and co-owner James Van Doren, at age 13; Mark's design was a stencil, allowing the logo to be spray-painted onto his skateboards. The design was incorporated into the heel tab on Style 95, an early Vans skateboard shoe. Mark's interest in skateboarding is what led Vans to manufacture skateboarding shoes.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last=Senn|first=Evan|date=January 12, 2019|title=Off the Walls of Greatness: Vans, an Orange County Icon|url=https://irvineweekly.com/off-the-walls-of-greatness-vans-an-orange-county-icon/|access-date=April 4, 2021|website=Irvine Weekly|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1976, Vans began using its "Off The Wall" motto, a slang phrase used by skateboarders while doing tricks in empty pools. Around this time, Vans released its Vans Side-stripe and Vans #36, also known as the "Old Skool" design.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Allen|date=August 12, 2020|title=The History and Story Behind the Vans Logo|url=https://moneyinc.com/vans-logo/|access-date=April 4, 2021|website=Money Inc|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1984, facing heavy competition and a market flooded with Vans counterfeits, Vans lowered its prices and eventually filed for bankruptcy protection.<ref name=":0" /> In 1988, Van Doren and Lee sold the company to banking firm McCown De Leeuw & Co. for US$74.4 million. In 1989, many Vans counterfeiters were apprehended by the U.S. and Mexican governments and ordered to cease production.<ref name="Fund" />

By 1991, the company's shoes were highly desired due to high demand and low supply. The company expanded internationally; released new models, including snowboard shoes; and was renamed Vans, Inc. to reflect its customers calling the shoes "Vans" for short. The same year, Vans went public at US$14 per share on [[Nasdaq|NASDAQ]].<ref name=":0" />

===Recent history===
In 2004, Vans merged with North Carolina–based [[VF Corporation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grindtv.com/surf/vf-corp-to-buy-vans-for-396-million-dollars/#JC1RLmmeBORmuemj|title=VF Corp To Buy Vans For $396-Million Dollars|date=April 27, 2004|website=GrindTV|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710124119/http://www.grindtv.com/surf/vf-corp-to-buy-vans-for-396-million-dollars/|archive-date=July 10, 2017|access-date=October 12, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2016, in celebration of its 50th anniversary, Vans released a new logo and launched a campaign to target a wider audience.<ref name=":1" /> In 2022, Vans launched the new VR3 product line where 30% of the product is renewable, recycled or regenerative. VF Corporation will expand the VR3 product collection to more footwear and apparel categories.<ref>{{cite web |last=Zwieglinska |first=Zofia |date=December 20, 2022 |title=Inside VF Corp's Plans for The North Face, Supreme and a Circular Economy |url=https://www.glossy.co/fashion/how-vf-corp-is-solidifying-its-circularity-efforts-for-2023/ |access-date=December 21, 2022 |website=Glossy |language=en}}</ref>

In August 2025, Vans appointed singer-songwriter [[SZA]] as its first‑ever Artistic Director in a multi‑year creative partnership.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.casawi.eu/post/sza-vans-artistic-director-partnership-2025 |title=SZA becomes Vans Artistic Director |website=Casawi |date=14 August 2025|access-date=17 August 2025}}</ref>

==Partnerships==
Since 1999, Vans has sponsored and supported [[Warped Tour]], the longest-running touring music festival to date in North America.<ref>Hiatt, Brian. "Rock & Roll: Punk-Rock Circus-How the No Frills Warped Tour Grew into America's Most Successful Festival." ''Rolling Stone'' 14 July 2005: 28. Print.</ref> In 2001, Warped Tour was rebranded as Vans Warped Tour.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vans.com/history.html#1993|title=History |website=Vans |access-date=December 2, 2024}}</ref>

Vans became the title sponsor of the [[US Open of Surfing]] in [[Huntington Beach, California]], in 2014,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bell|first1=Jennie|title=Vans Renews US Open of Surfing Sponsorship Through 2018|url=http://footwearnews.com/2016/focus/athletic-outdoor/vans-us-open-of-surfing-sponsorship-renewal-213581/|access-date=September 3, 2016|work=Footwear News|date=April 20, 2016}}</ref> and in 2010, the company sponsored the Duct Tape Invitational.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ilovesurfing.org/longboard-competition-duct-tape-invitational/ |title=Story of the Duct Tape Invitational |access-date=April 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413191131/https://ilovesurfing.org/longboard-competition-duct-tape-invitational/ |archive-date=April 13, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vans.com/duct.html |title=Vans Duct Tape Festival |website=Vans |access-date=December 2, 2024}}</ref>

In 2022, to commence the US Open of Surfing period, Vans hosted the BMX Waffle Cup, a [[freestyle BMX]] invitational tournament. Their Huntington Beach skate park's course was modified by BMX riders for the tournament, and was themed after the US Open.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Raineri |first1=JP |title=Surf, Skate, BMX Fans Flock to Vans U.S. Open |url=https://myvalleynews.com/blog/2022/08/22/surf-skate-bmx-fans-flock-to-vans-u-s-open/ |website=Valley News |date=August 22, 2022 |publisher=Reedermedia, Inc. |access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>

==Public skate parks==
[[File:Skating in Sesimbra.jpg|thumb|alt=Person skateboarding wearing black and white Vans sneakers|Vans shoes in use on a skateboard]]

Vans opened its first [[skatepark]] in 1998 at [[The Outlets at Orange]], in [[Orange, California]]. It features a {{convert|20,000|sqft|adj=on}} indoor street course, {{convert|12|ft}} deep combo pool, area for amateurs, [[Half-pipe|mini ramps]], outdoor street course, and arcade. The park was updated in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|date=May 8, 1998|title=Vans Inc. to Build Skate Park at Mall in Orange|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-08-fi-47516-story.html|access-date=April 4, 2021|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref> It has remained closed since March 2020, when BMX rider Tyler Kanarr died after sustaining major injuries in the park.<ref>{{cite web |title=Huntington Beach BMX Rider Tyler Kanarr Dies After Freak Accident at Vans Skatepark in Orange |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/tyler-kanarr-dead-vans-skatepark-orange-closed/ |website=CBS News |date=March 6, 2020 |publisher=CBS Interactive Inc. |access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>

The company built its second skate park in Huntington Beach, California, which opened to the public in 2010. It includes a {{convert|17,500|sqft|adj=on}} skate bowl and a {{convert|25,000|sqft|adj=on}} skate plaza. The park is {{convert|42,500|sqft}}, and Vans pays the city US$1 per year for its 20-year lease.<ref>{{cite news|last=Fletcher|first=Jaimee Lynn|title=H.B. OKs Lease for First Free Vans Skate Park|url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/park-337460-skate-city.html|newspaper=[[The Orange County Register]]|date=January 28, 2012|page=Local 7}}</ref><ref name=park>{{cite news|last=Fletcher|first=Jaimee Lynn|title=Vans to Open Free Skatepark in H.B. Saturday|url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/vans-606467-park-doren.html|access-date=March 22, 2014|newspaper=[[The Orange County Register]]|date=March 22, 2014| page=Local 2}}</ref>

There is a skate park in London, in [[The Old Vic Tunnels]], called House of Vans.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://weburbanist.com/2014/08/25/under-london-disused-tunnel-now-a-subterranean-skate-park/ |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150827042657/http://weburbanist.com/2014/08/25/under-london-disused-tunnel-now-a-subterranean-skate-park/ |archive-date = August 27, 2015 |title= Under London: Disused Tunnel Now a Subterranean Skate Park |date= August 25, 2014 |publisher= Webist Media |url-status= dead}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
[[File:Curtomized Vans for baseball by pitcher Michael Lorenzen (52803412583) (cropped).jpg|thumb|alt=Close-up of custom Vans shoes|[[Major League Baseball]] pitcher [[Michael Lorenzen]] plays baseball with customized Vans instead of baseball shoes.]]

Vans' shoes have often been customized cosmetically by wearers, with many of their painting and drawing patterns being adopted by the company for their official models. Most notably, the checkerboard pattern, popular in [[ska]] and [[Punk subculture|punk]] culture, was adopted after the company noticed skateboarders drawing it on their shoes.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Baylis |first1=Morgan |title=Checkered Vans: A Brief History |url=https://stockx.com/news/checkered-vans-a-brief-history/ |website=StockX |date=May 15, 2020 |access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>

Vans reached nationwide popularity when, in 1982, [[Sean Penn]] wore a pair of Vans checkerboard slip-ons as character Jeff Spicoli in ''[[Fast Times at Ridgemont High]]''.<ref name=":0" />

In 2016, the internet meme "[[Damn Daniel]]", featuring California teen Daniel Lara wearing Vans, went viral. In appreciation, the company gave Lara a lifetime supply of Vans shoes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/michelleregna/damn-daniel-was-on-ellen#.gswR11LRr|title='Damn Daniel' Was Back At It Again With The White Vans On 'Ellen'|website=BuzzFeed|date=February 24, 2016 |access-date=March 9, 2016}}</ref>

The [[Major League Baseball]] pitcher [[Michael Lorenzen]] grew up skateboarding with Vans. {{As of|2023}}, he plays baseball wearing customized Vans UltraRange Exos with [[Cleat (shoe)|cleats]], rather than traditional baseball shoes.<ref name="WSJ - The Sk8er Boi Who Threw a No-Hitter in Vans">{{cite news |last=Adler |first=Lindsey |title=The Sk8er Boi Who Threw a No-Hitter in Vans |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/michale-lorenzen-no-hitter-phillies-vans-nike-f79147ae |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=August 11, 2023 |access-date=August 13, 2023 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> On August 9, 2023, Lorenzen became the first pitcher to throw a [[no-hitter]] in Vans; the Vans will be displayed in the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|National Baseball Hall of Fame]].<ref name="WSJ - The Sk8er Boi Who Threw a No-Hitter in Vans" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official}}

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[[Category:1966 establishments in California]]
[[Category:1980s fashion]]
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[[Category:Athletic shoe brands]]
[[Category:Clothing companies established in 1966]]
[[Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1984]]
[[Category:Companies based in Santa Ana, California]]
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[[Category:Shoe companies of the United States]]
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[[Category:Skateboarding companies]]
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[[Category:VF Corporation]]

Vans - Revision history

imported>LeftRightRightLeft: /* Recent history */