Vans is a popular skating brand that makes a lot of different items like hats, backpacks, clothes, and even a bunch of unique shoes. Vans was founded on March 16, 1966 in Anaheim, California. Two brothers, Paul Van Doren and Jim Van Doren, joined with two others, Serge Delia and Gordon Lee, to open a rubber company called the Van Doren Rubber Company.

Mastershoe.co.uk states that the first shoe that was made was “the #44 deck shoe (now known as the Authentic).” This shoe was mostly used by people who skate because they loved the rugged look and sticky soles on the shoes that had “flexibility and traction.”

As the shoes got popular, they made the new logo and slogan Vans “Off The Wall” in 1976. In the same year, the shoe “Vans #95 (now known as The Era) which featured a padded collar and color combinations was released and quickly became a hit.” These shoes were iconic and made their way to the BMX community with the first slip-on Vans shoe called Vans #98. This shoe became the most popular slip-on shoe with the help of the skateboard and BMX community.

The wavy stripe design on the shoe came out in 1977 on Vans #36, the “Old Skool.” It started out as “just a doodle” by Paul Van Doren but is now called the “jazz stripe” and can make a shoe be recognized as a pair of Vans.

As Vans got more and more popular, they started to expand, and according to vans.com, “By the end of the 70’s, Vans has 70 stores in California and sells through dealers both nationally and internationally.” They grow bigger as a brand every year, making new styles, color combos, and clothes designs.