Vans: 50 Years of “Off The Wall”

Vans: 50 Years of “Off The Wall”

  Vans has been the choice footwear flagship of the street culture rebellion since the 60s, with athletes, rockstars, skateboarders, and surfers alike all pledging allegiance to living life “off the wall”.

  Since their humble beginnings in 1966, Vans has become one of the most popular and highest grossing shoe and clothing brands, now worth over $1.2 billion. On March 16, Vans celebrated its 50th anniversary as the dedicated, reigning kings of streetwear innovation, and the horizons are only expanding.

  Brothers Paul Van Doren and James Van Doren, under the name The Van Doren Rubber Company in Anahiem, California, founded vans in 1966. “Since the beginning, Paul Van Doren made his shoes in a family like the environment, and it was far different from most companies,” Kylee Nixon, floor supervisor for Vans in the Westfi eld Brandon Mall stated. “On his first day of opening the store, he didn’t have any change in his register to give the first customers. This would seem like a huge speed bump to most people, but he put his trust in his customers, saying they could take the shoes if they paid him the next day. Every single customer came back to pay him!”

  In its half a century of business, Vans has maintained a unique approach to footwear industry, ensuring its customers the highest quality of shoes and satisfaction. “The shoes themselves are kept simple,” says Nixon. “Some [designs] were e v e n born from simple doodles by Paul Van Doren, like the side stripe on Van Old Skools, known as the ‘jazz stripe’.” In recent years, Vans has launched numerous collaborative fashion and shoe lines, which have quickly become some of their most popular styles. Vans list of creative collaborations with other brands include Star Wars, Disney, AntiHero Skateboards and Supreme.

  Vans has come a long way since 1966 and The Van Doren Rubber Company, expanding far beyond manufacturing skate shoes and clothing. Today, the company sponsors numerous skateboarding, BMX, motorcross, surfing and even snowboarding teams, playing a large part in promotions and competitions. Vans also sponsors the annual Vans Warped Tour music festival, a traveling event featuring live music by popular punk rock and alternative bands.

  However, in 50 years since its founding, Vans retains the key to its success: the family-like atmosphere and attributes within its business. “Paul Van Doren’s son Steve is always visiting retail stores across the country just to check in, and always treats every employee like family,” Kylee Nixon affirmed. “I’ve never worked for a company that is so connected… Vans is truly an awesome company, and I’m so proud to be a part of their family,” he says.

  With these family corporate values that reflect in both their staff and customer service, it is no surprise that Vans has been in business for over five decades; and will only become more successful in years to come.