Vans

Beloved skate brand Vans began in 1966 when brothers Paul and Jim Van Doren, partnering with childhood friends and fellow shoe industry vets Gordon Lee and Serge d'Elia, moved across the country and opened The Van Doren Rubber Company in Anaheim, California.

They filled the first store with empty boxes and actually made the shoes in the back-room factory for their first twelve customers in the morning to be picked up in the afternoon. They hadn't thought of having change on hand so they instructed their customers to come back and pay for their shoes the next day. All twelve came back to pay.

In the 1970s, skateboarders began wearing Vans shoes, appreciating their rugged construction and good grip. Professional skateboarders started designing shoes, adding the padded collars, cool colour combos and introducing hightops, quickly making Vans the craze of Southern California.

Today Vans continues to produce its line of classics in new colours and patterns and collaborates with designers to create limited edition sneakers for streetwear and the collector alike.