Vans

The Vans Story

Vans was founded in March 1966 by brothers Paul and James Van Doren and their business partners, opening as The Van Doren Rubber Company in Anaheim, California. The brand's vulcanised construction and distinctive waffle outsole caught on quickly with the local skate scene, and by the late 1970s Vans shoes had become a fixture of Californian skateboarding, surf and punk culture. A cameo in 1982's Fast Times at Ridgemont High, where Sean Penn unboxed a pair of checkerboard Slip-Ons, cemented the brand's place in pop culture, and Vans have since become shorthand for a kind of laid-back, counter-cultural cool that translates just as well in London or Berlin as it does in LA.

Iconic Vans Silhouettes

From low-profile canvas deck shoes to padded high-tops built for the skate park, the Vans lineup covers more ground than most brands manage in twice the time. Every silhouette shares the same vulcanised rubber construction and waffle outsole that made the brand a California staple in the first place, but each one brings its own character, whether that's the unmistakable side stripe, a checkerboard print or a chunky, puffy-tongued revival of a late-90s cult classic. The Vans Old Skool 36 remains the model collectors gravitate back to most, a slimmer, retro-accurate cut of the original side-stripe silhouette, and premium editions like the Vans Old Skool 36 LX Souvenir Warm Brown show just how far the brand can push a familiar shape without losing what makes it work.

Authenticated Vans at Laced

Every pair of Vans sold through Laced is independently authenticated before it reaches your door, so you can shop vault editions, OTW (Off The Wall) drops and high-end collaborations without second-guessing what's in the box. Filter the Vans range above by UK size, colour and style to zero in on the exact pair you're after, from all-black classics and checkerboard staples through to seasonal colourways worn by mens, womens and junior buyers across our UK and European community.