Paul Van Doren founded the Vans shoe company in 1966, originally naming it ‘Van Doren Rubber Co’. Initially, Van Doren’s company created simple shoes with diamond patterns. As the shoes gained popularity, and criticism set in, the soles were reinforced with vertical lines – and the company officially dubbed it the ‘waffle sole’.
From this point on, Vans become wildly popular with the skateboarding and surf communities. Success brought temptation – and when Vans expanded its line to include traditional sports shoes, the company was nearly lost. Eventually emerging from bankruptcy, Vans today has scores of dedicated retail outlets, indoor skate parks and even sponsors a professional skate team, as well as an annual music tour.
Vans produces a wide offering of casual shoes for men, women and children – catering to the extreme sports and punk/ska style that is popular within today’s youth culture. Top sellers in the current Vans collection include the Classic slip on and Authentic lace up – both available in a wide variety of new and retro designs. Popular shoes for men in the Vans collection include the Bushnell, Churchill, SK8 Hi and Lipslide. Best-selling Vans for women include the KVD slip-on, the Mercer, the Lynzie and the Hera. For the kids, Vans make a great selection of mini-me versions of the more popular men’s and women’s styles. The great thing is that these kids’ styles are available in sizes suitable for the tiniest toes in your house. Popular Vans for kids include classic slip-ons and a velcro-closing version of the ever-popular Vans Old Skool.
Vans are easy to find and purchase online. Comparison shopping is a great way to save money on your Vans, as is finding retailers offering discounted – or free – shipping. Always choose to buy your shoes from merchants with flexible return and exchange policies so you’ll be able to swap for a different size or colour if the shoes don’t quite meet your expectations.
© Designer Shoes.org.uk 2007.
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