![]() By: Jose Luis Leon Take a look around your community, and tell me what brand of shoes do people usually wear? Do you notice that people around you usually wear Vans? I don’t think that is such a surprise, selling at a starting price of about $60. They are also very stylish, comfortable and they also have a wide variety of designs and patterns. These shoes are usually used by skaters but they are good shoes that anybody can dress with. Many people may were these shoes often but still don’t know the history of the shoe. In 1966, the 2 brothers, Paul Van Doren and Jim Van Doren along with their partners, Gordon Lee and Serge D'elia open what was known as “The House of Vans” at 704 E. Broadway in Anaheim, California on March 16. The shoes were known for their “rugged make-up and sticky soles” which attracted the attention to skaters in the 1970’s. After grabbing the attention of skaters, in 1970, the Vans #95, known as the Era, had a padded collar and different colors. These shoes were designed by Tony Alva and Stacy Peralta and this shoe became the shoe to go to if you were a skateboarder. In 1977, the Vans #98 were introduced with the help of BMX riders and skateboarders, these shoes were labeled the classic slip-ons in Southern California. Later in 1978, the Sk8-Hi were introduced and became popular for its new look and feel at the skate park. As the years go on, new designs were made; In 1982, the classic checkered, slip-on vans that you see everyone wear today, were introduced when Sean Penn wore them at the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Once the Vans shoes company started to gain more popularity, it began the Vans Warped Tour in 1995, which later became the longest running concert series in America. Then later until the year 2004, Vans launches Vans Customs at www.Vans.com, where customers were able to customize their own shoes for the first time. ![]() In the making of this iconic shoe, according to “How Vans Makes Its Iconic Sneakers,” there are five steps. First, using a vulcanized process, raw rubber is cured by heat and then compressed. After compressing the rubber, each shoe will get its own hole-punched sole from a machine. Third, the hole-punched sole gets waffled into a crisscross shape. After that, the shoes made out of canvas and suede, move on to get their stripes. Finally, the shoes get laced, lacquered, then a rubber strip gets wrapped around the perimeter of the sole of the shoe, and then get loaded off to stores. These shoes were first made in California and then later contracted factories in China and Vietnam. ![]() Vans come in a variety of designs and prices, their cost can range from $50 - $500. The most expensive Vans shoes are the Vans Mountain Edition, with the cost of $500, on the other hand, you can buy Vans for as low as $50. One of the most popular designs is the Old School Vans, which cost $60 and come in many patterns, some as simple as a 2 tone colorway, others come in different checkered patterns. Many people at KSJC, wear these shoes all the time, Including me. Sebastian Martinez mentioned that these shoes are “comfortable, simple and easy to pair with.” Another popular design is the Classic Slip-On Vans, starting at $50 and they come in many different colorways as well as different materials such as suede, canvas and leather. Vans are often referred to as a “skating shoe,” but as time went by it became a very popular shoe when it comes to style and fashion. Many people now wear this shoe because they are nice shoes and are affordable. Although many people don’t know much about the history of this shoe, now you know that Vans originated in California and how they are made. You should represent California and get a pair at your local store and ride with the wave!
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