Collection: Vans

The Vans Brand Story

Vans started out in 1960s California as one man’s vision to create functional skateboarding shoes. Paul Van Doren surely had no idea that it would turn into the mammoth brand that it now is – a brand that has reached far beyond the skate realm and into those of streetwear and general casual style. Yet here we are.

Almost everyone owns at least one pair of Vans by the time they reach adulthood – whether they’re a skater or just someone who knows a design classic when they see one. Maybe it’s the checkerboard Slip-On, or the all-black Authentic, or the navy-and-white Era, or one of the dozen other canvas classics we could name.

Those staples are one of the reasons why we love the brand here at Urban Industry. Another is the fact that there’s much more to the brand these days: they’re still exploring new avenues.

Over the last few years, Vans has pursued the ‘Anaheim Factory’ pack: paying homage to the classics, whether it’s faithful reproductions of the very first iterations of the shoes, or slightly more luxurious-looking outsoles, or experimenting with patterns such as Hawaiian prints, stars or whatever.

And then there’s the brand’s cutting-edge modern output, including the outdoor-ready MTE line (e.g. the Ultrarange, the Sk8-Hi MTE 2.0, etc.). Truly stunning stuff, and it has brought a welcome rugged vibe to the table, as have the brand’s forays into Gore-Tex and other technical fabrics.

And of course, we can’t talk about Vans without talking about those smash-hit collabs that just keep coming and coming: Vans X MoMa line, Vans X The Simpsons, Vans X Pilgrim Surf and many more.

In addition to footwear, we sell plenty of Vans clothing and accessories too.

Browse our full selection of Vans products below, and give us a shout over live chat or email if you have any questions (mailorder@urbanindustry.co.uk).