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The story of Vans Shoes stems back to sunny California in 1966, when the Van Doren Rubber Company began truly unique method of making shoes. The idea was that they manufactured the shoes and sold them directly to the public. On the first morning of business, 12 customers purchased Vans deck shoes, now known as their popular Authentic range. The shoes were made on that day and ready to be collected by the customer that afternoon.

By the 1970s the company had seen considerable growth, and Skateboarders who liked Vans rugged make-up and sticky sole could be seen wearing Vans all over Southern California in the early 70s. By the mid 70’s the Vans #95 had launched. Now known as the Era, these badboys featured a padded collar and different colour combinations, leading to the Era becoming the shoe of choice for a whole generation of skaters. By the end of the 70s, Vans had 70 stores in California and sold through dealers both nationally and internationally.

By the 80s Van Doren was taking a lesser role in the company, and Vans started to develop footwear for a number of sports, ranging from skateboarding and motorcross, to surfing and wakeboarding. Sean Penn was instrumental in the success of Vans Slip-Ons thanks to their appearance in the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Unfortunately, despite Vans core shoes selling well, they had spread themselves too thin, and the wide range of products that the company now offered had drained the companies’ resources, and eventually the inevitable ocurred. Vans shoes were forced to file for bankruptcy in 1983.

Three years later however they bounced back. By the late 80s Vans Shoes original owners sold out to an investment banking firm. The company has been sold several times since; most recently for $396 million in 2004 to Greensboro, N.C.-based VF Corp. by the early noughties, Vans had launched their “Vans Customs” on their website. This feature allowed customers to log onto the site and design their own pair of Vans Shoes Slip-ons, mid-cuts, or high-tops. Today, customers can design their own personalized Era, Slip-On,Old Skool, and 106 Vulcanized shoes.

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