new Vans models

[turdtastic]

Still think their money and energy would be better spent doing better colorways with higher quality materials on the skate classics.

[MusclesMarinara]

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Still think their money and energy would be better spent doing better colorways with higher quality materials on the skate classics.

[close]

Wasn’t the whole point of the “skate” line to be higher quality? And all everyone has complained about since they released them was the fit/sizing and uncomfortable/tight feeling of all the classics because the popcush insole doesn’t work with those silhouettes.

[Urtripping]

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Still think their money and energy would be better spent doing better colorways with higher quality materials on the skate classics.

[close]

[close]

Wasn’t the whole point of the “skate” line to be higher quality? And all everyone has complained about since they released them was the fit/sizing and uncomfortable/tight feeling of all the classics because the popcush insole doesn’t work with those silhouettes.

In my experience, the skate line isn't some crazy improvement over the pro series, but I actually do feel like they're more durable. The exception here is that the foxing tape separates from the sole of the new half cabs pretty often. Have had sizing with slip on, but everything else is consistent in my experience.

When I say better materials, I really just mean throwing on different suedes and leathers than just the standard grade stuff they use on most shoes. Like, I have a pair of half cab 92's have a noticeably nicer looking/feeling suede than the regular ones from the skate line. I also have a pair of the sk8 hi vcu's that have little differences like leather lining around the collar and lightly waxed laces that make them feel unique. These are too few and far between though.

[MusclesMarinara]

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Still think their money and energy would be better spent doing better colorways with higher quality materials on the skate classics.

[close]

[close]

Wasn’t the whole point of the “skate” line to be higher quality? And all everyone has complained about since they released them was the fit/sizing and uncomfortable/tight feeling of all the classics because the popcush insole doesn’t work with those silhouettes.

[close]

In my experience, the skate line isn't some crazy improvement over the pro series, but I actually do feel like they're more durable. The exception here is that the foxing tape separates from the sole of the new half cabs pretty often. Have had sizing with slip on, but everything else is consistent in my experience.

When I say better materials, I really just mean throwing on different suedes and leathers than just the standard grade stuff they use on most shoes. Like, I have a pair of half cab 92's have a noticeably nicer looking/feeling suede than the regular ones from the skate line. I also have a pair of the sk8 hi vcu's that have little differences like leather lining around the collar and lightly waxed laces that make them feel unique. These are too few and far between though.

Agreed on your points, but the sizing for me was the biggest issue I’ve had, half cabs and slip ons. I just couldn’t make them work for me.

[Urtripping]

That really sucks though, they need to fix the slips on for sure. I miss those.

[thehogsniper]

That really sucks though, they need to fix the slips on for sure. I miss those.

QC on almost every skate pair of vans has been horrific. I've had like five warranty claims in the last two years. I've had shoes with two different sizes because they can't get the last right. Those elastic straps for the tongue are never stitched in the right place. I used to love popcush until I realized it fucked up my walk because it's too mushy underfoot.

[Urtripping]

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That really sucks though, they need to fix the slips on for sure. I miss those.

[close]

QC on almost every skate pair of vans has been horrific. I've had like five warranty claims in the last two years. I've had shoes with two different sizes because they can't get the last right. Those elastic straps for the tongue are never stitched in the right place. I used to love popcush until I realized it fucked up my walk because it's too mushy underfoot.

What models you skating? I've noticed shoddy qc on skate half cabs and slips only. Authentics have been consistently good, and the few pairs of skate hi's/mids I've had have been on point. Haven't skated any other vans shoes since they started the "skate" line though.

[thehogsniper]

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That really sucks though, they need to fix the slips on for sure. I miss those.

[close]

QC on almost every skate pair of vans has been horrific. I've had like five warranty claims in the last two years. I've had shoes with two different sizes because they can't get the last right. Those elastic straps for the tongue are never stitched in the right place. I used to love popcush until I realized it fucked up my walk because it's too mushy underfoot.

[close]

What models you skating? I've noticed shoddy qc on skate half cabs and slips only. Authentics have been consistently good, and the few pairs of skate hi's/mids I've had have been on point. Haven't skated any other vans shoes since they started the "skate" line though.

I had issues with the AVE, Wayvee, Half Cab (twice), Crockett Decon (two pair of the quasi collab), SK8 hi's, probably a few other models I tried but can't remember. Only ones that I have had no issues with are the original Rowan, Era, and Authentic. I wore them all the time when they were the cheapest option and bulk bought when the outlet ran good deals. It was nice when I could wear them at work all day and not have any issues with my feet, but I've pretty much just switched over to whatever I can get from Adidas/Nike/NB. It's not an issue with just outlet shoes either, because I've bought a few pair at my shop and had issues with those. The Crockett low were unwearable with the popcush.

[CarcassToss]

The Crockett lows have had delam problems for a while. Our shop has helped warranty many, many pairs. The waffle portion separates from the faux foxing tape usually near the outer toe and eventually the whole sole will separate. Happened to me with 2 pairs and I just gave up on Vans cups. So then I got a set of Eras and the foxing separated from the top of the shoe where it meets the upper. Maybe a weird coincidence. Ok, all good so then I get a pair of Sk8 slips just for house/grocery getting shoes. Somehow PopCush feels worse than ever and the same fucking thing with the foxing tape happens anywhere the shoe creases. One day I go out for some errands and a friend hits me up to skate and I don't have a board or shoes but haven't seen them in a while so they let me use their transition setup. I have fun trying to flip it around and skate curbs and within ~2hrs the sole is coming apart from the waffle cup on the bottom just like the Crocketts and somehow the part of the back where the collar comes together is coming unstitched.

[Plan9Customs]

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That really sucks though, they need to fix the slips on for sure. I miss those.

[close]

QC on almost every skate pair of vans has been horrific. I've had like five warranty claims in the last two years. I've had shoes with two different sizes because they can't get the last right. Those elastic straps for the tongue are never stitched in the right place. I used to love popcush until I realized it fucked up my walk because it's too mushy underfoot.

[close]

What models you skating? I've noticed shoddy qc on skate half cabs and slips only. Authentics have been consistently good, and the few pairs of skate hi's/mids I've had have been on point. Haven't skated any other vans shoes since they started the "skate" line though.

I have a pair of the skate authentics that are a size smaller than they’re labeled as. Fucking sucks since I bought them and sat on them for 6 months only to find I can’t use them. Definitely try them on before stashing them.

[Sila]

Im not always sold on how they look but the first Rowans were good. No issues with those. I had a couple pairs of skate eras and yeah the sole separated from the upper on both from just walking around in them.

[Ok]

skated some ave 2.0s yesterday, .5 size up. easy first day on board, so i’ll be surprised if they last. arch is very narrow, my feet used to have narrow arches, and now they don’t. didn’t bother me. tts i was losing feeling.
bought them for the color. too much money for what they are, but not a bad shoe. i really liked the ave pro tho, so yeah.
not nearly as robust as my 808s, but wanted to switch it up.
A LOt of compliments, due to the color.

[Troubadour26]

Has anyone else here skated any “Vault” models? I got a pair of Style 73’s from Ross a while back and they were some of the best shoes I’ve had in recent years.

The sole’s durometer felt perfect to me and I loved the way the slightly higher tape flicked. Their quality compared to soles from the “classics” line are night and day.

[Mbrimson88]

.

I know it is a pain to warranty anything, but they do have a good refund policy, from everything I have seen, people take pics, send them in and refund is given, but I guess it can be tiresome when it happens more often than it should.


There does seem to be a few more vulc tape separating issues than there used to be, but maybe not as many as I saw in the old Pro line of shoes, which would be almost every pair by the end of their life, if they made it that far.  Some of those shoes would come apart in days, not weeks or months.

[oyolar]

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I really don’t understand how you all don’t get it, but Vans isn’t making those shoes to appeal to us. They have their skate lines for people like us. They’re making those shoes to appeal to the fashion people buying bulky, tangentially skate inspired shoes from things like Balenciaga and people buying bulky shoes that aren’t skate inspired from brands like New Balance, Hoka, Brooks, etc. but don’t need the running-focused tech.

If they happen to sell some to the hypebeast, e-boys/e-girls, or TikTok skaters, that’s a bonus. But the people who are happy skating Half-Cabs, Old Skools, Eras, AVE2s, and Crocketts already have those shoes. That’s not who they are targeting with this stuff.

[close]

no fashion person thinks vans is cool anymore lets be honest which is why the whole thing is severely off target

[close]

Yeah, I know. That's because fashion people stopped liking Old Skools, Eras, Authentics, Sk8-His, etc. in preference for more bulky models which is why Vans is trying to make new models that look like those.

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I really don’t understand how you all don’t get it, but Vans isn’t making those shoes to appeal to us. They have their skate lines for people like us. They’re making those shoes to appeal to the fashion people buying bulky, tangentially skate inspired shoes from things like Balenciaga and people buying bulky shoes that aren’t skate inspired from brands like New Balance, Hoka, Brooks, etc. but don’t need the running-focused tech.

If they happen to sell some to the hypebeast, e-boys/e-girls, or TikTok skaters, that’s a bonus. But the people who are happy skating Half-Cabs, Old Skools, Eras, AVE2s, and Crocketts already have those shoes. That’s not who they are targeting with this stuff.

[close]

That’s what I would think too, but I’m seeing those models pop up on a few shop IGs today

[close]

It's somewhat surprising, but not really. Vans still has those relationships in place, so it makes sense to still use them because they want these shoes in as many places as possible. And if they catch some skaters, it makes sense to grab them at skateshops and help skateshops make some money too. Depending on the shops, they might just be centrally located. Like in New York, Labor's Manhattan shop is dead center in one of the current coolest neighborhoods in the city that's packed every night and weekend with people hanging around outside, walking around to different stores / bars, chilling at the park. Vans wants their shoes there.


I'm not saying we have to loves these shoes, but it's just so obvious that these are designed with skaters as the secondary or third focus that it's ridiculous to be like "well, I wouldn't skate them." It's like "yeah, no shit - they're not made for us!"

[close]

Not to be rude but you’re very clearly talking out your ass and did a whole lot of mental gymnastics to come to the conclusion that these aren’t skate shoes. These are in the skate line and Una is gonna get a Vans x Dime x Una colorway. I would put my money on these 100% being marketed towards skaters.


And I don’t think they would bother throwing all that tech into a shoe that “isn’t made for us”. I do agree they aren’t for the classic core classic vans skate line wearer, but there’s still room for other shoes in the vans line-up. These are in skateshop because they are in the skate catalog and some shops figured they would sell it’s honestly as simple as that.
You not liking something does not dictate its intended purpose.

If by "talking out of my ass," you mean "extrapolating from market projections where VF has noted they're losing market share and missing sales targets while bringing in new executives at both the Vans (from Lululemon) and VF levels (from Logitech and who prices himself on producing more designs at a faster speed) and while fashion and industry analysts have mentioned how mainstream shoe tastes are moving away from Vans minimal styles to bulkier shoes with more tech, right before Vans releases a bunch of techier, bulkier shoes," then yep, I'm totally talking out of my ass.

[thehogsniper]

Has anyone else here skated any “Vault” models? I got a pair of Style 73’s from Ross a while back and they were some of the best shoes I’ve had in recent years.

The sole’s durometer felt perfect to me and I loved the way the slightly higher tape flicked. Their quality compared to soles from the “classics” line are night and day.

A lot of the stuff from vault had some great quality. I found that they could be hit or miss in later years.

.

I know it is a pain to warranty anything, but they do have a good refund policy, from everything I have seen, people take pics, send them in and refund is given, but I guess it can be tiresome when it happens more often than it should.


There does seem to be a few more vulc tape separating issues than there used to be, but maybe not as many as I saw in the old Pro line of shoes, which would be almost every pair by the end of their life, if they made it that far.  Some of those shoes would come apart in days, not weeks or months.

Vans has an amazing warranty, but at this point I'll just buy something else. Funny story, I bought a pair of LRAB off a friend and they immediately fell apart at the outsole and left my white socks with bright orange stains (normal with low quality suede). I emailed their CS, got a request to send photos over, and then after sending my address/email/photos was told that I could buy another pair at their website. Won't ever buy another pair again.

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I really don’t understand how you all don’t get it, but Vans isn’t making those shoes to appeal to us. They have their skate lines for people like us. They’re making those shoes to appeal to the fashion people buying bulky, tangentially skate inspired shoes from things like Balenciaga and people buying bulky shoes that aren’t skate inspired from brands like New Balance, Hoka, Brooks, etc. but don’t need the running-focused tech.

If they happen to sell some to the hypebeast, e-boys/e-girls, or TikTok skaters, that’s a bonus. But the people who are happy skating Half-Cabs, Old Skools, Eras, AVE2s, and Crocketts already have those shoes. That’s not who they are targeting with this stuff.

[close]

no fashion person thinks vans is cool anymore lets be honest which is why the whole thing is severely off target

[close]

Yeah, I know. That's because fashion people stopped liking Old Skools, Eras, Authentics, Sk8-His, etc. in preference for more bulky models which is why Vans is trying to make new models that look like those.

Expand Quote

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I really don’t understand how you all don’t get it, but Vans isn’t making those shoes to appeal to us. They have their skate lines for people like us. They’re making those shoes to appeal to the fashion people buying bulky, tangentially skate inspired shoes from things like Balenciaga and people buying bulky shoes that aren’t skate inspired from brands like New Balance, Hoka, Brooks, etc. but don’t need the running-focused tech.

If they happen to sell some to the hypebeast, e-boys/e-girls, or TikTok skaters, that’s a bonus. But the people who are happy skating Half-Cabs, Old Skools, Eras, AVE2s, and Crocketts already have those shoes. That’s not who they are targeting with this stuff.

[close]

That’s what I would think too, but I’m seeing those models pop up on a few shop IGs today

[close]

It's somewhat surprising, but not really. Vans still has those relationships in place, so it makes sense to still use them because they want these shoes in as many places as possible. And if they catch some skaters, it makes sense to grab them at skateshops and help skateshops make some money too. Depending on the shops, they might just be centrally located. Like in New York, Labor's Manhattan shop is dead center in one of the current coolest neighborhoods in the city that's packed every night and weekend with people hanging around outside, walking around to different stores / bars, chilling at the park. Vans wants their shoes there.


I'm not saying we have to loves these shoes, but it's just so obvious that these are designed with skaters as the secondary or third focus that it's ridiculous to be like "well, I wouldn't skate them." It's like "yeah, no shit - they're not made for us!"

[close]

Not to be rude but you’re very clearly talking out your ass and did a whole lot of mental gymnastics to come to the conclusion that these aren’t skate shoes. These are in the skate line and Una is gonna get a Vans x Dime x Una colorway. I would put my money on these 100% being marketed towards skaters.


And I don’t think they would bother throwing all that tech into a shoe that “isn’t made for us”. I do agree they aren’t for the classic core classic vans skate line wearer, but there’s still room for other shoes in the vans line-up. These are in skateshop because they are in the skate catalog and some shops figured they would sell it’s honestly as simple as that.
You not liking something does not dictate its intended purpose.

[close]

If by "talking out of my ass," you mean "extrapolating from market projections where VF has noted they're losing market share and missing sales targets while bringing in new executives at both the Vans (from Lululemon) and VF levels (from Logitech and who prices himself on producing more designs at a faster speed) and while fashion and industry analysts have mentioned how mainstream shoe tastes are moving away from Vans minimal styles to bulkier shoes with more tech, right before Vans releases a bunch of techier, bulkier shoes," then yep, I'm totally talking out of my ass.

The user you're responding to said the following: "you’re very clearly talking out your ass and did a whole lot of mental gymnastics to come to the conclusion that these aren’t skate shoes". He disagreed with you on the point that these were not skate shoes. He was right on the point that the mixxa are a part of the skate-line and are being ordered by skate shops (I saw them in person yesterday and they have no heel cup).
Vans entire brand is tied into skateboarding. this has been a part of their ethos and identity longer than anything, their connection to the scene and importance within the industry is not understated. While you are arguing that these were not made for skaters, they clearly have designed all of these shoes with the same team (they share design cues). The sales pitch for these shoes uses skateboarding as a reference. We all know these are blatant attempts to cash-in very quickly on a trend from years ago, nobody was arguing that. If you make a shoe that is "skate-inspired", why would it be crazy to assume that maybe this is marketed to skaters?

[lemonchicken91]

still breaking in these half-cab 92s a year and a half? later lol

I use them for chillers with the merica insoles but they are stiff beasts, cant imagine skatin them besides store runs

[TreyPhillip]

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Has anyone else here skated any “Vault” models? I got a pair of Style 73’s from Ross a while back and they were some of the best shoes I’ve had in recent years.

The sole’s durometer felt perfect to me and I loved the way the slightly higher tape flicked. Their quality compared to soles from the “classics” line are night and day.

[close]

A lot of the stuff from vault had some great quality. I found that they could be hit or miss in later years.

Expand Quote

.

I know it is a pain to warranty anything, but they do have a good refund policy, from everything I have seen, people take pics, send them in and refund is given, but I guess it can be tiresome when it happens more often than it should.


There does seem to be a few more vulc tape separating issues than there used to be, but maybe not as many as I saw in the old Pro line of shoes, which would be almost every pair by the end of their life, if they made it that far.  Some of those shoes would come apart in days, not weeks or months.

[close]

Vans has an amazing warranty, but at this point I'll just buy something else. Funny story, I bought a pair of LRAB off a friend and they immediately fell apart at the outsole and left my white socks with bright orange stains (normal with low quality suede). I emailed their CS, got a request to send photos over, and then after sending my address/email/photos was told that I could buy another pair at their website. Won't ever buy another pair again.

Expand Quote

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I really don’t understand how you all don’t get it, but Vans isn’t making those shoes to appeal to us. They have their skate lines for people like us. They’re making those shoes to appeal to the fashion people buying bulky, tangentially skate inspired shoes from things like Balenciaga and people buying bulky shoes that aren’t skate inspired from brands like New Balance, Hoka, Brooks, etc. but don’t need the running-focused tech.

If they happen to sell some to the hypebeast, e-boys/e-girls, or TikTok skaters, that’s a bonus. But the people who are happy skating Half-Cabs, Old Skools, Eras, AVE2s, and Crocketts already have those shoes. That’s not who they are targeting with this stuff.

[close]

no fashion person thinks vans is cool anymore lets be honest which is why the whole thing is severely off target

[close]

Yeah, I know. That's because fashion people stopped liking Old Skools, Eras, Authentics, Sk8-His, etc. in preference for more bulky models which is why Vans is trying to make new models that look like those.

Expand Quote

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I really don’t understand how you all don’t get it, but Vans isn’t making those shoes to appeal to us. They have their skate lines for people like us. They’re making those shoes to appeal to the fashion people buying bulky, tangentially skate inspired shoes from things like Balenciaga and people buying bulky shoes that aren’t skate inspired from brands like New Balance, Hoka, Brooks, etc. but don’t need the running-focused tech.

If they happen to sell some to the hypebeast, e-boys/e-girls, or TikTok skaters, that’s a bonus. But the people who are happy skating Half-Cabs, Old Skools, Eras, AVE2s, and Crocketts already have those shoes. That’s not who they are targeting with this stuff.

[close]

That’s what I would think too, but I’m seeing those models pop up on a few shop IGs today

[close]

It's somewhat surprising, but not really. Vans still has those relationships in place, so it makes sense to still use them because they want these shoes in as many places as possible. And if they catch some skaters, it makes sense to grab them at skateshops and help skateshops make some money too. Depending on the shops, they might just be centrally located. Like in New York, Labor's Manhattan shop is dead center in one of the current coolest neighborhoods in the city that's packed every night and weekend with people hanging around outside, walking around to different stores / bars, chilling at the park. Vans wants their shoes there.


I'm not saying we have to loves these shoes, but it's just so obvious that these are designed with skaters as the secondary or third focus that it's ridiculous to be like "well, I wouldn't skate them." It's like "yeah, no shit - they're not made for us!"

[close]

Not to be rude but you’re very clearly talking out your ass and did a whole lot of mental gymnastics to come to the conclusion that these aren’t skate shoes. These are in the skate line and Una is gonna get a Vans x Dime x Una colorway. I would put my money on these 100% being marketed towards skaters.


And I don’t think they would bother throwing all that tech into a shoe that “isn’t made for us”. I do agree they aren’t for the classic core classic vans skate line wearer, but there’s still room for other shoes in the vans line-up. These are in skateshop because they are in the skate catalog and some shops figured they would sell it’s honestly as simple as that.
You not liking something does not dictate its intended purpose.

[close]

If by "talking out of my ass," you mean "extrapolating from market projections where VF has noted they're losing market share and missing sales targets while bringing in new executives at both the Vans (from Lululemon) and VF levels (from Logitech and who prices himself on producing more designs at a faster speed) and while fashion and industry analysts have mentioned how mainstream shoe tastes are moving away from Vans minimal styles to bulkier shoes with more tech, right before Vans releases a bunch of techier, bulkier shoes," then yep, I'm totally talking out of my ass.

[close]

The user you're responding to said the following: "you’re very clearly talking out your ass and did a whole lot of mental gymnastics to come to the conclusion that these aren’t skate shoes". He disagreed with you on the point that these were not skate shoes. He was right on the point that the mixxa are a part of the skate-line and are being ordered by skate shops (I saw them in person yesterday and they have no heel cup).
Vans entire brand is tied into skateboarding. this has been a part of their ethos and identity longer than anything, their connection to the scene and importance within the industry is not understated. While you are arguing that these were not made for skaters, they clearly have designed all of these shoes with the same team (they share design cues). The sales pitch for these shoes uses skateboarding as a reference. We all know these are blatant attempts to cash-in very quickly on a trend from years ago, nobody was arguing that. If you make a shoe that is "skate-inspired", why would it be crazy to assume that maybe this is marketed to skaters?

Thank you for saying this more clearly and calmly than I may have. I do agree vans is trying to cash in on the current trends (which every publicly traded brand does) but I disagree that they are seeding these to certain skateshops and the whole narrative that the previous poster was going on about. You can extrapolate all you want and still be wrong and that’s fine, but don’t act like just because you thought about something really hard that you’re right. I work at a skateshop and know how these were sold to stores and it’s as simple as that.
(Edit)
I also agree that this is happening because “industry analysts have mentioned how mainstream shoe tastes are moving away from Vans minimal styles to bulkier shoes with more tech”. But this doesn’t change the fact that they were specifically designed with skateboarding as the main focus and were offered to every vans skate account as far as I can tell.

[WashingtonNECKTIE]

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Do the Rowan 2s run a little small? I’m a 9 and tried it at the store, my toes were touching the top of the shoe.

[close]

Size 9 here also. Had to get 9.5s but they fit and skated so nice. My feet love that sole.

Side tip - super gluing the high wear spots on the upper made them last so long. I was skating 4-5 times a week and they lasted all spring. Even still have a bit of life left, but the sole is starting to get thin and bust open. The duracap underneath the suede on the toe cap is strong as fuck, still haven't broken through that.

ugh gotta start paying attention to the sale gear thread again cause they are a pretty penny

[close]

Show them skated. Always wanted to see it

Poured some concrete with them on so the suede looks kinda dusty. Put fresh laces on this morning, but they’re raw other than that. Think i got them in late April.

Leaps and bounds more supportive and comfy than any other Vans I’ve skated.

https://ibb.co/7KqbKVp
https://ibb.co/kKqzCJK
https://ibb.co/YWvTzf9
https://ibb.co/3Wrw84m

[prof_oak]

They look tough ! Nice to know

[oyolar]

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Has anyone else here skated any “Vault” models? I got a pair of Style 73’s from Ross a while back and they were some of the best shoes I’ve had in recent years.

The sole’s durometer felt perfect to me and I loved the way the slightly higher tape flicked. Their quality compared to soles from the “classics” line are night and day.

[close]

A lot of the stuff from vault had some great quality. I found that they could be hit or miss in later years.

Expand Quote

.

I know it is a pain to warranty anything, but they do have a good refund policy, from everything I have seen, people take pics, send them in and refund is given, but I guess it can be tiresome when it happens more often than it should.


There does seem to be a few more vulc tape separating issues than there used to be, but maybe not as many as I saw in the old Pro line of shoes, which would be almost every pair by the end of their life, if they made it that far.  Some of those shoes would come apart in days, not weeks or months.

[close]

Vans has an amazing warranty, but at this point I'll just buy something else. Funny story, I bought a pair of LRAB off a friend and they immediately fell apart at the outsole and left my white socks with bright orange stains (normal with low quality suede). I emailed their CS, got a request to send photos over, and then after sending my address/email/photos was told that I could buy another pair at their website. Won't ever buy another pair again.

Expand Quote

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Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

I really don’t understand how you all don’t get it, but Vans isn’t making those shoes to appeal to us. They have their skate lines for people like us. They’re making those shoes to appeal to the fashion people buying bulky, tangentially skate inspired shoes from things like Balenciaga and people buying bulky shoes that aren’t skate inspired from brands like New Balance, Hoka, Brooks, etc. but don’t need the running-focused tech.

If they happen to sell some to the hypebeast, e-boys/e-girls, or TikTok skaters, that’s a bonus. But the people who are happy skating Half-Cabs, Old Skools, Eras, AVE2s, and Crocketts already have those shoes. That’s not who they are targeting with this stuff.

[close]

no fashion person thinks vans is cool anymore lets be honest which is why the whole thing is severely off target

[close]

Yeah, I know. That's because fashion people stopped liking Old Skools, Eras, Authentics, Sk8-His, etc. in preference for more bulky models which is why Vans is trying to make new models that look like those.

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I really don’t understand how you all don’t get it, but Vans isn’t making those shoes to appeal to us. They have their skate lines for people like us. They’re making those shoes to appeal to the fashion people buying bulky, tangentially skate inspired shoes from things like Balenciaga and people buying bulky shoes that aren’t skate inspired from brands like New Balance, Hoka, Brooks, etc. but don’t need the running-focused tech.

If they happen to sell some to the hypebeast, e-boys/e-girls, or TikTok skaters, that’s a bonus. But the people who are happy skating Half-Cabs, Old Skools, Eras, AVE2s, and Crocketts already have those shoes. That’s not who they are targeting with this stuff.

[close]

That’s what I would think too, but I’m seeing those models pop up on a few shop IGs today

[close]

It's somewhat surprising, but not really. Vans still has those relationships in place, so it makes sense to still use them because they want these shoes in as many places as possible. And if they catch some skaters, it makes sense to grab them at skateshops and help skateshops make some money too. Depending on the shops, they might just be centrally located. Like in New York, Labor's Manhattan shop is dead center in one of the current coolest neighborhoods in the city that's packed every night and weekend with people hanging around outside, walking around to different stores / bars, chilling at the park. Vans wants their shoes there.


I'm not saying we have to loves these shoes, but it's just so obvious that these are designed with skaters as the secondary or third focus that it's ridiculous to be like "well, I wouldn't skate them." It's like "yeah, no shit - they're not made for us!"

[close]

Not to be rude but you’re very clearly talking out your ass and did a whole lot of mental gymnastics to come to the conclusion that these aren’t skate shoes. These are in the skate line and Una is gonna get a Vans x Dime x Una colorway. I would put my money on these 100% being marketed towards skaters.


And I don’t think they would bother throwing all that tech into a shoe that “isn’t made for us”. I do agree they aren’t for the classic core classic vans skate line wearer, but there’s still room for other shoes in the vans line-up. These are in skateshop because they are in the skate catalog and some shops figured they would sell it’s honestly as simple as that.
You not liking something does not dictate its intended purpose.

[close]

If by "talking out of my ass," you mean "extrapolating from market projections where VF has noted they're losing market share and missing sales targets while bringing in new executives at both the Vans (from Lululemon) and VF levels (from Logitech and who prices himself on producing more designs at a faster speed) and while fashion and industry analysts have mentioned how mainstream shoe tastes are moving away from Vans minimal styles to bulkier shoes with more tech, right before Vans releases a bunch of techier, bulkier shoes," then yep, I'm totally talking out of my ass.

[close]

The user you're responding to said the following: "you’re very clearly talking out your ass and did a whole lot of mental gymnastics to come to the conclusion that these aren’t skate shoes". He disagreed with you on the point that these were not skate shoes. He was right on the point that the mixxa are a part of the skate-line and are being ordered by skate shops (I saw them in person yesterday and they have no heel cup).
Vans entire brand is tied into skateboarding. this has been a part of their ethos and identity longer than anything, their connection to the scene and importance within the industry is not understated. While you are arguing that these were not made for skaters, they clearly have designed all of these shoes with the same team (they share design cues). The sales pitch for these shoes uses skateboarding as a reference. We all know these are blatant attempts to cash-in very quickly on a trend from years ago, nobody was arguing that. If you make a shoe that is "skate-inspired", why would it be crazy to assume that maybe this is marketed to skaters?

[close]

Thank you for saying this more clearly and calmly than I may have. I do agree vans is trying to cash in on the current trends (which every publicly traded brand does) but I disagree that they are seeding these to certain skateshops and the whole narrative that the previous poster was going on about. You can extrapolate all you want and still be wrong and that’s fine, but don’t act like just because you thought about something really hard that you’re right. I work at a skateshop and know how these were sold to stores and it’s as simple as that.
(Edit)
I also agree that this is happening because “industry analysts have mentioned how mainstream shoe tastes are moving away from Vans minimal styles to bulkier shoes with more tech”. But this doesn’t change the fact that they were specifically designed with skateboarding as the main focus and were offered to every vans skate account as far as I can tell.

I never said they weren't skate shoes or weren't skateable. I said that selling these to core skater markets isn't their focus and I stand by that, regardless of whether they allow skate shops to order and sell these or whatever shop reps say. All of that does exactly what Bracken Darrell said about trying to maintain and recapture the countercultural cool and appeal that they've had historically (mostly from skating) while also trying to stay on trend.

And I say this as someone who works in market research and has worked with a range of shoe companies trying to figure out how to capture new audiences as they see their sales decline because mainstream audiences aren't buying minimal, thin shoes anymore.

[Sk.A.T.A.N]

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Has anyone else here skated any “Vault” models? I got a pair of Style 73’s from Ross a while back and they were some of the best shoes I’ve had in recent years.

The sole’s durometer felt perfect to me and I loved the way the slightly higher tape flicked. Their quality compared to soles from the “classics” line are night and day.

[close]

A lot of the stuff from vault had some great quality. I found that they could be hit or miss in later years.

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.

I know it is a pain to warranty anything, but they do have a good refund policy, from everything I have seen, people take pics, send them in and refund is given, but I guess it can be tiresome when it happens more often than it should.


There does seem to be a few more vulc tape separating issues than there used to be, but maybe not as many as I saw in the old Pro line of shoes, which would be almost every pair by the end of their life, if they made it that far.  Some of those shoes would come apart in days, not weeks or months.

[close]

Vans has an amazing warranty, but at this point I'll just buy something else. Funny story, I bought a pair of LRAB off a friend and they immediately fell apart at the outsole and left my white socks with bright orange stains (normal with low quality suede). I emailed their CS, got a request to send photos over, and then after sending my address/email/photos was told that I could buy another pair at their website. Won't ever buy another pair again.

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I really don’t understand how you all don’t get it, but Vans isn’t making those shoes to appeal to us. They have their skate lines for people like us. They’re making those shoes to appeal to the fashion people buying bulky, tangentially skate inspired shoes from things like Balenciaga and people buying bulky shoes that aren’t skate inspired from brands like New Balance, Hoka, Brooks, etc. but don’t need the running-focused tech.

If they happen to sell some to the hypebeast, e-boys/e-girls, or TikTok skaters, that’s a bonus. But the people who are happy skating Half-Cabs, Old Skools, Eras, AVE2s, and Crocketts already have those shoes. That’s not who they are targeting with this stuff.

[close]

no fashion person thinks vans is cool anymore lets be honest which is why the whole thing is severely off target

[close]

Yeah, I know. That's because fashion people stopped liking Old Skools, Eras, Authentics, Sk8-His, etc. in preference for more bulky models which is why Vans is trying to make new models that look like those.

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I really don’t understand how you all don’t get it, but Vans isn’t making those shoes to appeal to us. They have their skate lines for people like us. They’re making those shoes to appeal to the fashion people buying bulky, tangentially skate inspired shoes from things like Balenciaga and people buying bulky shoes that aren’t skate inspired from brands like New Balance, Hoka, Brooks, etc. but don’t need the running-focused tech.

If they happen to sell some to the hypebeast, e-boys/e-girls, or TikTok skaters, that’s a bonus. But the people who are happy skating Half-Cabs, Old Skools, Eras, AVE2s, and Crocketts already have those shoes. That’s not who they are targeting with this stuff.

[close]

That’s what I would think too, but I’m seeing those models pop up on a few shop IGs today

[close]

It's somewhat surprising, but not really. Vans still has those relationships in place, so it makes sense to still use them because they want these shoes in as many places as possible. And if they catch some skaters, it makes sense to grab them at skateshops and help skateshops make some money too. Depending on the shops, they might just be centrally located. Like in New York, Labor's Manhattan shop is dead center in one of the current coolest neighborhoods in the city that's packed every night and weekend with people hanging around outside, walking around to different stores / bars, chilling at the park. Vans wants their shoes there.


I'm not saying we have to loves these shoes, but it's just so obvious that these are designed with skaters as the secondary or third focus that it's ridiculous to be like "well, I wouldn't skate them." It's like "yeah, no shit - they're not made for us!"

[close]

Not to be rude but you’re very clearly talking out your ass and did a whole lot of mental gymnastics to come to the conclusion that these aren’t skate shoes. These are in the skate line and Una is gonna get a Vans x Dime x Una colorway. I would put my money on these 100% being marketed towards skaters.


And I don’t think they would bother throwing all that tech into a shoe that “isn’t made for us”. I do agree they aren’t for the classic core classic vans skate line wearer, but there’s still room for other shoes in the vans line-up. These are in skateshop because they are in the skate catalog and some shops figured they would sell it’s honestly as simple as that.
You not liking something does not dictate its intended purpose.

[close]

If by "talking out of my ass," you mean "extrapolating from market projections where VF has noted they're losing market share and missing sales targets while bringing in new executives at both the Vans (from Lululemon) and VF levels (from Logitech and who prices himself on producing more designs at a faster speed) and while fashion and industry analysts have mentioned how mainstream shoe tastes are moving away from Vans minimal styles to bulkier shoes with more tech, right before Vans releases a bunch of techier, bulkier shoes," then yep, I'm totally talking out of my ass.

[close]

The user you're responding to said the following: "you’re very clearly talking out your ass and did a whole lot of mental gymnastics to come to the conclusion that these aren’t skate shoes". He disagreed with you on the point that these were not skate shoes. He was right on the point that the mixxa are a part of the skate-line and are being ordered by skate shops (I saw them in person yesterday and they have no heel cup).
Vans entire brand is tied into skateboarding. this has been a part of their ethos and identity longer than anything, their connection to the scene and importance within the industry is not understated. While you are arguing that these were not made for skaters, they clearly have designed all of these shoes with the same team (they share design cues). The sales pitch for these shoes uses skateboarding as a reference. We all know these are blatant attempts to cash-in very quickly on a trend from years ago, nobody was arguing that. If you make a shoe that is "skate-inspired", why would it be crazy to assume that maybe this is marketed to skaters?

[close]

Thank you for saying this more clearly and calmly than I may have. I do agree vans is trying to cash in on the current trends (which every publicly traded brand does) but I disagree that they are seeding these to certain skateshops and the whole narrative that the previous poster was going on about. You can extrapolate all you want and still be wrong and that’s fine, but don’t act like just because you thought about something really hard that you’re right. I work at a skateshop and know how these were sold to stores and it’s as simple as that.
(Edit)
I also agree that this is happening because “industry analysts have mentioned how mainstream shoe tastes are moving away from Vans minimal styles to bulkier shoes with more tech”. But this doesn’t change the fact that they were specifically designed with skateboarding as the main focus and were offered to every vans skate account as far as I can tell.

[close]

I never said they weren't skate shoes or weren't skateable. I said that selling these to core skater markets isn't their focus and I stand by that, regardless of whether they allow skate shops to order and sell these or whatever shop reps say. All of that does exactly what Bracken Darrell said about trying to maintain and recapture the countercultural cool and appeal that they've had historically (mostly from skating) while also trying to stay on trend.

And I say this as someone who works in market research and has worked with a range of shoe companies trying to figure out how to capture new audiences as they see their sales decline because mainstream audiences aren't buying minimal, thin shoes anymore.

Wut? Adidas Samba is literally THE shoe of the moment.

[Idk]

Yeah at the end of the day skateboarding will always have a place for vulc shoes. Guy’s Mouse part is mostly Vans. Gonz Video Days has lots of sk8 his. Carroll in half cabs.

[Texas_Tone]

Yeah at the end of the day skateboarding will always have a place for vulc shoes. Guy’s Mouse part is mostly Vans. Gonz Video Days has lots of sk8 his. Carroll in half cabs.

I skated half cabs exclusively until they changed them, I just want the classic halfcab no popcush, no skate edition or pro edition, no centering straps, no mushy ass insole, give me the classic sticky halfcab, so tired of them messing with perfection

[thehogsniper]

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Has anyone else here skated any “Vault” models? I got a pair of Style 73’s from Ross a while back and they were some of the best shoes I’ve had in recent years.

The sole’s durometer felt perfect to me and I loved the way the slightly higher tape flicked. Their quality compared to soles from the “classics” line are night and day.

[close]

A lot of the stuff from vault had some great quality. I found that they could be hit or miss in later years.

Expand Quote

.

I know it is a pain to warranty anything, but they do have a good refund policy, from everything I have seen, people take pics, send them in and refund is given, but I guess it can be tiresome when it happens more often than it should.


There does seem to be a few more vulc tape separating issues than there used to be, but maybe not as many as I saw in the old Pro line of shoes, which would be almost every pair by the end of their life, if they made it that far.  Some of those shoes would come apart in days, not weeks or months.

[close]

Vans has an amazing warranty, but at this point I'll just buy something else. Funny story, I bought a pair of LRAB off a friend and they immediately fell apart at the outsole and left my white socks with bright orange stains (normal with low quality suede). I emailed their CS, got a request to send photos over, and then after sending my address/email/photos was told that I could buy another pair at their website. Won't ever buy another pair again.

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I really don’t understand how you all don’t get it, but Vans isn’t making those shoes to appeal to us. They have their skate lines for people like us. They’re making those shoes to appeal to the fashion people buying bulky, tangentially skate inspired shoes from things like Balenciaga and people buying bulky shoes that aren’t skate inspired from brands like New Balance, Hoka, Brooks, etc. but don’t need the running-focused tech.

If they happen to sell some to the hypebeast, e-boys/e-girls, or TikTok skaters, that’s a bonus. But the people who are happy skating Half-Cabs, Old Skools, Eras, AVE2s, and Crocketts already have those shoes. That’s not who they are targeting with this stuff.

[close]

no fashion person thinks vans is cool anymore lets be honest which is why the whole thing is severely off target

[close]

Yeah, I know. That's because fashion people stopped liking Old Skools, Eras, Authentics, Sk8-His, etc. in preference for more bulky models which is why Vans is trying to make new models that look like those.

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I really don’t understand how you all don’t get it, but Vans isn’t making those shoes to appeal to us. They have their skate lines for people like us. They’re making those shoes to appeal to the fashion people buying bulky, tangentially skate inspired shoes from things like Balenciaga and people buying bulky shoes that aren’t skate inspired from brands like New Balance, Hoka, Brooks, etc. but don’t need the running-focused tech.

If they happen to sell some to the hypebeast, e-boys/e-girls, or TikTok skaters, that’s a bonus. But the people who are happy skating Half-Cabs, Old Skools, Eras, AVE2s, and Crocketts already have those shoes. That’s not who they are targeting with this stuff.

[close]

That’s what I would think too, but I’m seeing those models pop up on a few shop IGs today

[close]

It's somewhat surprising, but not really. Vans still has those relationships in place, so it makes sense to still use them because they want these shoes in as many places as possible. And if they catch some skaters, it makes sense to grab them at skateshops and help skateshops make some money too. Depending on the shops, they might just be centrally located. Like in New York, Labor's Manhattan shop is dead center in one of the current coolest neighborhoods in the city that's packed every night and weekend with people hanging around outside, walking around to different stores / bars, chilling at the park. Vans wants their shoes there.


I'm not saying we have to loves these shoes, but it's just so obvious that these are designed with skaters as the secondary or third focus that it's ridiculous to be like "well, I wouldn't skate them." It's like "yeah, no shit - they're not made for us!"

[close]

Not to be rude but you’re very clearly talking out your ass and did a whole lot of mental gymnastics to come to the conclusion that these aren’t skate shoes. These are in the skate line and Una is gonna get a Vans x Dime x Una colorway. I would put my money on these 100% being marketed towards skaters.


And I don’t think they would bother throwing all that tech into a shoe that “isn’t made for us”. I do agree they aren’t for the classic core classic vans skate line wearer, but there’s still room for other shoes in the vans line-up. These are in skateshop because they are in the skate catalog and some shops figured they would sell it’s honestly as simple as that.
You not liking something does not dictate its intended purpose.

[close]

If by "talking out of my ass," you mean "extrapolating from market projections where VF has noted they're losing market share and missing sales targets while bringing in new executives at both the Vans (from Lululemon) and VF levels (from Logitech and who prices himself on producing more designs at a faster speed) and while fashion and industry analysts have mentioned how mainstream shoe tastes are moving away from Vans minimal styles to bulkier shoes with more tech, right before Vans releases a bunch of techier, bulkier shoes," then yep, I'm totally talking out of my ass.

[close]

The user you're responding to said the following: "you’re very clearly talking out your ass and did a whole lot of mental gymnastics to come to the conclusion that these aren’t skate shoes". He disagreed with you on the point that these were not skate shoes. He was right on the point that the mixxa are a part of the skate-line and are being ordered by skate shops (I saw them in person yesterday and they have no heel cup).
Vans entire brand is tied into skateboarding. this has been a part of their ethos and identity longer than anything, their connection to the scene and importance within the industry is not understated. While you are arguing that these were not made for skaters, they clearly have designed all of these shoes with the same team (they share design cues). The sales pitch for these shoes uses skateboarding as a reference. We all know these are blatant attempts to cash-in very quickly on a trend from years ago, nobody was arguing that. If you make a shoe that is "skate-inspired", why would it be crazy to assume that maybe this is marketed to skaters?

[close]

Thank you for saying this more clearly and calmly than I may have. I do agree vans is trying to cash in on the current trends (which every publicly traded brand does) but I disagree that they are seeding these to certain skateshops and the whole narrative that the previous poster was going on about. You can extrapolate all you want and still be wrong and that’s fine, but don’t act like just because you thought about something really hard that you’re right. I work at a skateshop and know how these were sold to stores and it’s as simple as that.
(Edit)
I also agree that this is happening because “industry analysts have mentioned how mainstream shoe tastes are moving away from Vans minimal styles to bulkier shoes with more tech”. But this doesn’t change the fact that they were specifically designed with skateboarding as the main focus and were offered to every vans skate account as far as I can tell.

[close]

I never said they weren't skate shoes or weren't skateable. I said that selling these to core skater markets isn't their focus and I stand by that, regardless of whether they allow skate shops to order and sell these or whatever shop reps say. All of that does exactly what Bracken Darrell said about trying to maintain and recapture the countercultural cool and appeal that they've had historically (mostly from skating) while also trying to stay on trend.

And I say this as someone who works in market research and has worked with a range of shoe companies trying to figure out how to capture new audiences as they see their sales decline because mainstream audiences aren't buying minimal, thin shoes anymore.

[close]

Wut? Adidas Samba is literally THE shoe of the moment.

The guy you're responding to is so clearly full of shit. The chunky shoe thing has been a trend since way before the pandemic, and ironically most of the trending shoes seem to be pretty slim. This is just consumerist mumbojumbo. Nobody is buying vans because they're chunky and blocky shoes, except some morons influenced by tiktok.

[oyolar]

Yeah, the Samba is on trend now because trends change. They’re an outlier compared to the relative dominance of things like Hoka that have been cleaning house for years. The trends are flexing and moving again. That’s what trends do. There’s more of a middle ground and diversity than those years where mostly big, chunky shoes were dominating the market.

thehogsniper - I’m not saying people are buying chunky Vans shoes just because Vans are making them. I’m saying that’s what’s influencing those designs because they realized that there was a style that they were ignoring.

I’m not saying Vans is on the right timeline either or succeeding. They might be releasing these big shoes too late. I’m just saying it’s clear what they’re doing.

And you say “influenced by TikTok” as if that isn’t the thing that every marketing vertical or person who signs off budget isn’t pointing at when they tell the people they give budgets to to draw inspiration from. You might be too cool for this shit to work on but you’re not one of those people making those decisions.

[Atiba Applebum]

I thought sambas have been over for a bit

[Mbrimson88]

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Yeah at the end of the day skateboarding will always have a place for vulc shoes. Guy’s Mouse part is mostly Vans. Gonz Video Days has lots of sk8 his. Carroll in half cabs.

[close]

I skated half cabs exclusively until they changed them, I just want the classic halfcab no popcush, no skate edition or pro edition, no centering straps, no mushy ass insole, give me the classic sticky halfcab, so tired of them messing with perfection

It is almost comical here in Australia, that the Half Cab comes and goes, right now on sale again, but the most recent edition of the Classic shoe, both black / white and the full black editions were the same price as the Skate Half Cab, which was ridiculous.

Before that they were significantly less, but it seems every time they come out from the main Vans site or one of their subsidiary shop sellers, they are up for a while, then go on sale, then get completely cleared out, then next year they are back again, higher price, then sale, then clearance, etc.

A lot of the normal skate shops just don't want to get them in as they might sell some, but then when Vans clears them out, the rest of their stock is almost dead and they can't restock sizes that do sell.


This last round, I ended up buying all remaining stock I could of my size and a couple of others for people I know - good deal and kept others happy too, but it is just nuts how that cycle is going for the Classic Half Cab.

I strip out the Classic glued in insole and put in my own version of a "pro insole" to make them exactly what I want, then just glue the stitching and maybe a little shoe goo if needed before they wear through the sole and I am happy.


* The Skate Half Cab in black / white has known issues, back heel splitting, then other variants just too stiff or people have said they don't fit right, so after trying them on and hearing the heel rip just putting them on the once, I am also staying clear of anything other than the Classic versions.

[Safariferrari]

Yeah, the Samba is on trend now because trends change. They’re an outlier compared to the relative dominance of things like Hoka that have been cleaning house for years. The trends are flexing and moving again. That’s what trends do. There’s more of a middle ground and diversity than those years where mostly big, chunky shoes were dominating the market.

thehogsniper - I’m not saying people are buying chunky Vans shoes just because Vans are making them. I’m saying that’s what’s influencing those designs because they realized that there was a style that they were ignoring.

I’m not saying Vans is on the right timeline either or succeeding. They might be releasing these big shoes too late. I’m just saying it’s clear what they’re doing.

And you say “influenced by TikTok” as if that isn’t the thing that every marketing vertical or person who signs off budget isn’t pointing at when they tell the people they give budgets to to draw inspiration from. You might be too cool for this shit to work on but you’re not one of those people making those decisions.

not sure why you keep bringing up hoka. most people arent buying hokas because theyre trendy, they buy them because theyre comfortable. a "chunky" soled mesh runner is not in the same category as a chunky skate shoe.

[Xen]

Dude, what? Hoka not trendy? Are you serious? It's THE [gym] shoe, since 2023. Literally HOKA and ON are the trendiest athletic shoes you can get right (in a market where other shoes perform better).

I'd say the bullk of shoes in my gym by people who don't know how to work out wear HOKA; fools out there trying to deadlift with 3" EVA soles...it's as bad as old white guys wearing NB walkers...

It's not word of mouth "these are so comfy bro, you should get some" that's making these trend. Seriously, if it was about that, Schechers would be making a comback.