Vans Faces Big Problems (Forbes Article)

[Dustgod]

Vans is run by the smartest most competent people in the shoe industry. Working with them is nothing but a pleasure and they totally have their heads screwed in right. Except I path. That was the best. Office hours was cool. What do Matt field and PJ Ladd equal? A light bulb!

PJ Ladd in ipath woulda been sick

[radcunt]

I still have old school his from 99 and Eras from 95 and they're made so differently now.  Sucks.

[SatanicPanic]

I got a pair of skate slip ons last year. They were put together as well if not better than ones I had before. (They used to be my go to before switching to Emerica winos because they’re cheap) They held up great. My biggest complaint was they made the heels thicker to hold your ankles in place. It worked but unfortunately for me I wear slip ons because they’re loose. So I went back to Emericas which ironically always come unglued. A few months ago I got some Crocket lows because they were on sale and those are fine. I don’t think their quality is a problem.

[Hyliannightmare]

Don't know how people can skate vans or cons anyway. Thin as hell no padding.  Shit hurts just to wear casually too. Always blew my mind

[Síota]

Perhaps giving a shoe to an ex vegan now hunter was the last straw...(again).

[MrDuckey]

Once I put on a pair of Nikes I never went back to any core skate company. You can rip up a pair of Vans or Lakai in one session

[Mean salto]

^dont think he was ever actually vegan

^^if your feet hurt just walking around it's not the shoes, you're walking wrong.

[lurker_and_poster]

As a loyal customer since 36 years I can confirm vans have no idea about customer demand’s- they disappoint me continuously. If they once doing something good - they will stop at least in a year.

[YungJugg]

I still have old school his from 99 and Eras from 95 and they're made so differently now.  Sucks.

I’d love to see close up pics of those to compare the differences against a modern pair.

[SatanicPanic]

Don't know how people can skate vans or cons anyway. Thin as hell no padding.  Shit hurts just to wear casually too. Always blew my mind

Buy the ones that are labeled “skate” or “pro skate@ or whatever. They’re different than the normal shoes.

[figureitout]

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Who wants to meet me at the skate gymnasium for some board racing?

[close]

See you on the track, fucker 

Wear your pads we don’t want you coming home with track marks!

[Andmoreagain]

At first I thought this was an AI article but its actually too shitty to be AI.

[radcunt]

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I still have old school his from 99 and Eras from 95 and they're made so differently now.  Sucks.

[close]

I’d love to see close up pics of those to compare the differences against a modern pair.

I'll dig em out next week.  Keen to do it too.

[mooraga]

does this mean we are gonna get some discounts?

[manysnakes]

does this mean we are gonna get some discounts?

Visit literally any online skate retailer and they have top brand shoes for as much as ~60% off retail. I imagine that this is a part of the problem Vans is facing, although I imagine that the issue selling skate shoes is much smaller than their problem getting normal people back into buyings Vans.

[Tear Up a Trick]

Vans selling shoes at pre-inflation prices but is it working (Retail Wire article today)

https://retailwire.com/discussion/vans-has-been-selling-shoes-at-pre-inflation-prices-but-is-it-working/

[fernando the skater]

Vans selling shoes at pre-inflation prices but is it working (Retail Wire article today)

https://retailwire.com/discussion/vans-has-been-selling-shoes-at-pre-inflation-prices-but-is-it-working/

Additionally, Foot Locker, one of the largest shoe chains in America, noted “weaker spring-season demand for ‘canvas and skate-inspired’ offerings and said they have launched ‘aggressive’ discounts to attract shoppers.” Vans is the primary brand in this falling category.

I'm in London and see very few people wearing "skate" type trainers. Most go for a bulkier and/or cushiony style. See lots of New Balance, but never any numeric. Veja are the closest to a skate type shoe I see, and that's a middle-class women's brand.

[TastyBurrito]

Putting aside the shoes, went into a Vans mall outlet in a small Connecticut city mall that is only shop with skate products in that city that I'm aware of.  Lots of wheels on sale--nothing 58 mm that I actually wanted to skate.  Really had a bizarre assortment of stuff (or better word for it- looked old).  Do these stores just not move a lot of actual decks. They also looked shocked I was asking for something specific.  Can't be a good sign for the retail outlet side of things.

Vans stores (in malls and shit) will usually have a skate section -- mostly to help push their riders/flow team's products. Not everyone buys skategoods from those shops. So when it's time to push out the old stuff, like their shoes and clothing, it gets sent to an outlet.

Not all outlets get skategoods. But the one that do, they're not ordering specific sizes, models, etc. They just get what they get and put it out. So yea, most people who are working the outlet don't skate and wouldn't know how to grip a board and are probably surprised that boards come in different sizes, shapes, etc. 

[jgonzalez]

Anyone ever have sex on a Zumiez couch

[WashingtonNECKTIE]

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Putting aside the shoes, went into a Vans mall outlet in a small Connecticut city mall that is only shop with skate products in that city that I'm aware of.  Lots of wheels on sale--nothing 58 mm that I actually wanted to skate.  Really had a bizarre assortment of stuff (or better word for it- looked old).  Do these stores just not move a lot of actual decks. They also looked shocked I was asking for something specific.  Can't be a good sign for the retail outlet side of things.

[close]

Vans stores (in malls and shit) will usually have a skate section -- mostly to help push their riders/flow team's products. Not everyone buys skategoods from those shops. So when it's time to push out the old stuff, like their shoes and clothing, it gets sent to an outlet.

Not all outlets get skategoods. But the one that do, they're not ordering specific sizes, models, etc. They just get what they get and put it out. So yea, most people who are working the outlet don't skate and wouldn't know how to grip a board and are probably surprised that boards come in different sizes, shapes, etc.

This makes sense why I always saw Grosso, Hosoi, Dollin, TNT, and Chima decks the few times I went into a vans store... never made that connection lol