What Happened To Vans Shoes?

It’s widely known that Vans can proudly announce that they created the first pair of slipons in the world. They made the casual footwear industry booming for one time. In addition, they just has grown from a "mom and pop" business into an industry giant in the sports footwear market for skateboarders and snowboaders. Do you want to know what happened to Vans from its birthday? So let’s read some interesting facts about it.

It was on March 16, 1966 that Vans was founded by Van Doren and business partners, Serge D'Elia and Gordy Lee. At that time, it was only a 400-square foot shoe store which manufactured shoes and sold them directly to the public. Here’s an interesting fact on their opening day. In Doren’s word, it was the history. That’s, they only sold 12 pairs of shoes at that day. What's more, in the beginning the Vans shoes were priced from $2.49 to $4.99, and all of the shoes didn’t have names, but numbers. The most popular style on opening day was #44, which today is known as the "authentic" shoe.

Time flies to the early 1970s. It was the new era Vans opened for the skateboard shoes. At that moment, skateboarders all wanted the different colors and patterns on their shoes, which is now the hand painted Vans sneakers. To attract this kind of customers, Van Doren complied and soon was offering a red and blue shoe that was designed by a professional skateboarder. Due to Van Doren's willingness to accommodate new clients, the shoes caught on and have since been the preferred shoe of skateboarders. According to the skateboarders, the Vans shoes can help them maintain the balance.

Then, in the 1980s, due to one movie called Fast Times at Ridgemont High, people around the world get to know the new style of Vans, that’s, the slip on shoes. However, in 1986 this company emerged from bankruptcy. Van Doren sold the company in 1988 to McCown De Leeuw & Co., a San Francisco venture banking firm. The company was sold several times since then, and is now owned by the VF Corp., a maker of jeans, intimate apparel, daypacks, and workwear.

Anyway, in recent years, Vans has sponsored Vans skate park, the Vans Warped Tour -- a music and sports festival -- and skate street contests. Vans are always the heart of these events. Futhermore, designers have designed their own Vans styles together with the company, as well as Studio shoe my color. You should not miss our latest hand painted Vans sneakers.