It was that vintage piece,” says Pozzebon, now the company's Lifestyle Footwear Design Director. “At the time, Vans didn’t necessarily know
Nike Air Max 2017 Dam what they really had.”
By focusing on that element of the company’s DNA, Pozzebon and his design team led Vans through a turnaround that was nothing short of staggering. The brand has become a staple of American footwear culture, on the level with
Nike Air Max 2017 Femme iconic brands like Converse (which is twice as old) and Nike (which is nearly 10 times as large). Vans are worn by
Nike Air Max 90 Dámské celebrities and fashion influencers, the jeans and T-shirt crowd who rarely pay attention to what's stylish, teenagers and toddlers, alike. What makes it all the more impressive—especially in an age of unprecedented technological innovation—is
Nike Air Max 2017 Mujer that it leaned on just five classic styles to drive its cultural relevance, which arguably have never been higher, as well as its sales, which have inarguably never been higher.
SHOP SK8-HIe Van Doren Rubber Company opened at 704 E. Broadway
Nike Air Max 98 Dámské in Anaheim, California, on March 16, 1966. Founded by brothers Paul and Jim Van Doren (along with business partners Gordon Lee and Serge Delia), the company—which got its name from Van Doren—was unique in that it manufactured shoes onsite and sold them directly to the public. The shoes themselves were unique for another reason.
“When my dad built the company—the
Nike Air Huarache Womens shoe—he made the outsole twice as thick as the other competitors at the time,” says Steve Van Doren, Paul’s son and, officially, Vans vice president of events and promotions. (Unofficially, with his laid-back charm and boundless enthusiasm,
Nike Air Max 1 Womens he’s basically the spirit of the brand, personified.) Though the first Vans classic—style #44, now known as the Authentic—was conceived as a deck shoe, it wasn’t too long before early skateboarders took note of the increased durability and
Nike Air VaporMax Dámské the grip the now-signature waffle soles provided.
By the mid-‘70s, skateboarding was a genuine phenomenon, with its own set
Nike Air Presto Hombre of rising stars. Vans quickly noticed, driving guys like Stacy Peralta, Tony Alva, and Jerry Valdez—all three of whom would become legends of the sport—from location to location in a van, and hooking them up with sneakers. Van Doren saw
Nike Air Zoom Mariah Flyknit Dámské it as an easy tradeoff. A few free shoes for the guys in exchange for entrée into a whole new community