nice collection of colours.

vans opens the vault again with this series of mid skool 77 model. 3 solid two-tone colours, accentuated by using thick premium leather. Due in spring of this year. really an old skool look with a nu skool feel. kudos once again. available at 290sqm for 109 euros.

era or vault? spring spectator lx.

for spring 2011 vans vault is dropping an all new updated design, which holds more sensibilities with vans' era and authentic. the saddle shoe style sneaker keeps it relatively simple with a tonal upper rather than other two tone approaches that have come to mark the men’s footwear staple. this one is mos def on my list for the spring.

a very pro era 46 pro.

vans has dropped a new colourway for the classic vans era 46 pro, a more rugged and durable take on the brand’s classic era silhouette. the shoes feature a black and orange scheme tying back to the bay area and its native son John Cardiel, who came up with the color combo. really like the little orange line around the shoe, makes me think of my latest purchased wtaps held by a yellow line. 60 bucks a pop, available at vans stores, including premier.

between you and the ground.

together with the in San Fran living artist Scott Berry vans vault has designed the spring look book for 2011 named 'between you and the ground'. the 30 page book contains several projects and a few new collabs with Taka Hayashi (pendleton x vans) among others. the book shall be available in limited edition at american vans vault retailers. the spring collection of 2011 shall be available at the vans vault retailer stores such as Gorilli. can't wait to see some of the new collaborations. as you can see on the preview vans vault will be more about just sneakers/skate shoes. in 2011 there will be a lot of sophisticated skating going on.

vans vault x brooks.

yet again another collaboration executed extremely well. the californian shoemaker approached brooks early in 2010 and available since november 2010 through select vans vault retailers. featured in the collection will be a pair of limited edition sneakers (1000 produced) alongside a beautifully crafted saddle, made in a 500 unit limited run. realizing more and more I should've started doing this sooner. so many things to write about that are already outdated. actually, outdated is the wrong word here. these collabs shall always remain 'classics'.

for vans aficionados.

finally a homage to vans, the van Doren family and the 'off the wall' spirit has been payed by riders from all over a world. a 12 month production has led into a full length movie that includes a 100 page book photos from the making of 1966 by Percy Dean and 21 track music compilation. never before has a release been as anticipated as the first ever skate movie from vans. far from being a movie just about skateboarding for skateboarders, 1966’s appeal stretches beyond the tried and tested skate video formula, acting as a travel journal across the continents and the evolution of skateboarding over the past five decades.

the vans iconic waffle sole is used as the movie’s main character, taking the viewer on a journey across the ever-changing styles of skateboarding. as the movie progresses, so does the understanding of how the brand has always supported the core of skateboarding and became an integral part of its history and street culture in general.

Click here to check the trailer. and click here for an awesome waffle recipe.

pendleton x vans x taka hayashi

only a matter of time before someone would make this happen. self taught painter/illustrator/graphic designer, taka hayashi from japan did it. the slip-ons have wool uppers and contrast, hand-stitched leather at the base of the uppers, on the heels and at the ankles. the leather high top is embellished with cut outs, topstitching and Pendleton's colorful Native American-inspired wool jacquard. available via 290SQM and off the hook.

gentleman's vans.

I always say I won't wear anything else but vans sneakers. I guess I'll have to break my principles for these. vans has really pushed its footwear agenda OTW to new heights in recent times. the Pritchard is definitely a departure from the most iconic representations of vans with a much more refined outlook. with a dark upper and wood-like midsole, the Pritchard is undoubtedly the beginnings of big things for Vans and the OTW series. now I'll need to find a three-piece vans suit to match.

my latest purchase.

the vans WTAPS Authentic. black. leather. tite.

stumbled upon these vans in a store called alibi in montreal, where I live and work at the moment. again another collaboration, this time between wtaps x vans syndicate. in this new collaboration the two brands worked on the Sk8 Mid and on the Authentic. while the Sk8 Mid comes in two suede colorways with spider web design on the side-panels, the Authentic is being kept super clean with leather uppers. they also came in a super chique fleecy bag and a sturdy shove shoe box. I love it when they pay not only attention to the shoes, but the whole package including the small paper sack for the extra laces. kudos.

entree.

my first post. what should I say, I guess I'll start with saying I've should've started this blog a long time ago, since there are so many things I'd like to post, however are slightly outdated. you know what, I'll just start with what's on my mind right now. as the blog continues to grow I shall post both new stuff about vans as old stuff or in other words things I find worthy to blog about. it is my blog for that matter. welcome.

since my first post can't hardly go without an image here's one of my favourite collaborations I've seen in a while. the collab is between Filson x vans. for the first time in the long Filson history (1897) they made a casual shoe. the Sk8-Hi and the 46 LX low top are made of birdie leather, duck twill and wax oiled laces. (both rucksack and shoes available at 290SQM in amsterdam).

oh, and while it's on my mind anyway, vans made a short video for this unique collab too. Watch the video here. really awesome to see how 2 brands with a reasonable amount of history came together and made such an awesome quality product.