Vans More Than Just a Skating Shoe

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 Vans More Than Just a Skating Shoe

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 The Vans shoes range has been a major footwear brand since the birth of the brand in 1966 and has continuously had an effect on society since this specific time. Two brothers, Paul Van Doren and James Van Doren were the initiators of the brand along with three other partners. Upon their first store opening they sold twelve pair of shoes during the first morning and the shoes were made that day and ready to pick up on the same afternoon - this first lot of shoes are known as the Authentic range.

In the first year of establishing the brand and giving itself popularity they opened a new retail store almost every single week. Their initial opening had some unorganised problems as they did not have any shoes on display but only boxes. When their first customers came in and chose their preferred shoe, they were asked to come back in the afternoon. All customers came back after the two owners rushed back to the factory to create the shoes and when they went to pay the two brothers realised they had not supplied enough change. The first twelve customers were then asked to come back the next day for their brand new pair of Vans and all of them did.


After learning from initial mistakes, the duo began to set up a routine: Paul Van Doren searched for new locations for their retail stores on Monday; signed a lease on a Tuesday; remodelled the shops to suit their needs on a Wednesday; added shoe racks on a Thursday; added displays to the store on a Friday; hired a store manager on a Saturday and then trained the staff on a Sunday. With this dedication and quick progression with the Vans brand, it is no surprise that they have ended up as prestigious as they are today.


As the brand gained more popularity it was clear that their main target audience was skaters, surfers, snowboarders and others who enjoyed the particular Californian style. In the hit film 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' in 1982 the character Jeff Spicoli who was a typical surfer dude was seen sporting a pair of Vans checkerboard slip-ons. This specific media enhanced popularity brought the Vans brand to international waters where sales began to skyrocket. Such an advance within their brand brought their employees to over 1,000 and moved the company to a new 175,000 square foot plant in California.


Their initial aim of providing footwear for modern young men who regularly participate in the extreme sports of skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing has now took a curious turn. People who are not active members of the extreme sporting genre have been seen sporting pairs of Vans across the world turning them into a worldwide fad. Upon this brand new target audience this fantastically growing footwear brand has released unprecedented ranges which suit the needs of many others.


Jade Jennison is an enthusiastic writer in the subject matter of fashion and style and aims to provide information to people who share the same interests as her own. The websites recommended by Jade have been thoroughly researched and come highly acclaimed from direct experience. View the updated collection of Vans shoes from Academy Menswear online.