Vans Anaheim Factory Collection

Last year Vans celebrated it's 50th anniversary with many retros of classic models that released in the golden years of early Vans issues. This year Vans has continued the nostalgia movement they started by re-issuing some of their shoes that are influenced by the original silhouettes produced in their first Anaheim factory. These pairs were produced back in 1966 when all vans were made in the USA. This collection features Authentics, Old Skools, and Sk8-his which all can be seen on the Vans website. All of which are currently available to purchase on the Vans web-store, but they are only available in limited quantities so get them quick! I personally bought 2 pairs upon their release, and i must say, the quality of this collection is through the roof. The Sk8-his are easily comparable to any Vans Vault Sk8-his that have released in both present and past.  Do not sleep on these!

Images courtesy of Vans

Images courtesy of Vans

  

Undercover x Vans Vault

So far 2017 has been a promising year for Vans releases, but lets just say that the Vans Vault x UNDERCOVER is the icing on the cake. This is one of the most anticipated Vault releases of this year. With full support of high fashion brand Undercover, Jun Takahashi and Vans have created subtle recreations of vans classics with a modern twist to each pair!
Vans Vault already the exclusive and better quality line extension that Vans set out to release over the past years. But this collection just made it to be one of the most exclusive releases since the widely sought after WTAPS x Vans Vault release late last year. The Era model comes in 3 color ways(Chili Pepper Red, Charcoal Black, and Winter White), with each pair having a quote screen printed on the toe box from a classic Temples song "Shelter Song". The quote reads, "Take me in time, Time to the music. Take me away to the twilight zone".

Although the shoe is very basic, the brand name makes it all the more better for collectors or those who are highly intrigued by high fashion or looking to grab a rare pair. The next shoe in the collection happens to be one of the most popular Vans models to date, the sought after Old Skool. The UNDERCOVER rendition on this classic silhouette is composed of hand crafted suede, with canvas upper of same shade, and a repetitive floral pattern on both canvas and the inter-sole/ bottom of shoe to compliment the 2 color ways(Cool Grey and Dark Burgundy). This shoe is bound to set a standard for Vans in this year, and is most definitely bound to be a classic.

Vans Vault X Blends - Style 36

Once again Blends has delivered on yet another fantastic collaboration with Vans Vault. This time Blends picked a Style 36 model for their iconic bones line that they've continued to make in other styles, such as Sk8-hi, Old Skool, and Sk8-hi deacon. This time they took a classic look using the Style 36, which is an originator style of vans, this style which lead to the now popular Old Skool model. the whole shoe is crafted with high quality leather with a moderate matte finish for a classy look. Most definitely one of the hottest shoes to release this year! In the past Blends x Vans releases have had low purchase success rate for people who want to order via online, this is due to the high demand. Many resellers have turned to automated programs to buy the shoes for them within seconds so they can in turn flip the shoes for profit. The est. retail is $120-140 and are expecting to resale for $300-400. So, if you're really looking to get yourself a pair, I would highly suggest traveling to a Blends location in California, because who knows when then next Blends pair will release. perhaps in the near future? perhaps we will see a Sk8-mid for the next release? Only Blends will know!

VANS X OUR LEGACY

Images courtesy of Blends LLC

Vans has teamed up with European brand Our Legacy to create a stellar collaboration for the head of the 2017 year.  Our Legacy is a Swedish brand that continues to set a standard of what quality control is in fashion. In this new collaboration, Vans and Our Legacy release a total of 8 different shoes to capture a variety of style. The Legacy pack consist of 3 different silhouettes in 3 different colorways(Sunburst Orange, Pirate Black, or Off White), all the classic Vans models. The Old Skool, The HalfCab, and The Authentic. Each shoe model contains a durable nylon upper and high quality urethane foxing with the classic waffle sole. This is definitely one of the most hyped collaborations of this year, and expect to see a follow up early next year!

Images courtesy of Blends LLC