This time it's not about an Air Jordan, Yeezy Boost or New Balance, but about an (often underrated) silhouette from the Vans Company. The clean, minimalist Vans Authentic has iconic status in the skater scene, but has also made it far among sneakerheads.
For these reasons, you, the sneakerjagers, and all the Vans lovers out there, deserve to know all the information about origin, materials, sizing and design. Check it out and even learn something! 🤓
Here comes the ultimate Vans Authentic FAQ!
When did the first Vans Authentic come onto the market?
The first Vans Authentic was launched in 1966. The year that brothers Paul and Jim Van Doren founded their own shoe production company called 'Van Doren Rubber Company' (today: Vans) in Anaheim, California, is also the year that the very first Vans model was launched.
The Vans Authentic was still sold under the name 'Style 44'. It was produced 12 times in its first year.
How are Vans Authentic made?
The Vans Authentic are handmade, vulcanised and without filler.
The Vans Authentic are not only a feast for the eyes, but also meet the highest quality standards in terms of materials and workmanship. The Rubber Sole is vulcanised, which means that the pure rubber is liquefied in huge ovens and the drying process creates a strong bond with the cotton upper.
Other manufacturers often use filling material. The whole thing was handmade back then, nowadays some processes are automated, but each shoe is inspected by human quality control.
Vans Authentic vs. Vans Era - what's the difference?
The difference is in the padded collar, the different materials and the colorways.
Although the two models appear very similar, they differ in target group and workmanship. While the 'Authentic' was considered a lifestyle and casual shoe, the Vans Era started as a dedicated skate shoe through sustainable durable materials and extra padding around the ankle.
Designed by skate fanatics Tony Alva and Stacy Peralta, the Vans Era met the highest technical demands of skate sports.
What Vans Authentic Collaborations are there?
There are well-known collabos on the Vans Authentic model with famous designers like Kaws and Karl Lagerfeld, and bands like Metallica. There are also special series on films like Star Wars and Disney characters.
In 2007, a hotly anticipated special series was released, featuring artwork by art and comic greats such as Kaws, Stash, Gary Panter, Geoff McFetridge, Dave Flores, Futura, Mr. Cartoon, Sam Messner, Taka Hayashi, Tony Munoz, Todd James and Neckface for the popular series "The Simpsons". Today, these masterpieces from 2007 are not even available on StockX.
In 2013, Vans then collaborated with the band Metallica and designed a collection. This year, in 2021, the band and the shoe brand came together again to design a collection dedicated to the 30th anniversary of "The Black Album".
The collabo with Comme de Garcons or the versions with Disney characters are still very popular.
Do Vans Authentic fit true to size?
Vans shoes are unisex - experience shows that the size corresponds to your actual shoe size.
Now that you know everything about the model through the Vans Authentic FAQ and you want to buy Authentic, here is an overview of selected models in classic colorways and a few collabo models that are still available:
The Vans x Bedwin Collection is also still available. Let's see how long the pieces, which were created in collaboration with the brand from Tokyo, will be on the market…
For upcoming releases of the skatebrand and all other relevant brands it is absolutely necessary to check our release calendar. How could you live without it until now?!