Vans
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Vans is a Southern California-based manufacturer of sneakers, skateboarding shoes and other shoe types catering primarily to the skateboarder/surfer youth market. Founded on March 15, 1966 by Steve Van Doren in Southern California, it was originally known as Van Doren Rubber Company. American production of Vans shoes ended in July 1995.
At first, Vans shoes were produced in the store. Vans would take a custom order from the customer, then have it ready for pick-up a few days later. In the beginning, Vans designed their shoes with a diamond tread. Later on, the middle part of each shoe cracked and fell apart during heavy use, prompting Vans to add vertical lines in the tread to increase strength, friction and grip. The tread was officially named the "waffle-sole." Today, Vans works heavily in the surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, urban and punk markets. The brand has also become popular over the last two years after re-introducing their much-loved slip-on. They have also marketed additional items such as clothing and skateboarding accessories.
[edit] Music scene
Vans has sponsored the Vans Warped Tour, a punk / ska music and extreme sports festival since 1995. In recent years, the bay area hip-hop scene has begun to show interest in the brand, which has been popularized by the hip-hop group The Pack. The punk / ska band The Suicide Machines wrote The Vans Song as a tribute to the brand, and the rap group The Pack followed suit with their song, Vans. Even parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic often wears Vans shoes that match his Hawaiian shirts.
