With the vintage look back in full swing, Vans have gained popularity once again flying off the shelves with unique designs at a seriously fair price. For this reason, we’ve decided to take a look at what is arguably the company’s most popular model: the Old Skool! Are they really worth all the hype? Come along with us as we take a deeper dive, fam.
The Vans Old Skool skate shoe is hailed as both classic and timeless, beginning their popularity since debuting as “Style 36” in 1977. The shoe also helped popularize the iconic Vans “sidestripe” and was their first skate shoe with leather panels. Besides that, the shoes are fairly low technology, making them affordable. This certainly helped propel them into the spotlight! The shoe also got some crazy advertisement in the 1982 film “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” in which the classic stoner character Jeff Spicoli wore the Checkerboard Authentics ultimately popularizing the brand across America.
The Vans Old Skool is a classic shoe for a relatively low price, coming in at $60.00. For a price like this, it’s fairly easy to see why the shoe is so popular. The shoes are durable, being able to last for years without any (or very little) tears or holes depending on how much you wear them. The design also differs from other shoes. They share a side stripe with their high-top “Sk8-Hi” counterpart but lack the high ankle support. This takes nothing away from the shoe, however, this makes it easier to wear and style with other pieces. Most colorways are also available in a ton of different sizes, going up to size 16 for the gents and size 17.5 for the ladies.
Customers often indicate that they would continue to buy them over and over again. When asked which Vans they wear the most, Reddit user u/rokirole answered, “Old Skools, they look the best.” Old Skools are classic, durable, and have a great design. Despite this, however, the shoes still do have some flaws.
Although the Old Skools are seemingly perfect, there are some small issues that make a big difference between perfect shoes and just great ones. These issues include the fact that Old Skools just are not very comfortable, as they can scratch at the back of the wearer’s foot, and the tongue often displaces. These two issues, although small, contribute to the discomfort when they are in action on your feet. The shoe makes up for this, however, by having a comfortable insole, which keeps a nice amount of stress off of the foot. The shoes are great for their price, but they do have flaws which hold the shoe back from being perfect.
What’s our recap? Well, the classic Vans Old Skool is a relatively good shoe for its price! They only cost $60.00 and are always on shelves despite them being an extremely popular shoe. They are also durable, have a unique design, and available in many sizes. Despite this, they aren’t perfect, as they are slightly uncomfortable. They somewhat make up for this issue, however, by having a comfortable insole. For its affordability and design, however, we here at AudiblWAV rate the Vans Old Skool’s 4/5. They are almost perfect but have flaws that hold them back from being a 5/5. These classics have proven their worth in our books, being wearable with anything, and helping spice up wardrobes across the globe.
Let us know what you think in the comments!
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