This was the year that Vans moved from being a counter culture shoe primarily for the skate community, to crossing over into the “urban” market. When a brand becomes worn by more than one community the brand typically sees a serious spike in sales and that was the case for Vans this year. This shoe however was not the reason for the crossover appeal. It should have been. As simple as the classic Vans Sk8 is, the updated version took on the Nike Duckboot and other Sneaker boots. Van dropped this waterproof and winter ready version. The cup sole was replaced by a sticky lugged outsole, premium suede and Gore-tex upper, and premium leather making it one of the most expensive Vans dropped and it’s well worth it. While the shoe isn’t eye catching in the same sense as a Retro or a trainer, doing your grown man doesn’t get any cleaner than this Bison colorway. The shoe also dropped in a more rugged Ultra version and in a black MTE and olive. I know this isn’t a big standout drop. It’s not like copping something traditional and I also know that another Vans showed up on this list, but that is a testament to Vans stepping up and looking beyond subculture to go more mainstream without sacrificing what made them dope in streetwear to begin with. This shoe is so simple, it’s brilliant and definitely transitions from street to casual Friday.
