Vans' new Knu Skools just got bigger

Vans' Old Skools are undeniably one of the most iconic shoes of the 90s, a black and white low top silhouette that has been copied far and wide for decades, and has always managed to meet the needs of skaters, from the earliest generations of one of the most underground sports in history, to contemporary ones. This year Vans has revisited the Knu Skool making this modern reinterpretation of the Old Skool even chunkier. From the soft upper to the platform sole, every element of this new design recalls the oversized style of the sneaker beloved by skaters, made even more practical thanks to the addition of a heel tab.

Originally called Style 36, the Old Skools debuted on the American market in 1977 as an alternative to the #44 deck shoe created by the founders of Vans, the Van Doren brothers, eleven years earlier. Starting with a line we know today as the jazz stripe, the brand's legendary signature stripe, the design was quickly sketched out by Paul Van Doren. Leather layers and a suede toe were added to the trainer for the first time in the brand's history, details that contributed greatly to the Old Skool's inclusion in skate culture due to their durability. In the 1980s many fans of the trainer enjoyed customising it, while by the 1990s it had begun to be worn not only by pro skaters, but also by rock and hip hop stars. It spawned collaborations with brands such as Supreme, Stussy, and world famous artists like Tyler the Creator, projects that made the trainer a staple of underground and street culture, both vintage and contemporary.Elevated both metaphorically and structurally, Vans' new Knu Skools take a great classic loved in the whole wide world renewing its history. The launch campaign features Irene Kim, founder of IRENEISGOOD, and British rapper and musician Little Simz, two artists whose unique, hip hop style fully represents the Vans community, on a bright orange and blue colour block background.