Vans Sneakers Are Having a Moment in 2025

As the fashion industry embraces low-profile footwear—think of the ongoing multi-year reign of the Adidas Samba, the if-you-know-you-know Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66, and lately models coming from luxury fashion houses like Dries Van Noten—the era of the thicc sneaker is now firmly in the rear-view mirror, having given way to the era of the thin sole. In this landscape, Vans finds itself having (yet another) moment.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as they say, and after an extended hiatus from being a go-to footwear option for many, the brand is popping up a lot more often these days. The collaborations are a barometer, and over the past year we’ve seen numerous that have generated a surprising level of attention. Last summer, Vans OTW (their premium, boundary-pushing collection) collaborated with Bitcoin father Satoshi Nakamoto on the Old Skool 36. Unveiled at Paris Fashion Week, the shoe was a punk-inspired spin on the brand’s most classic skate shoe, complete with the kind of studs and pearls you’d see on a leather jacket your uncle wore at a Ramones concert in the ‘80s. These pairs are currently trading on StockX for four figures, and that energy has trickled into inline releases, specifically the Pearlized pack, which debuted last month as ComplexCon in an exclusive early release, and had some of the most consistently long lines of the entire weekend.

And then there are releases like the “Souvenir” Old Skool, which first made an appearance in August and has dominated timelines since. Inspired by the iconic “On the Pavement” messenger bag Chanel released in 2014 as part of the brand’s limited-edition Graffiti Collection, the shoe featured a spray-painted upper with a distressed tweed jazz stripe and an assortment of pins and leather overlays.

But why now? Why is a $90 skate shoe suddenly the most interesting thing in the room?

Part of it is the indie sleaze revival we’ve been threatened with for months finally taking a wearable form. We’ve also seen Vans on everyone from A$AP Rocky to Zoë Kravitz, who was recently spotted in New York pairing the Classic Slip-On with roomy brown corduroy pants. It’s a silhouette that rejects the streamlined athletic look for something grittier and more relaxed. There’s also the general move to minimal, lower profile sneakers, and after a lengthy spell of Samba supremacy, the world is looking for a new challenger to take the mantle.

And then there’s the current economic reality. Diandre Fuentes, head of design for Vans Lifestyle Footwear, told Who What Wear earlier this year that consumers are feeling “ambient financial anxiety.” When a recession looms, a $90 pair of Old Skools that look better the more you beat them up feels like a smarter investment than a $300 tech runner that looks dusty after one wear. Vans has leaned into this with their new “premium” construction techniques, using bio-based Sola Foam for comfort and higher-gloss sidewalls for that vintage look, giving people a high look for a low price.

VF Corp, Vans’ parent company, is still navigating a turnaround, with recent earnings calls highlighting a focus on “product innovation” to reverse revenue declines. But rather than focusing on manufacturing hype, Vans is choosing the more sustainable route: they’re fitting perfectly into the zeitgeist.