How Vans Updated the Iconic Old Skool Skate Shoe for 2025

For the present and future, Vans looked to the past. The brand is releasing an all-new version of the Old Skool, inspired by the iconic shoe model’s rich history in skateboarding and music. The original Old Skool debuted in 1977 as a shoe designed by and for skateboarders. It was the second skate shoe silhouette from Vans and the first to feature the Sidestripe—a design element that makes Vans shoes instantly recognizable today. To celebrate the launch of the Premium Old Skool and its history, Vans hosted an archive exhibition at the Kohn Gallery in Los Angeles last week. “The photo of Stacy Peralta displayed in the exhibit is the earliest known image of someone wearing it,” Vans Archivist Catherine Acosta tells Complex. “This lays the foundation for a pivotal skate moment in the ’70s”

Vans has been integral in various alternative subcultures in America since its founding in 1966. The first group to adopt the shoe was skateboarders in California, who appreciated the sticky gum sole and durability. By the end of the ’70s, Vans had expanded nationally and become synonymous with skate shoes. As Vans’ popularity grew within the skate community, its influence extended to the punk scene. “People who skated naturally gravitated towards punk and hardcore. And if you were wearing [Vans], it was a symbol that you had a connection to these subcultures,” Acosta elaborates. “This is why we started exploring the cultural adaptation of Vans through music on a larger scale.”

The release of the Premium Old Skool Music Collection is divided into three drops, each representing a music era that helped define Vans: punk of the ’70s, the Vans Warped Tour of the 2000s, and hip-hop of the 2010s. The Premium Old Skool incorporates design cues from each of these decades—prints, glossy sidewalls, and throwback branding—while integrating modern elements. The silhouette has been updated with a sustainable 30% biobased Sola Foam insole, improving the fit and feel.

The first of the three drops—the ’70s-’80s Punk capsule featuring a leopard-print Premium Old Skool—drops February 6. The collection ranges from $90 to $95 and will be available for purchase here.