February 13, 2025

Old Skool, New Rules: Vans Reimagines an Icon for the Next Generation

The Vans Old Skool has always been more than a skate shoe. It’s a symbol of rebellion, creativity, and the underground scenes that shaped culture.


First released in 1977, the Style 36—aka the Old Skool—was the second skate shoe Vans ever made and the first to feature the iconic Sidestripe™. It was designed for those who move to their own beat, both on and off the board. From punk’s gritty dive bars to Warped Tour stages and hip-hop’s underground cyphers, the Old Skool has been laced up by artists, outcasts, and game-changers who redefine the sound of their generation.


This year, Vans is taking it up a notch with the Premium Old Skool Music Collection, a lineup of three drops that remix iconic eras of music and skate history. The result is a premium build featuring upgraded comfort, archival details, and the same raw attitude that made the Old Skool legendary.

The first drop throws it back to the energy of punk and hardcore, featuring bold leopard print and standout solids straight from the ’70s and ’80s. The second drop rewinds to the era of Vans Warped Tour—mosh pits, stage dives, and endless summer energy. Its Classic Checkerboard, two-tone colourways, and flame prints capture the rebellious spirit of Y2K. The last drop features vibrant colourways on gum soles that call back to when underground hip hop took the Old Skool to new places.

Built to push boundaries, the Vans Premium Old Skool Build takes an icon and levels it up. With enhanced cushioning, a dialed-in fit and archival details, this evolution stays true to its roots while stepping into the future. The updated silhouette delivers a more seamless feel and features 30% biobased Sola Foam ADC insoles for all-day comfort. Glossy sidewalls, higher foxing tape, and throwback branding bring that ’90s-era edge, proving once again that Old Skool never fades, it just gets better.

 

For the collection, Vans tapped into musicians and Vans Skate Team athletes who embody the duality between both creative mediums, united through shared communities and raw emotion, including The Paranoyds and Nelly Morville, Voice of Baceprot and Basral Graito, Little Simz and Helena Long as well as Hi-Tech and Etienne Gagné. These crews shape cultural narratives through their creative endeavors and uplift the “Off The Wall” mindset with the Old Skool on their feet

 

The Premium Old Skool Music Collection will drop monthly beginning February 13 at Vans retail locations and at Vans.co.za.

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