Vans opened on March 16, 1966, at 704 E. Broadway in Anaheim as The Van Doren Rubber Company. Its founders were brothers Paul and Jim Van Doren with partners Gordon Lee and Serge Delia, according to the brand. Vans is headquartered in Costa Mesa and owned by VF Corporation.
The shoes
The Authentic came first, in 1966. The Era followed in 1976, designed with Tony Alva and Stacy Peralta, the same year the Off the Wall logo debuted. The Old Skool, the first shoe with the Sidestripe, and the Slip-On arrived in 1977, and the Sk8-Hi in 1978.
2026
For the Authentic’s 60th year, Vans launched a global Off The Wall campaign in March 2026 featuring SZA, Hayley Williams, Travis Barker, Lizzie Armanto, Franz Lyons and T-Funk. In May, VF reported that Vans’ direct-to-consumer sales in the Americas had returned to growth for the first time in more than four years.
Where to find it
Vans sells through VF-operated stores, specialty and chain retailers, partner stores and vans.com.
Sources
- Vans: Since ’66
- NBC San Diego: Vans founder dies at 90
- Vans: Off The Wall Authentic campaign
- VF Corporation: Full-year results
Featured photo: ajay_suresh via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. The photo shows a Vans store.
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