California skate culture, throwback look inspires Old Skool Vans trend

Students skate through crowds, pressing the soles of their Vans into their skateboards and zooming down the cement path en route to their next classes.

With the increasing prevalence of skate culture on campus, Old Skool Vans shoes – skating shoes that debuted in 1977 with the famous jazz stripe – can be seen among student skaters and non-skaters at UCLA.

In 2014, Vans added new material and style options for their classic side-stripe Old Skool shoe. Although styles like the classic monochrome Vans with white stitching remain best-sellers, the Old Skool look has become popular among students because of its connection to skate culture.

In addition to the sleek design, consumers choose Vans because they are one of the most popular skate shoes in the market, said Mark Abad, a third-year psychobiology student. Whereas other sneaker brands such as Converse get beat up around the bottom after skateboarding, Vans makes shoes with soles specialized for boarding, Abad said.

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Founded in Anaheim, California, Old Skool Vans have recently made a comeback because they are a symbol of skate culture, a look endemic to Southern California, said Amy Cho, the Fashion and Student Trends club co-president. Cho herself dons a pair of Vans when she is going for a more relaxed, California cute look, she said.

“The way Vans are marketed influences how we view the (Old Skool style),” Cho said. “The style is advertised and associated with palm trees, California sun and skateboards by the beach.”

However, the Old Skool Vans are not exclusively targeted toward skaters, but rather anybody interested in the skate culture look, which is often defined by minimalistic and comfortable clothing such as graphic tees, snapbacks and jeans, said Trent Nettles, a first-year business economics student.

“Even though I do not skate, I draw inspiration from the Old Skool Vans which are very classic, symbolic shoes of skate culture,” said Nettles, who bought his Old Skool Vans during the summer after compiling his skate-themedTumblr blog and noting the rising popularity of the classic style.

For the non-skaters who wear Old Skool Vans, it is less about wearing practical boarding shoes and more about making a statement about fitting into the California skating look, said Matthew Zahn, a third-year psychology student who bought his Old Skool Vans over the summer.

The bold stripe cutting across the side of the shoe is a minimalistic design that draws non-skaters toward buying them, said Nithya Menon, a first-year chemical engineering student who bought her pair of Old Skool Vans during the summer.

“Although durability is a reason I buy Vans, I would not buy them if they did not look good,” Menon said. “I bought the (Old Skool) style because the stripe looks very cool and sleek.”

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The resurfacing of the classic throwback style demonstrates a larger trend of people being drawn to looks that are inspired by previous fads, Cho said. The Old Skool Vans are reminiscent of retro skate looks from the 1980s that emphasize casual comfort, Cho said. The Old Skool Vans were popularized in the late 1970s and early 1980s, so they are emblematic of the classic skater look people are trying to pull off in an attempt to fit into the growing trend of nostalgic throwback fashion, Cho said.

On campus, the Old Skool Vans trend has grown partially because many students see skate fashion around them when students skateboard to class, Cho said.

“A lot of people at UCLA ride skateboards which makes others interested in buying the Old Skool Vans because they see the familiar style and think it fits in with the campus’ Cali vibe,” Cho said.