Vans is an American based manufacturer of sneakers, BMX shoes, snowboarding boots, skateboarding and other shoe types catering primarily to the skateboarder/surfer/snowboarder youth market. They also sell apparel and accessories catering to this same youth market. I have never had one of these pair shoes, but I really want to have one of these, even if I am not skateboarding. These look good on any color of jeans, and feel comfortable. The best thing is they are nor expensive shoes, and they make many different colors also.
History of the VANS from wikipedia
On March 16, 1966, at 704 E. Broadway, in Anaheim, California, Paul Van Doren and three partners opened up their first store. The Van Doren Rubber Company was unique in that it manufactured shoes and sold them directly to the public. On that first morning, 12 customers purchased Vans deck shoes, which are now known as Authentic. The shoes which were made that day were ready for pick-up in the afternoon.
The company continued to grow into the 1970s. During this period they also produced wool lined canvas and rubber mukluks under contract to the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Air Force. Skateboarders who liked Vans rugged make-up and sticky sole were seen sporting Vans all over Southern California in the early 1970s. In 1975, the Vans #95, known today as the Era was designed by Tony Alva and Stacy Peralta. With a padded collar and different color combinations the Era became the shoe of choice for a generation of skateboarders. In 1979, Vans introduced the #44 shoe, and with the help of skateboarders and BMX riders the Vans Slip-On became all the rage in Southern California. By the end of the 1970s, Vans had 70 stores in California and sold through dealers both nationally and internationally.
As the 1980s rolled around,Paul Van Doren began to take a lesser role in the companies’ activities. Over this period, Vans started to create shoes for a number of sports from skateboarding, wakeboarding, motor cross, to surfing in an effort to compete with large athletic shoe companies. Vans Slip-Ons gained international attention and appeal when they were worn by Sean Penn in the 1982, iconic youth film
Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Although Vans core shoes were selling well, the wide range of products that the company now offered had drained the companies’ resources, and with Vans not able to overcome its debt they were forced to file for bankruptcy in 1983.
After three years, Vans had paid back all creditors and emerged from bankruptcy. In 1988 Vans original owners sold out to an investment banking firm. The company has been sold several times since; most recently for $396 million in 2004 to Greensboro, N.C.-based VF Corp. Steve Van Doren, the son of co-founder Paul Van Doren, is still with the company, as is his sister Cheryl and his daughter Kristy. Vans closed their
Orange, California factory and began manufacturing footwear overseas in 1994. In
1994, Vans sponsored the Inaugural Triple Crown series which developed into the
Vans Triple Crown series. In
1998, Vans opened a 46,000-square-foot (4,300 m
2), indoor-outdoor Vans Skate park at the Block in
Orange County and in
2002 an enclosed skatepark was opened in the
Festival Bay Mall on
International Drive in
Orlando, Florida. In
2000 and
2001,
Forbes recognized Vans as one of "America’s Best Small Companies." In
2004, Vans launched the Vans Customs on their website. This allowed customers to log onto the Vans website and design their own pair of Vans Slip-ons, mid-cuts, or high-tops. Nowadays, it allows for the design of custom Era, Slip-On,Old Skool, and 106 Vulcanized shoes.
Vans has been the primary sponsor of the
Warped Tour music festival since 1995.
New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. (NBAS), best known as simply New Balance, is a footwear manufacturer based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1906 as the New Balance Arch Support Company. Eschewing expensive advertising campaigns, it has nevertheless grown to be one of the largest makers of sports footwear in the world.
New Balance is notable in that it has continued to maintain a manufacturing presence in the United States as well as in the United Kingdom for the European market—in contrast to its competitors in the same market space, such as Nike and Adidas, who design products in the US and Europe, but purchase the majority of their Footwear and Apparel from manufacturers in China, Vietnam, and other developing nations. The result of this corporate decision is that the shoes tend to be more expensive than New Balance's competitors. To offset this pricing discrepancy, New Balance differentiates their products with technical innovations , such as a blend of gel inserts, heel counters, and a greater selection of sizes, particularly for very narrow and/or very wide widths.
New Balance is one of few shoe manufacturers to offer the majority of its shoes in a wide range of widths, typically men's range from B to 6E with 3 other widths in between (D, 2E, 4E) and one narrower offering (2A). Women's range from 4A to 4E with four widths to choose from in between (2A, B, D, 2E).
New Balance does not give names to the shoes it sells, instead referring to them by a 2, 3, or 4 digit model number. This is done to "place an emphasis on the New Balance philosophy, not any one particular shoe". When a shoe is redesigned, the model number is increased by one. The numbering system originated from the price. The Tracker 320 was $32, the 990 was $99, etc. However, now the model number reflects the quality of the shoe. If the shoe has a higher number it will have more cushioning and stability than a lower number shoe. The New Balance is really comfortable shoes. I have had one pair of these, even if my store does not carry these shoes. These are not very expensive, and this look really great and comfortable.
