Here’s another one from Vans.  The Del Norte: you’ve seen it before but you haven’t.  Inspired by the chukka, it has a more laid back profile and slimmer sole.  Comes in less bold colors as well.  There’s even an all black version.  Features hemp or “enzyme washed” canvas uppers, and a comfy removable vanslite footbed.  You know it’s vegan friendly when Vans is promoting the fact that they are made with water based glues and inks too.

Available at Premier (blue, green), Zappos (blue), and Swell (black).  More pics after the jump!

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Spring is here in New York, and my attention is turning towards warm weather skippies.  That means a whole lot of Vans, probably.  It’s just so easy to take their standards and re-issue them with different colors and materials.  This time Vans is releasing the Era in three different “distressed” canvas colorways.  It’s a slight variation, but the washed look really makes it stand out more than the standard canvas.

Available at Premier.

UPDATE 3/5/12: Sorry guys it was brought to my attention that the toecap is leather.  I didn’t pay close enough attention on that one, which is too bad.  These are really nice.

Vans continues to tweak the formula of their much loved (by me at least) Chukka boot.  The California Chukka TC is virtually the same, with the noticeable difference being the rubber toe cap.  There are more subtle touches, such as the metal eyelets and a patterned outsole.  And the silhouette to me appears a little more refined, flatter near the toe.  It’s a great “upgrade” to those who may think the original Chukka boot is a little boring.

Available at DQM and Bows and Arrows.

Vans has managed to keep their classics fresh with different color combinations and collaborations.  And we’ve seen them mix it up with various materials such as denim, corduroy, chambray, etc.  I have to give them credit for trying something I’ve never seen before – these three Era models incorporate Neoprene, a synthetic material commonly used in wetsuits.  Not sure how they will pan out, but my guess is that they will be more comfy (and water repellant) than the canvas ones.  Available in grey, black, and blue.

Available at Vans DQM General (in store, not web) in New York.

Source: Freshness Mag

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I thought I’ve listed every single Vans canvas shoe at least twice on this blog, so thank you Vans for putting out something new.  The Vans Style 31 is pretty much re-treading the same tried and true formula – the high gum sole and silhouette a la Authentic and Era.  But there are some noticeable differences.  Primarily, you can see that the lace loops are wider, giving it a look more like the Chuck Taylor All Star.  That’s pretty much it.  If you want something the same, but different, give these a look.

Available in navy at Urban Outfitters.

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Hawaiian skate shop In4mation has teamed up with Vans OTW previously, but I never seen it widely available.  Thankfully, they’ve re-released the Bedford (in denim) and you can get them at skate shops and other online retailers.  They changed the sole from before, but brown gum works for me.  Use white and you pretty much have a Half-Cab.

Anyway, you can get these at Premier for $80. Click down for more pics.

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I feel a strong sense of deja vu as I write about this new pack – Vans Era and Half Cab in blue and black denim.  I just hear this voice in the back of my head that they’ve done this before.  Oh well.  If Vans is not original, at least the shoes look good.  At least to me, anyway.  If you don’t already have some denim sneaks in your collection, here’s your chance.  I get the sense that Era is more frequently updated with different colors and materials, while the Half Cabs, not as much.  Then again, the Half Cab’s popularity with nostalgic skater dudes such as myself is undeniable.  Pick some up now and keep them on ice, who knows when they’ll be available in this style again.

NOTE: THE ERA IN BLACK DENIM APPEARS TO HAVE A SUEDE HEEL.

Available at Nice Kicks.

Click down for more pics

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Hey all, sorry I haven’t been around in a minute.  I’ve had a busy week-and-a-half, with moving and starting a new job.  Needless to say, I’ve been squeezed for time.  Speaking of work, I had to deal with the semi-trivial problem of figuring out what to wear for “Casual Friday.”  This is the first time I’ve ever worked in a corporate setting, so it was a novel scenario for me.  Come to think of it, I’ve never had to wear business casual, so I basically have to figure out a whole new wardrobe without breaking the bank.

There is a point to this story.  I needed to figure out what shoes to wear.  Someone told me no sneakers.  But then someone said sneakers are okay, but no flashy ones.  Alright, I get that.  But which ones are acceptable?  Fortunately, I had a pair of black Converse Chuck Taylor’s on hand, and that seemed to fly with the my bosses.

If you want to play it safe in that type of situation, you can’t go wrong with something like the Vans Del Norte Mid.  It’s ankle boot style is slightly more formal, but it’s still a pair of Vans sneakers that you can wear to do pretty much anything.  The mid cut is great if you’re wearing more fitted pants, and the low profile sole keeps the profile even lower.  Overall, it’s pretty much a cleaner, slimmer version of the Chukka Boot.

You can pick up this gray version at Zumiez.  They also make a brown upper with black sole at Karmaloop.

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Anyone who spends more than 2 minutes on this blog (and I know you are few.  I know, I check these things) will come to the realization that I love me my Vans.  I guess it’s because I grew up skateboarding, but I really think their sneaks are very stylish and simple, yet standouts, without looking like they’re trying too hard.  The Chukka Del Barco, the latest rendition of the boat shoe is case in point.  The Zapato Del Barco is already in my mind a classic.  The boat shoe, as a style,  is now a summer staple, and a lot of them are made out of canvas uppers, but most brands insist on still using leather laces to wrap around the sides.  Fortunately, Vans did away with that, simply using regular round cotton laces.  The style is unaffected, and the shoe is happily leather-free.

Now Vans has gone and taken the Zapato boat shoe mold and turned it into a Chukka.  What a move.  It works perfectly.  Maybe I’m biased because I love Chukka boots, but this one really stands out in my mind. Hope you guys like these as much as I do!

Now available in the colors shown above and below at Zappos for $65.

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I’m pretty sure that the Vans LPE is a dead wringer for the Authentic, but I couldn’t resist.  First it was the low profile, slim shoe.  Now it’s all about the low sole.  I’m a big fan.  I think that if you don’t skateboard, you really don’t need all that grippy white gum.  You’re not going to be using it for any reason other than looking fresh, and the sole can sometimes overwhelm the look of the shoe.  Which is why I like this slight alteration of the Authentic – it’s basically the same shoe, but now the sole is proportional with the general dimensions of the shoe.

The non-leather colorways are grey chambray (always dope), black on black, black with white stitching, and pure white.

Available at Zappos.

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