Yes!  I have been waiting for you, Vans Chauffeur Stripes.  You are an elusive one.  I’ve been scouring the hills for a low profile boat shoe, something with a little more pizzazz, if you will.  I wasn’t entirely smitten with your sibling, the Zapato Del Barco.  But it was the only vegan boat shoe I could find.  But there are so many canvas boat shoes, you say… bah!!!  They always use the stupid leather strip to wind around the heel.  Damn them, damn them to hell.  But no matter: Vans finest minds ingeniously substituted a plain white round lace; a very elegant solution.  Summer, I am now ready for you.

Available at Premier

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Gotta heart the Vans Chukka Boot. Thanks for making this in canvas. Would like to see this in black upper with a WHITE SOLE.   Come on, black on black just looks weird, especially with the vulcanized sole.

Available at Zappos: Red, White, Black for $55

Vans always updates their classics with different materials and colors, but without seeming trite or played out.  They always manage to stay ahead of the curve.  This Era Piqué pack is no different.  Here, they incorporated a twilled cotton upper, similar to that used in polo shirts, but with a raised weave of parallel cords.  This gives it a plush, soft look, and the colors really pop.  I’m really digging the color combos on these.  Maybe not so much the black, but the red and yellow are especially dope.

Available at select Vans retailers.  You can get the red and black at Premier.

Source: Nice Kicks

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I have to come right out of the gate and say, sorry for phoning this one in.  I wanted to find something, anything, interesting to write about for 4/20, but… this sort of fell in my lap.  You all knew this was coming.  This isn’t actually that new, but I have been seeing this Vans Classic “Hemp Pack” popping up all over.

It is a little too apropo, isn’t it?  You know, Hemp, Jamaica, Rastafari culture… WEED?  Follow the logic here.  Except the irony of it is that the whole Rastafarian belief system is likely to be anti-commercialism as personified in the now all too corporate Vans company.  BUT, you have to believe that any of those dudes (and dudettes) would be tickled that people around the world are celebrating these colors.

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Hey guys! It’s Steph here. Sorry for not posting in such long time.

Just wanted to show you my new sneakers:

The classic Vans Era.  Very nice to wear with rolled cuffs. I’ve got to confess they hurt me a bit in the first days, but now they’re very comfy.  I love Vans’ style and the fact that they got lots of shoes and accessories without leather. What do you think about them?

Here’s my pick of the week.  Another fine colorway from Vans with this 106 in grey pinstripe.  Subtle and unadorned, but still stands out from a crowd.

Available at Urban Outfitters for $65.

Yo, I know I’ve been on the skate shoe tip a little too hard lately, but I had to put up one more.  I just couldn’t resist.  These new Vans Old Skool in all black canvas are just way too nice.  I was never a huge fan of the Old Skool, mainly because I wasn’t feeling the color combos.  But when I saw this colorway, I understood why it’s such a classic.  The silhouette is so sleek, and paired with the right colors, it can really work.  Here’s such an example.

NOTE, however, that the lining on the top of the inside part of the ankle.  It looks a little glossy from the picture.  It might be a leather liner.  But it might be synthetic, or maybe waxed canvas?  I’ll update when I find out about that.

UPDATE 3/20/11: Thanks for the comments everyone, I just wanted to confirm withchall that my sources confirm that the upper is entirely textile (or perhaps synthetic), as verified by this photo below… which is great because I really wanted to get a pair.

Available at Premier and Zappos. [also available in "pure" white]

By the way, Vans released a whole bunch of shoes in canvas for spring 2011.  I already highlighted the Half Cab.  I’m not too crazy about the other ones, plus the Zero Lo has some suede on it.  Let me know what you guys think!

Hey everyone, I got back from my trip a short while ago, and just finished settling in.  I wasn’t going to do anything for the blog until tomorrow, but I figured you were all itching to find out what I had up my sleeve, and were going into withdrawal for your sneaker fix.  Well wait no more, peoples.  I present to you, the Vans Half Cab in canvas.  Mike, who gave me the scoop, put it as “the other holy grail” of vegan sneakers/shoes (the first one being the Nike Dunk).  Ah, yes, one of the best and most loved skate shoes of all time.  Much like other Vans classics, these don’t go out of style.  Oh, and they are great for skating too (though the canvas probably won’t last as well as the suede).

Available in Black, Blue, and Red – with white sole.  Currently, only on sale at the Vans Online Store in black, for $55.  UPDATE: Also available at Zappos in red and black, $55.  More colors to be issued sooner rather than later, hopefully.

Source: 510 Skateboarding

Back in the day (and by that, I mean a year ago), I rocked a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor low reds.  I received compliments about them all the time, but I now I wonder if they secretly thought they looked like I came out of the circus.  I lacked the self-awareness at the time to give it much thought.  I just took it at face value.  It’s either a flaw or asset, I’m not sure which at the moment.

But enough about me.  I doubt anyone will be clowning (heh) you about these.  The canvas Vans Chukka Boot has been elusive, but I finally found one.  Bright Red isn’t the most versatile color, but it’s still really dope.  I don’t think they can really screw this one up.  Sittin on some white gums, topped also with pearly white laces for a nice contrast.

Available at Karmaloop for a reasonable $55.

UPDATE 2/17/11: Also available at Zappos in Red and Black/Black.

Vans Era Reissue NS CA Blue Mirage.  Quite a mouthful.  I know it’s not the time of year for this yet, but I couldn’t help myself.  Plus, it’s not cold and crappy everywhere in the world right now (I’m looking at you, southern hemisphere).  But a pair of these will brighten anyone’s day.  Vans California keeps coming out with the best designs and colors in their staple shoes, like the Era.  Here, they did it simple – baby blue canvas, black stripe around the sole, and clean white laces.  Nothing fancy, hell, not even anything new.  But it works, and we keep coming back.  God, when will they make the Chukka Del Barco without the leather laces!  Killing me!

Available at Karmaloop for $65.