Vans Just Turned a Famous Sneaker into a Serious Hiking Shoe

As one of the most iconic sneakers in Vans’s entire oeuvre, the Old Skool has inspired plenty of revamps over the years. Now the brand’s premium OTW subdivision sees the shoe transformed into a rugged trail-ready hiker.

The OTW Old Skool 36 Trail Vibram brings a bounty of technical features to the Old Skool family, including Vans’s first-ever custom Vibram outsole inspired by the company’s familiar checkerboard pattern.

Vans

According to the brand, the Vibram-sourced midsole is also custom and fashioned out of EVA in lieu of vulcanized rubber — a swap that should increase comfort and support, without losing much in the durability department.

As for the upper, Vans has outfitted the OTW Old Skool 36 Trail Vibram in Dyneema, a superlight fiber famous for its exceptional weight-to-strength ratio.

Vans

Finally, the magnetic Fidlock lacing system sees to a snug fit and ease of use on the trail, while completing the Old Skool’s technical makeover.

Technical from the start

At first glance, the OTW Old Skool 36 Trail Vibram shares little in common with the original Old Skool from 1977 — apart from the famous Jazz Stripe, first drawn by Vans founder Paul Van Doren in the 1970s.

Vans

However, it’s important to remember that the OG — simply called Style 36 at the time of its initial release — was in a way Vans’s first crack at designing technical footwear.

The leather upper, replacing the typical canvas found on models like the Authentic, was initially chosen to withstand the rigors of skateboarding.

Pricing and availability

The OTW Old Skool 36 Trail Vibram arrives in two colorways — olive green and white. It will be available from November 1 with a price of $165.

Vans

Coming Soon

OTW Old Skool 36 Trail Vibram

• $165 at OTW by Vans

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