In the fictional sneaker hall of fame, there would surely be at least one pair of Vans. Which one, though, is a hotly contested topic, at least for mega-fans of the brand. Some pledge allegiance to the Era, a lace-up skateboarding sneaker with a padded collar. Others are all-in on the Old Skool, another lace-up with more eyelets and the famous “jazz stripe” across its upper. Most folks, whether they’re super-fans or not, own a pair of Classic Slip-Ons, probably in the classic checkerboard colorway.
But the most popular is the original — and no, that’s not its name.
Vans’s First Five Sneakers: Authentic (1966), Era (1976), Old Skool (1977), Sk8-Hi (1978), Classic Slip-On (1982)
The Authentic, first called the #44 Deck Shoe, was the Vans brand’s first sneaker. On March 16, 1966, company history recounts, 12 people lined up outside their first-ever store, a modest brick-and-mortar in Anaheim, California, to reserve a pair of their own. They put in their purchase order that morning and picked the shoes up that afternoon, because each one was made to order in the back of the shop. They’ve obviously since abandoned this business model, but the Authentic remains.
It was the brand’s best-seller until 2005, but has since been surmounted. It remains high-ranking, though. It has tough competition internally, of course, but it’s revered for its simplicity and durability still, the same hallmarks that made it popular in the late ’60s.
ZapposVans Authentic
Pros
- Come in lots of colors
- Durable
- Cheap
Cons
- Lack arch support
- Tight for wide feet
