Vans Trainers - Some Facts
The creator of the Van establishment was Paul Van Doren. He was born in 1930 and grew up in and around the Boston region. Paul’s first job was arranged by his mother who, despairing about his absence of interest in school, found him a position in the shoe manufacturing plant where she worked. This is where Paul first learned about shoes, serving, as it were, his apprenticeship.. Paul did well in the shoe business and due to hard work grew into Executive Vice President of Boston shoe firm Randy’s. Paul went directly into the shoe industry for himself with three partners and formed the Van Doren Rubber Company, setting-up the factory in California in 1966. Paul was a good businessman and immediately saw the difference between the profit margins of factory and shop, the outcome being he decided to go for retail also, in order to capture the additional profits and, on opening day 16th March 1966, he sold twelve pairs of Vans deck shoes (known in the future as Authentic).
The 1970s witnessed a time period of expansion for the company maily because of a range of new products and styles including rubber mukluks (for the US Government) and wool lined canvas shoes.Vans were a big hit with skateboarders, who appreciated the hardness of the trainers and cherished the sole’s slightly sticky nature, which provides grip. Vans were very popular in California throughout this period.
The Vans Era was released in 1975, although at the time it was known as the Vans #95. The Era featured a padded collar and a range of color combinations and quickly became the shoe of choice for a whole generation of skateboarders. The ubiquitous Vans Slip-on was introduced in 1979. It became incredibly popular with skateboarders and BMX bike riders. This habitual development of massively successful new products brought the business much success and consequently the business owned as many as 70 outlets in California by the end of the 1970s. Around this period Vans went first national and then international, opening retail outlets and working with distributors..
The 1980s can now be seens as something of a time of great change and upheaval for the company. The company contuned to introduce great new products onto the market. So as to compete with the really big established companies in the market the company created trainers for markets outside of the skateboarding and BMX worlds and moved into the markets of surfing, wake-boardings and motor cross. Vans Slip-ons became incredibly popular, gaining sales all over the world.
During this period Paul Van Doren stepped-back from over-all day-to-day engagement.
Vans became something of a victim of its own success and cash became a problem. The situation came to a head and Vans declared bankruptcy in 1983. Vans eventually got back on its feet over a three year period and even managed to pay-off its creditors. Eventually an investment bank bought-out the company: the establishment went on to be sold several times.
Vans came out of the 80s stronger, which led to success in the 1990s. Strategically things changed. The company moved manufacturing out of the USA, which unfortunately meant that the company’s manufacturing history in California came to an end as the plant there was closed. Advancing Vans started to sponsor events such as the ‘Inaugural Triple Crown’ series which eventually became the ‘Vans Triple Crown’ series, along with the ‘Warped Tour’ music festival. The company opened skate parks: first in 1998 in Orange County and the second in 2002 in Orlando. Naming rights are also important and Vans has, for example, the naming rights to Australia’s internationally famous Bowl-a-Rama location.
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