In 1966 Paul Van Doren amongst others founded 'The Van Doren Rubber Company' as it was previously known. Originally making deck shoes, skateboarders in the early 70's realised that the sticky rubber outsole, classic waffle tread and the slim profile provided them with unparalleled board feel and control. From that point on Vans saw a market and began to manufacture shoes specifically targeted at skateboards, with the 'Era' becoming the first ever Vans skate shoe in 1974. Since then, the rest has been history with Vans becoming one of the most prominent shoe brands in skateboarding today.

Keeping true to their roots Vans have upgraded classic silhouettes, such as the Era, Authentic, Sk8 Hi, Old Skool and Half Cab, with pro features to aid durability and board feel, such as rubber duracap underlays and harder wearing sole units. These upgrades run through the rest of Vans' pro line, with Tony Trujillo (TNT), Geoff Rowley, Chima Ferguson and Anthony Van Englen's (AVE) signature shoes becoming firm favourites with skateboarders world wide.