Emerging from the streets and skateparks of California, Vans has been a cultural phenomenon since the late sixties. With their unique waffle sole, “Off the Wall” logo, and iconic designs, Vans shoes are known the world over – for good reason.
But, how did they journey from the US skate scene to the high street? Keep reading as we take a closer look into everything you’re dying to know about this casual footwear titan, from Vans sizing and history to how to lace and clean them for a box-fresh finish every time.
The history of Vans: California, skaters & waffle soles
The Vans story began way back in ’66, when shoe manufacturer, Paul Van Doren, joined forces with his brother, Jim, and their partners, Gordon Lee and Serge Delia. They began manufacturing their own shoes and opened the ‘Van Doren Rubber Company’ in Anaheim, California – Vans for short.
While their signature deck shoes (now known as the Authentic) launched in the late sixties, these blew up a few years later and became the shoe of choice for California’s skaters. It was all about the rugged design and unique, sticky waffle sole.
Vans’ skate credentials increased when Zephyr skaters, Tony Alva and Stacey Peralta, helped design the Vans #95 (a.k.a. the Era and the first Vans shoe with the iconic “Off The Wall” logo). But, it was the big screen and Sean Penn’s character in ‘Fast Times at Richmond High’ in the early eighties that brought the brand into the mainstream spotlight and introduced their most iconic shoe to the world – the Checkerboard Slip-On.
So, who owns Vans? The company was sold in the late eighties and is now owned by VF Corporation, who also own the likes of Timberland and North Face. Paul Van Doren died in 2021, but his son, Steve, is still heavily involved with Vans.
Today, whether it’s working with the world’s best skateboarders, hosting skate and music events, or bringing signature styles to the high street, Vans firmly holds its place in popular culture. Originally made in California before production was relocated to China, a pair of these sporty shoes can be yours for anywhere between £25 and £110 depending on the size and style.
Vans size guide
Always an important question when buying a new pair of trainers, do Vans run small or are they true to size? The good thing to know about Vans sizing is that they do fit true to size, and most styles are unisex.
This means that whatever size you usually wear in other shoes, you’ll likely wear in Vans too. They are converted from US sizes though so there’s potentially a little room for inconsistency, but most Vans shoes will fit accurately. If you’re trying on some iconic Vans Slip-Ons, you might find they’re a little snugger than your Authentics, for example. This is to make sure they stay on your feet, but they’ll quickly loosen up a little.
To ensure your next pair of Vans fits like a dream, make sure you shop with us in-store so our shoe-fitting experts can measure your feet and find the perfect size. But, if you can’t make it into your local store, our Vans shoe size charts for men, women, and kids are a handy alternative.
| UK | EUR | US (Men’s) | US (Women’s) | CM |
| 2.5 | 34.5 | 3.5 | 5 | 21.5 |
| 3 | 35 | 4 | 5.4 | 22 |
| 3.5 | 36 | 4.5 | 6 | 22.5 |
| 4 | 36.5 | 5 | 6.5 | 23 |
| 4.5 | 37 | 5.5 | 7 | 23.5 |
| 5 | 38 | 6 | 7.5 | 24 |
| 5.5 | 38.5 | 6.5 | 8 | 24.5 |
| 6 | 39 | 7 | 8.5 | 25 |
| 6.5 | 40 | 7.5 | 9 | 25.5 |
| 7 | 40.5 | 8 | 9.5 | 26 |
| 7.5 | 41 | 8.5 | 10 | 26.5 |
| 8 | 42 | 9 | 10.5 | 27 |
| 8.5 | 42.5 | 9.5 | 11 | 27.5 |
| 9 | 43 | 10 | 11.5 | 28 |
| 9.5 | 44 | 10.5 | 12 | 28.5 |
| 10 | 44.5 | 11 | 12.5 | 29 |
| 10.5 | 45 | 11.5 | 13 | 29.5 |
| 11 | 46 | 12 | 13.5 | 30 |
| 12 | 47 | 13 | 14 | 31 |
| 13 | 48 | 14 | 14.5 | 32 |
| 14 | 49 | 15 | 15 | 33 |
| 15 | 50 | 16 | 15.5 | 34 |
| UK | EUR | US |
| 10 | 27 | 10.5 |
| 10.5 | 27.5 | 11 |
| 11 | 28 | 11.5 |
| 11.5 | 29 | 12 |
| 12 | 30 | 12.5 |
| 12.5 | 30.5 | 13 |
| 13 | 31 | 13.5 |
| 13.5 | 31.5 | 1 |
| 1 | 32 | 1.5 |
| 1.5 | 32.5 | 2 |
| 2 | 33 | 2.5 |
| 2.5 | 34 | 3 |
| 3 | 35 | 4 |
| 3.5 | 36 | 4.5 |
| 4 | 36.5 | 5 |
| 4.5 | 37 | 5.5 |
| 5 | 38 | 6 |
| 5.5 | 38.5 | 6.5 |
| 6 | 39 | 7 |
| UK | EUR | US |
| 1.5 | 17 | 2 |
| 2 | 17.5 | 2.5 |
| 2.5 | 18 | 3 |
| 3 | 18.5 | 3.5 |
| 3.5 | 19 | 4 |
| 4 | 20 | 4.5 |
| 4.5 | 21 | 5 |
| 5 | 21.5 | 5.5 |
| 5.5 | 22 | 6 |
| 6 | 22.5 | 6.5 |
| 6.5 | 23.5 | 7 |
| 7 | 24 | 7.5 |
| 7.5 | 24.5 | 8 |
| 8 | 25 | 8.5 |
| 8.5 | 25.5 | 9 |
| 9 | 26 | 9.5 |
| 9.5 | 26.5 | 10 |
| UK | EUR | US | Age | CM |
| 0.5 | 16 | 1 | 1.5 months | 8.5 |
| 1.5 | 17 | 2 | 1.5 – 3 months | 9 |
| 2.5 | 18 | 3 | 3 – 6 months | 10 |
| 3.5 | 19 | 4 | 6 – 9 months | 10.5 |
How to wear Vans
With the brand rolling out of the laidback skate scene of 1960s California, there are no rules when it comes to what to wear with Vans shoes. For denim, our favourite look is when Vans are worn with skinny, cropped, or distressed styles (especially with Vans SK8 Hi-tops). Their contemporary colour palettes and no-fuss design makes them one of the most versatile trainers to have in your collection.
For women rocking skinny black jeans, denim shorts, dungarees, or flowing dresses on a regular basis, Vans make the perfect casual accompaniment. They can even be paired with lace, slip, or mini dresses for a fancier look with extra edge.
For men, we’re talking skinny jeans with Checkerboard or Authentic Vans for a fresh and carefree vibe, while an all-black pair can work for slightly smarter occasions and even the office if styled with a more formal outfit.
How to lace up Vans
Since Vans first hit the scene in the late ‘60s, the brand has been synonymous with effortless style, which Vans classic Old Skool and Authentic lace-ups can take some of the credit for. There are a couple of popular options for how to do Vans laces; cross lacing or straight lacing. Though if you’re looking for some more creative options, our shoelace patterns blog shares five of our favourites.
1. Cross lacing
This is the standard technique for straight-out-the-box, laidback Californian style, where one side of your laces lies on top of the other. Here’s how you do it:
- Begin by threading each end of the lace upwards and out of the bottom two eyelets, creating a bar between them.
- Then, thread the right-hand lace diagonally across and up through the second eyelet on the left side. Repeat this for the left lace on the other side.
- Repeat this process until you hit your favoured eyelet. Some people like to leave a few at the top for more room, others like a snug fit. It’s up to you.
Tip: When lacing your second shoe, reversing the pattern will mean your shoes will be mirrored.
2. Straight lacing
This method is a little snugger and will give you good grip throughout the day – it also hides your laces for a clean look, but looks best on shoes with an even number of eyelets. Here’s how to straight lace your Vans:
- Start by threading both ends of the lace downwards through the bottom eyelets.
- Feed the left lace up and out of the second eyelet on the left side, before pulling straight across to the right side and pushing into the corresponding eyelet. Both laces should be on the right side of the shoe.
- Take the right-hand lace and thread up through eyelet three on the right side, making sure to skip eyelet 2.
- Pull the left lace (now on the right side) up through eyelet four on the right, making sure to skip eyelet three.
- Pull both laces straight across to the left of the shoe and down into eyelets three and four.
- Repeat this process until you reach the top eyelets where you can finish by tying your Vans laces in a bow, or however you like.
Sound a bit too complicated for your liking? You could always go for a pair of Vans Slip-Ons instead!
How to clean Vans trainers
Yes, we know how tempting it can be to put your Vans in the washing machine. But, though they might be made to withstand the wear and tear from the skatepark, they aren’t built to survive the washing machine and come out completely unscathed.
The last thing you want to happen is for your precious skate shoes to fade or lose their shape, and you don’t want to break your washing machine either! Vans also don’t like harsh cleaning products, so keep this in mind.
So, how do you wash Vans – especially mucky white ones? Well, when you’re cleaning Vans, it’s not necessarily about the colour or style, but the material. We’re talking whether they’re canvas, suede or leather. So, get your old toothbrush at the ready – it’s time to get those Vans spick and span the old-fashioned way!
- First, remove the laces (if your pair has them) and use a brush to remove loose dirt or mud before your start cleaning the fabric.
- For canvas or fabric Vans: use a toothbrush dipped in warm, soapy water to gently clean the exterior of the shoes, making sure to pay extra attention to stubborn marks.
- If stains are refusing to budge, try dabbing on a mild washing detergent, leaving to work its magic for 15 minutes (or however long stated in the manufacturers’ instructions) and wiping away with a clean, damp cloth.
- After this, if you and your white Vans are left hoping for a miracle, don’t yet lose hope. Our guide to cleaning white trainers has expert tips to help them gleam once again.
- For leather Vans: dip a clean cloth or brush into specialist leather cleaning solution (or some warm water mixed with a teaspoon of mild washing-up liquid) and gently rub your shoes back and forth.
- Use a clean towel to wipe away excess soap suds, before checking if your handy work has done the job. If there are any visible stains or dirt, repeat the process.
- For suede Vans: take a soft-bristled suede brush and gently brush the suede in one direction to remove any surface dust and dirt. A suede rubber is also handy to have on hand for pesky scuffs and scrapes.
- If your suede Vans are still not looking their best after a brush, read our dedicated suede cleaning guide for advice on removing different types of stains.
- Use a clean, damp cloth to wipe down the rubber strip around the soles.
- You can wash the laces by hand with a simple soap solution.
- For extra mucky ones though, it might be best to cut your losses and replace them. Check out our affordable array of laces here.
- Leave your Vans to air dry, before following up with a waterproofing spray or some leather conditioner to keep your kicks cleaner for longer.
For extra cleaning advice and stain-busting hacks, check out our ultimate cleaning guide.
Where to buy Vans trainers
Tempted to treat your feet to a new pair of Vans? We don’t blame you! Well, you’re in luck; our selection of cheap Vans trainers for men, women and kids offers the latest styles at incredible prices.
