Yeah, It’s a Vans Skate Shoe. But It’s Also Wearable Art
Last year, veteran skate photographer Atiba Jefferson ushered in a new era for Vans through a campaign he lensed. This year, he takes things one step further.
The photographer released a sneaker with Vans’ high-end OTW line merely two weeks ago, covered in black-and-white images of esteemed skateboarder John Cardie and Franz Lyons of the American rock band Turnstile. That’s quickly being followed by a full Atiba Jefferson x Vans collection, complete with sneakers, apparel, and accessories.
This duo is really putting the work in.
The latest from Jefferson and Vans follows a precedent set by their previous sneaker release: This is skate-wear, but it’s also a wearable art gallery.
Sprinkled across the collection, which is titled United Through Skateboarding, you find some of Jefferson’s most famous photographs alongside new artwork. Plus, there's a custom logo and original artwork by Jefferson’s friend and graffiti artist Haze.
An expansive release, the collection includes three shoe models (the Skate Half Cab, Old Skool 36+, and Curren Caples), each with a different photo of a legendary skater snapped by Jefferson on the insole. The accompanying clothing ranges from camouflage cargo pants to a green military overshirt with Jefferson’s favorite photo of skater John Cardiel embroidered across the back.
The collection is available to shop now on Vans’ website. But this duo is still not done, as a second drop is arriving on October 16.
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