Unlike most Vans’ footwear, the Harbor Mule VR3 isn’t a skate shoe. In fact, it's contentious whether it’s a shoe at all. The cozy clog is more like a slipper that’s been infused with the brand’s skate DNA.

The shoe’s construction is delightfully simple, comprising a one-piece suede upper that feels plush to the touch and is lined with a fuzzy recycled textile for peak coziness.

Underfoot, Vans utilizes its VR3Cush midsole (the same cloudlike compound used on its techy hiking shoes) for a cushy, springy ride. 

And in true skate brand style, even clogs need grip. The full-length VR3Waffle Regenerative rubber outsole nods to the brand’s iconic tread from 1966, so you still get that dependable Vans traction.

All brought together, you get a shoe shaped like Birkenstock Boston, snug like an UGG boot, and with the sole of a classic Vans sneaker. It’s quite the mashup. 

While best known for its signature skate footwear, Vans does have a history with backless slip-ons.

There’s the Style 17 Mule, for instance, built with premium suede or its sleeker counterpart crafted from dressy leather.

Even collaborators are in on it, A$AP Rocky flipping the Vans Slip-On into a backless streetwear item, while OTW by Vans pushed things into sci-fi territory with Sterling Ruby’s futuristic FUTURE CLOG.

House shoes, skate mules, sculptural slip-ons that look like a Cybertruck… Vans has all bases covered.

Having already launched in select international markets, Vans’ new black Harbor Mule VR3 is set to see wider release later this year on Vans' website with an expected retail price of around $40, making this one of the best deals in backless skate shoes.

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