First, Vans brought back its giant mid-90s Speed skate shoe. Then, it transformed that chunky skateboarding relic into a tough trail shoe. 

The Vans OTW Speed Vibram is the latest in a string of outdoorsy sneakers from the Californian footwear label. 

Some signature elements from the OG Speed sneaker are still there, like its jazz stripe branding placed high up near the collar, but it’s been given a pretty drastic redesign. There’s no obvious way of knowing this is based on a ‘90s skate shoe, not a retro hiking model.

The shoe’s deep-ridged Vibram sole provides grip and extra bulk to the already bulky model, while the reinforced toe box adds extra toughness. 

Being a product of Vans OTW, the skate brand’s luxury line responsible for creating bejeweled skate shoes and crafting entire uppers from one sheet of high-end leather, the OTW Speed Vibram features more premium materials than your typical Vans. 

Its latest release comes with a blend of chocolatey brown hairy suede overlays with stone-colored mesh underlays and hits of sky blue. Plus, that sizeable black sole unit completes the entire look. 

Up There

Titled "Adobe/Sylvan Green," the new colorway is starting to arrive at select retailers for $219.

The trio of colorways that introduced the OTW Speed Vibram to the world in May 2024 were objectively tasteful (a milky off-white rendition, a classic all-black version, and an outdoorsy mix of steel grey with teal). However, the addition of textured suede and a caramel-hued colorway takes the shoe to another level.

If you’ve learned nothing from reading Highsnobiety, it’s that we love a hairy suede sneaker.

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