Vans Quintessential Skate Shoe is Now “Wacko”
This is how you corrupt everyone’s favorite skate shoe.
Vans’ Authentic is SoCal canon, a checkerboard classic tied to skate parks, backyard pools, and suburban sidewalks. Wacko Maria takes that innocence, pours a shot of punk and jazz into it, and hands it back with a smirk.
The result is an Authentic that feels a little chaotic, a little glamorous, and perfectly Wacko.
The Vans x Wacko Maria Premium Authentic pulls up in a crystal clean white and icy blue colorway, both built with embroidered heel branding, palm tree graphics along the sidewall, and checkerboard toes that nod to Vans’ heritage. Underfoot, the Premium build gets upgraded with SOLA FOAM ADC cushioning for comfort that outlasts any all-nighter.
Wacko Maria has made a career out of turning uniforms into anti-heroes, from Hawaiian shirts to varsity jackets, always filtered through Tokyo nightlife, Latin iconography, and rockabilly sleaze.
Here, the label applies that same lens to Vans’ most iconic silhouette, pushing it past clean California skate energy into something more surreal and nocturnal.
Shot by Jiro Konami, the campaign doubles down on the playful corruption, cockatiel birds perched on sneakers, fruit and popcorn spilling across sets, and a cameo from Japanese ska legends, The Ska Flames.
The Vans x Wacko Maria Premium Authentic lands August 23 for about $90, available at Paradise Tokyo, Wacko Maria’s online store, and Vans online.
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