Back in the days, young Paul Van Doren decided against his parent’s will to quit school to dedicate his time to horse racing, his biggest passion. Facing diffulties to maintain a good relationship with his parents that summoned him to find a real job, he eventually ended up working for Randy’s, a footwear manufacturer based in Boston. After working 20 years for this company which Paul Van Doren finally became vice president, in 1966 he decided to quit so he could create his own company.

On march 16th of the same year, James Van Doren with his brother Paul set up a factory and opened a small shop at 704 E.Broadway in Anahein, southern California. Later, a private investor Serge d’Elia based in Japan joinded the team with Gordy Lee a business man from the footwear industry. Initially the idea was to make shoes in small quantities and sell them directly to the people to save up their margins.

Van Doren Rubber Company started producing only 3 models including the famous Authentic shoes, averaging the prices of $2.99 and 4.99$. Also there were only these 3 pairs of shoes in the store exposed on a pile of empty boxes. Le legend says, the first opening day, 12 customers came in the store to buy shoes. The rumor says the Van Dorens asked them all to come back later in the afternoon while the brothers rushed to the factory to produce the shoes. According to them, the 12 customers came back but Van Doren and Lee were in short of change…Unfortunately they had no choice but to ask them to come back again the day after and…And so they did!

Strengthening the relationship the company had with their customers, the following years became increasingly  profitable and Van Doren Rubber started to open many more stores in the country. Although the company’s name remained unchanged, a communauty of die-hard fans started to rename the shoes: Van’s. Yet, at this point the shoes sole made in gum showed quickly signs of defects, as a consequence the company developped a new gum that was more solid and reliable. The “Waffle” sole saw the day.

In the early 70′s, a new kind of Vans buyers began to grow up in the region among which most of them were skateboarders. They liked the Vans shoes because they perfectly fitted their skateboards. In these years the skateboard hysteria significantly helped the brand Van Doren Rubber to grow and expand nationwide. As the brand image was now attached to the skateboard mouvement, Van Doren wished to include skateboarders into the developping process of its shoes.

Today Vans shoes have become real icons of the urban and skateboarding culture. More than a shoe, it also carries skateboarding valutes such as coolness, liberty and going beyond your own limits. With a very simple, minimalistic design, and many available colorways, the Authentic has become a must-have in mens fashion from now on. I personally try to have a pair at hand permanently : sober, comfortable and matches everything!

PS: Vans authentic are largely shown “Lords of Dogtown” a movie about the orgins of skateboarding produced by Vans.

The post Vans Authentic History : Born and raised in California appeared first on French Truckers : men fashion blog.

If you guys know the Cortez for what is has become today, it can’t be dissociated from Nike’s history. A starting point for which would become 40 years later the world’s leading sportswear brand. let’s go back to 1972, Phil Knight, Bill Bowerman and Jeff Johnson have just stopped selling other brand’s products to focus on their own one (1968). The legendary “swoosh” logo was freshly designed (1971) and they had been working on the “waffle shoe” for four years (1968). At that time, Jeff Johnson goes from one athletics track to another in a van to promote Nike’s products as the brand’s main salesman (was already existing but still had no branded products).

In 1972, for Munich summer Olympics, Nike proposes to American athetes to test its now shoe: the Cortez was launched! Bill Bowerman was a former athletics coach at the University of Oregon , he created the shoe following distance runner’s needs. Then Nike introduced its “waffle” canted sole, flexible as grippy, topped by another rubber shock-absorbing mid-sole. Ideal for feet comfort , both soles aimed at reducing legs fatigue and Achille’s heel effort. Its nylon fabric provided lightness. In a few words: a revolution for distance runners.

Seeing the shoes worn by American athletes during the Olympics, the public soon become fascinated for this new brand with its “swoosh” logo: immediate succes. Craze for the Cortez goes far away from a simple running shoe. U.S. university athletes henceforth keep wearing their trainers even after their training sessions, developping an urban streetwear culture. For lack of stocks the original color was navy, but the range soon started to expand to some further colorways, being worn on the athletics tracks like in the streets from then on.

Since its birth, each generation has grown up with a pair or Cortez they associate to a sportsman, a movie, from Steve Prefontaine to Forrest Gump, the shoe marked all eras. Even today in a time of sneakers culture and vintage, the Cortez still got it! Ideal for summer times thanks to its lightness, it still matches our chinos, jeans and shorts greately. By this way, Nike launched this year to possibility to costumize your own “ID” Cortez to celebrate its 40years of existence.

Available on the Nike Store – price : from €90 to €115 depends of the version (leather, suede or nylon).

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