Aloha Mister Hand!

There are very few things that I'm girly about but the major example is shoes. I collect shoes like Carrie Bradshaw only I don't have strappy sandals and high heeled boots, but tons and tons of sneakers most of which are Vans.

Vans were started in the mid 60's in Southern California (where I grew up!). By the mid 70's they started developing the shoes specifically for skateboarders. They quickly became popular in So Cal with surfers and skaters, but I don't think they were famous until Sean Penn cracked himself over the head with a pair of checkered slip on's
in Fast Times At Ridgemont High. Suddenly they were everywhere.




These photos are a little blurred but you can see Jeff Spicoli's classic checkered slip on in the old school "Off the Wall" box. Not only good for holding shoes but excellent for saving all those notes passed in class and left in your locker.

I got my very first pair of blue slip on Vans in the 3rd grade. They were so easy to take on and off ..no shoelace tying when you got to run out the door to play with friends, and they didn't cause blisters or hurt feet in any way. That was something I loved since my mom was always putting me in Patent Leather mary janes before that, Ouch! Vans quickly became the only shoes I would wear in grade school. And have been my favorites every since.

My oldest pair look like this,



I got them when I was 16 or so. The soles are a little bit worn down but other than that they're still pretty spiffy. Could be a testiment to the durability or maybe there's truth to the saying that nobody walks in L.A.

Until Jarle asked, I thought they had become pretty international. When I was in high school a friend of mine had a french foreign exchange student come to stay and he brought 100$ with him just to buy Vans. Apparently in france they were 90$ a pair and when we took him to the old Vans Outlet in Anaheim he found them at 10$ so he bought 9 pairs. Some for himself an the rest to sell back home. Sound logic I thought. =P But I guess they haven't gone everywhere.

Anyhow there are about 300 different styles and colors now if someone feels like checking them out or picking some up the best place to go is here. VANS


There you have it Jarle, far more than you ever wanted to know! Heh =P