Vans, Inc., a manufacturer and distributer of shoes, was incorporated by Paul Van Doren in Southern California as the Van Doren Rubber Co. in 1966. Shortly after beginning to sell his shoes, Van Doren's shoes began to be known simple as "Vans." The first year of business was highly successful for the company, which was opening new stores nearly every week. In the 1970s, the brand became known as a shoe for skaters, as more and more of Southern California's surfing and skating population started to request custom made shoes from the retailer. This development lead to the introduction of the Slip-on shoe in 1979, which gained popularity three years later when featured as a shoe worn by Sean Penn's character in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The company hit hard times in the 1980s after a federal raid led to the arrest of illegal immigrants working for the company. Buried in debt, Vans Footwear declared bankruptcy in 1984. The company was bought out and is now a subsidiary of VF Corporation. Here at Diffusion we have a large selection on Vans Trainers available to buy online.
