ANAHEIM, Calif. — When the Vans shoe store first opened its doors in Anaheim in 1966, it had more shoe boxes than it had shoes. The store was very new. A few people ordered shoes that day. They were made in the store that night. The people picked them up the next day.
That store was in a little white building. Over time, Vans would one day be much bigger. Vans are now a very popular kind of shoes that skateboarders love.
Vans is turning 50 years old now. Vans is not just surviving and getting by. It is thriving. The business is doing very well.
Ride Starts Bumpy
The Vans' story has more ups and downs than a skate park. Steve Van Doren has been along for the whole ride.
Steve is 60. He worked at Vans all his life. His father started it. Now his daughter Kristy works there.
Two things helped Vans early on. They were popular with skateboarders. Also they could quickly make shoes just how people wanted them.
That part of the Vans story started when Steve's father made shoes for a famous surfer. What made the shoes different? They were made out of a Hawaiian shirt.
Steve's father wanted to make shoes on his own. He worked with his brother to start a shoe-making business. That is how Vans got its start.
Checkerboard Shoes?
Skateboarders loved them. Why else do Vans sell well? It is the black-and-white checkerboard. The pattern is now how people think of Vans. It covers many pairs of shoes, Van's offices, and even a car in the parking lot.
Checkerboard shoes were very popular. Vans decided to use the money from selling the shoes to make Vans bigger. It tried selling other types of shoes. The plan did not work though.
In 1984, Vans almost ran out of money. But it survived. Now it is growing.
What will Vans look like when it turns 100? Nobody knows. One thing is for certain. A member of the Van Doren family will be a part of it.
“Baylen will 52 by then,” Steve Van Doren said, smiling. He is talking about his grandson Baylen. Baylen wears Vans to preschool.
A new set of Van Dorens is ready to take over. They have started off on the right foot. As long as the foot is wearing Vans.