Waffleheads – 31 Days of Vans Wrap-Up BBQ at Vans HQ! (8.15.24)

Aug 21 24 under Events, Friends, History, OTWS, UTP, Van Doren, Waffleheads | Comments Off

Well folks. Clayton and I managed to pull it off again. Not sure how, but Steve Van Doren graciously hosted another Waffleheads event at Vans HQ, to wrap up this year’s 31 Days of Vans. I am beyond grateful, and it’s humbling to see everyone come out and support us, most being my close friends and family, who I do acknowledge are there to support me, but they understand how important this is to me, and to my community of Vans nerds. I have converted many to Waffleheads, mainly through our love of sneakers, but I think my eVANSgelism is rubbing off on them, as they see just what our community is about, and the vibes we all have. How can you not love us? Also, a big shout out to everyone that had to travel, whether by plane or roadtrip. I know it’s not easy, or cheap, so I appreciate you. Sorry to those we couldn’t invite, but if you can somehow promise that you can attend next year, I will do my best to extend the invite. Shit, if we have to sell admission or pairs of the shoes, would you still be down?! I’m open to any options to keep this thing rolling FOREVER!

We’re all unique. We find our own paths within’ this growing community. We all come from different walks of life, and our demographic is a marketers worst nightmare (Ages 0 – 100+ jk!). We had babies less than one year old at the event, and we had quite a few folks with a lot of wisdom and knowledge under their belt as well! I was absolutely in awe at the family atmosphere we had, and you definitely felt the love. I really admire that we were able to represent for our “Vans Family” which is proof to be a real thing. To quote the late Paul Van Doren, “It was always about the people, and never about the product”. I hope that’s what everyone felt when they went home afterwards.

We had the honor and privilege to be around some great folks that evening. Steve Van Doren was the center piece to it all, and I’m glad he didn’t have to grill this time, and got to mingle and take pics with any and everyone who went up to him. Christian Hosoi was back again, which was just so dope. You have no idea. He’s one of my favorite skaters of all time. His Vans shoes are by far my favorite to collect, and boy does he got stories to tell. We love you Holmes! Rian Pozzebon was in the building again, this time just chilling and chopping it up about the good old days of Vans Syndicate, Vault, and the stuff our core collectors just eat up. Thank you for hanging with us afterwards at Salty Bear too, sir! Always a great time.

Steve ordered us a huge spread of BBQ and sides, and boy did it not disappoint! They provided beverages, including some beer and wine this time, which was a surprise. Not sure if they thought it was going to be a 21+ event or not, but sorry if they thought it was! For future reference, if we ever get invited back again, we can skip the alcohol if it means we get to bring back all the families. That’s number 1 on my priorities. But we thank Vans, and everyone they had on hand to help out. Kristy, Bob, and everyone else who we just don’t know on a personal level YET! We plan to, because we owe you a debt of gratitude as well. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Obviously, y’all have seen the shoe that Steve had made for us this year, which was a Lowland 2.0 model, heavily inspired by the original Vans Breakers from the Serio line of the 80’s, which were made for breakdancing. I was completely caught off guard with it, to be honest, but I personally knew the significance of the shoe, and what it was inspired by, but I was at first a little worried about what some would think of it. The Breakers are a Vans collector’s grail. They’re so damn obscure, and rare, and expensive on the resell market, so most will never own a pair. That is until now. Word is, these will be releasing later on, but not sure how, as our pairs are a Zero SKU project, aka Van Doren Approved collection, similar to other private projects he has done. Zero SKUs are gold to us! We will just have to wait and see, but I will create a separate post for just the shoe pics whenever I get around to it. Be patient!

All in all, I am just humbled. Completely filled with love and joy after an amazing and long weekend, filled with lots of hanging out, and endless sneaker talk. We also did our annual meetup on the following Saturday at Blends Costa Mesa, which is where this whole idea started 3 years ago. I posted up those pics too! Thank you again to everybody who came out to support, and I hope you thoroughly enjoyed yourselves. I am just happy that you came out to support me and mine. I love y’all! -Bill (Guamstyles)

tons of pics after the jump Read More

PlayLab Builds Sterling Ruby-Inspired Skateable Structure for Frieze LA

Mar 6 24 under Collaborations, Events, OTW By Vans | Comments Off

Info via Hypebeast:

“PlayLab has plopped a bright orange pyramid in the middle of Los Angeles Art Week. The California-based design studio has joined forces with Vans to properly commemorate the skate imprint’s new OTW line; the OTW offshoot is rooted in collaborations with trailblazing creatives and just dropped off its first drop dubbed “Clash the Wall” in collaboration with Sterling Ruby‘s S.R. STUDIO. LA. CA.

Drenched in a bright orange hue – one of Ruby’s signatures, and also one of the colorways of the “Clash the Wall” sneaker – the pyramid is a fully functioning skate ramp. The ramp stands at a whopping 12 feet tall and rests – clashes, that is – amidst an otherwise bland, void-of-color, industrial complex.

The sustainability-focused studio tapped into its archive of recycled materials to craft the statement structure, compiling a mixture of scaffolding and Skatelite paper composite to build a split-level pyramidal ramp equipped with a wall behind it.

“We wanted to take an iconic form in skate culture, the hill, and interpret it into a surreal sculpture,” PlayLab’s cofounder Archie Lee Coates IV told Dezeen of how he looked to Southern California’s skate scene to inform the design.

“At the center of the installation is a pyramid, split and shifted to create angles and edges for skaters to play off of. This pyramid is placed within a massive cyc wall, which serves both as a skate feature and an immersive visual color field.”

31 Days of Vans 2023 – Waffleheads BBQ Event Recap Video

Aug 16 23 under 31 Days of Vans, Events, Friends, OTWS, The Authentic Era, UTP, Videos | Comments Off

Just a dope recap video from the 31 Days of Vans 2023 Waffleheads BBQ at Vans HQ, shot, edited, and produced by Kevin Ancheta, for all of us. He was the guy walking around the event with the camera, filming everyone. See if he made you famous!

Steve Van Doren Hosts BBQ For 31 Days of Vans Fans At Vans HQ!

Aug 12 23 under 31 Days of Vans, Events, Friends, History, OTWS, UTP, Van Doren | Comments Off

A great community is made up of people who all have unique gifts and talents to share, and I can’t think of a better one than our Vans family. It’s been over 15 years that we’ve been fostering this culture, and we’ve met some really amazing folks along the way. Folks who’ve found unique ways to show their love and appreciation for Vans, proving that Vans is not just one thing. #31daysofvans was created by one of us. #meetthevansfam was created by one of us. Entire Vans sneaker rooms were created by one of us. A Facebook group of over 30k members were created by one of us. The most dedicated Vans sneaker blog, forum, and pioneering Instagram page in the world were created by one of us.

Our community constantly evolves and grows. The platform changes, and the one sailing the ship switches seats, but we’re all on board for the wild ride, wherever it takes us. From OTWS, to Under The Palms, to SV, to Strictly Waffles, to now Wearing Waffles. I’ve witnessed every single day of it, so recognizing how far we’ve come is hard to put into perspective, but damn. Looking back, we’ve sure done some cool shit.

I sit here trying to form the right words to show my gratitude and appreciation for @stevevandoren and the amazing team at Vans who put together this event of a lifetime for our peoples. You are our hero, and you set the example we all strive to live by. I want to thank our bro @wearingwaffles for charming Steve into creating this opportunity. We’re riding your coattails now brotha’! None of this was possible w/o our brother @newkon. NONE OF THIS! There’s so many more to thank, so sorry. I couldn’t feel more blessed, and my heart is beyond full. Let’s run this back again next year, what do you say?! -Bill

enjoy tons of pics after the jump Read More

Vans Vault & Joe Freshgoods Presents: The Party in the Basement (1.27.23)

Jan 23 23 under Collaborations, Events, House of Vans, Vault | Comments Off

Vault by Vans and Joe Freshgoods Announce Global Release on Vans.com and Select Vault by Vans Retailer January 27

To Celebrate the Launch House of Vans Chicago Partners with Joe Freshgoods for “The Party in the Basement” on January 27 from 9pm – 1am

RSVP now at HouseofVans.com

Vans Skateboarding Celebrates Brooklyn’s Skate Community with a Special Block Party (10.1.22)

Sep 20 22 under Events, NEWS, Pro, Skate | Comments Off

Located in Brooklyn’s bustling Bushwick neighborhood, Vans’ Skate Space 198 is an NYC skater’s oasis that first opened its doors to the city’s skateboarding community in January 2020. Now, more than two and a half years later, Vans Skateboarding is celebrating Skate Space 198’s reopening with a three-day slate of festivities centered around a bangin’ block party on October 1. The Block party is a community gathering of creativity that spotlights the best of NY skateboarding, from Unity/There to Labor and KCDC skate shops to Alltimers Skateboards, Bronze 56k, and more.

On October 1, it all goes down at Skate Space 198 with a grand reopening party. Ten hours of open skate for any and all NYC shredders will be accompanied by DJ sets from Vans Skateboarding friends and family — John Cardiel, Ben Kadow, Rory Milanes, DeDe Lovelace, and Alex Dondero —plus appearances from Vans team members like Beatrice Domond, Dick Rizzo, and Justin Henry and art from Fernando Lions. Food and beverage stands will also be present, with 20% of all sales going to the Vans’ Checkerboard Fund and Stoked Mentoring to aid Skate Space 198’s winter skate programming. To close out the day, Alltimers Skateboards will premiere their latest video, ‘You Deserve It,’ supported by Vans Skateboarding.

Finally, on October 2, Quartersnacks will present “The Hangover,” a brunch-style event at Bushwick hot spot Vacations.

Vans Skate Space 198 is located at 198 Randolph Street in Brooklyn, New York, a 6-minute walk from the L train’s Jefferson Avenue stop. The block party will run from 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM on October 1. More info on Vans Skate Space 198, its programming and its open skate hours going forward can be found at vans.com/skatespace198.

@VANSSKATE #VANSNYC

Waffle Heads Summit 2022 – Event Recap

Aug 10 22 under 31 Days of Vans, Events, OTWS, The Authentic Era, UTP, Waffleheads | 1 Comment

This past weekend was our 2nd annual Waffle Heads Summit, put together by Clayton, Ed, Joey, and I (Wearing Waffles, Strictly Waffles, and Under The Palms). While Eddie and Joey had to be there in spirit, due to prior engagements, Clayton and I still managed to hold down the fort, with a little bit of assistance from Renee, Tintin, my nephew Ray, and everyone else I’m failing to mention! We also cannot express our gratitude to Tak and Mike of Blends for allowing us an awesome space to host our gatherings at. Without them, this wouldn’t be an annual thing. Thank you so much guys!

Although the pics may not show it, we had a pretty good turnout throughout the afternoon. Mostly familiar faces, as well as a few new ones. We love to see it. Special shout-out to our buddy Greg, who showed up again this year, who only keeps up to date with us through our website, so Greg, if you’re reading this, leave a comment or email me, so we can keep you in the loop on a normal basis, and just to say hello!

Some folks had to dip out early and they missed out on a very special surprise. We received a special visit from our hero, Steve Van Doren! We were stoked…shocked…humbled. To be honest, I was a little sad that everyone who showed up earlier, wasn’t there to experience it. Hell, I was sad for everyone who couldn’t make it out this year! He spent about a good hour there with us. (It might’ve been 30 minutes, but it felt like an hour lol!). Telling stories about Vans, and going through his camera roll on his phone, showing us a bunch of top secret stuff. Upcoming projects; private projects; personal family pairs; etc. He was catering to the crowd for sure. He knew we were the sneaker fiends, and we were drooling over the stuff he was sharing. We may or may not have been sworn to secrecy. At least it sounds cooler that way, hehe.

Steve has the biggest heart. He’s exactly who you’d imagine him to be. He is the epitome of authenticity, and it’s no surprise he’s an inspiration to many, including me. As you know, he’s been busy for the past few weeks down in Huntington Beach, for the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing, and if you follow him on social media, he’s not just out there sitting around and shaking hands. He’s working the booths. He’s grilling. He’s constantly on the move, all while trying to beat the brutal heat this past week. After a full Saturday of doing all that, he took time out to show up to our gathering, and chop it up about Vans. He even supported Blends and purchased a pair of Vaults! Extremely humbling, and his day wasn’t even over after that. He still had to go back to Vans HQ to do some more filming for another project! We’re not worthy to say the least. And of course none of this would’ve even happened if it weren’t for our friend Jason. Mahalo again bro. Seriously.

But wait, there’s more! Hehe, so if that wasn’t already a dream come true for us Vans nerds, you’ll be stoked to know that we just might get to host a gathering at Vans HQ next year, centered around our community. It’s all dependent on a few factors, like covid, other priorities, budget, etc., but we’re going to try and push hard to make this happen for us and y’all, so stay tuned! How cool would that be?! Man, we can’t wait. Until then, enjoy a few snapshots from this past weekend’s event, and do everything you can to make it out next year. You won’t want to miss it!

tons of pics after the jump Read More

Friendly Reminder: Waffle Heads Summit 2022 Is Tomorrow! (8.6.22)

Aug 5 22 under 31 Days of Vans, Events, OTWS, The Authentic Era, UTP, Waffleheads | Comments Off

Just a friendly reminder that tomorrow is our 2nd annual Waffle Heads Summit, and this is our open invite to all Waffle Heads who can make it to SoCal! We’ll be gathering at our favorite Vans Vault dealer, and good friends of the Vans fam, over at Blends Costa Mesa. Show up around 2PM and hang with us. Order up some pizza from Kuro Artisanal Pizza, and maybe have a few brews with us afterwards at one of the local breweries, or just hang if you don’t drink. All ages welcome. Hope to see you all there!

Blends Costa Mesa, located inside the LAB Anti-mall at 2930 Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

31 Days of Vans 2022 Is Almost Upon Us! #31daysofvans

Jun 28 22 under 31 Days of Vans, Events, Friends, Heritage, History, OTWS, UTP, Waffleheads, WDYWT | 72 Comments

It’s almost July, and you know what that means! Who’s ready for this year’s 31 Days of Vans celebration? We are. It’s exciting to look back at what our core Vans sneaker community has accomplished throughout the years, and the #31daysofvans social media campaign has really grown into it’s own little monster, complete with some amazing support from Vans, and specifically the Vans Family team. We have these folks to thank for last year’s Vans Family app exclusive release of the Red Half Cab, so we wanted to give them a special shout-out.

Well, we’re back at it again for Summer 2022, and we’ve been blessed with another cool Vans Family exclusive in celebration, (even though not quite specific) to “31 Days of Vans”. Now, if you’ve been paying attention to certain social media accounts, you may have seen this year’s shoe already. Vans is celebrating Tony Alva’s history with them, and have created a pretty dope, skate team inspired Authentic 44 DX. There’s also a matching long-sleeve graphic tee, so be on the lookout for these to drop sometime during the month of July!

I also can’t fail to mention this sick graphic, designed by our homie Kyle @iamrocketkyle & @poprocketcreations ! He always knocks these out of the park, and you will definitely see this being shared up on the Vans Family app again this year!!! That’s what’s up!

We can’t wait to see what everyone shows off this year, but just remember to Wear Vans, and Be Authentic!

Waffle Heads Summit 2022 (Saturday 8.6.22)

Jun 20 22 under Collaborations, Events, Friends, The Authentic Era, UTP, Waffleheads | 1 Comment

After last year’s inaugural Waffle Heads Summit, we decided to try and make it an annual thing, so here we are with an awesome announcement. We’ve decided on a date of Saturday August 6th around 2PM for this year’s get together, once again at Blends Costa Mesa. Open to anybody who wants to come and hang out and nerd out about Vans. This time, we’ll be able to support Blends owner Tak’s new venture, and enjoy some Kuro Pizza, as the location is finally open, so come hungry and buy his amazing pizzas! Don’t forget to show up in some dope Vans. We hope to see as many of you there, as possible!

For this year’s event, we decided to offer up the commemorative event tee online, since a lot of you are only able to be there in spirit. We took last year’s graphic, and had our Vans bro Todd Emerson @tmrsn add a little bit of pizza inspiration, and gave it a green and red half-tone treatment, and found an awesome off-white colored tee to complete the authentic vintage vibe we were going for. We’re also creating an event exclusive Under The Palms Sticker-Pak that will be included with each tee order. Highly collectible. Very limited. Pre-orders are now live for one week. If you’ve read this far, then congrats, here’s a promo code for 20% off of your order! Use code “UTPFRIENDS” at checkout. You can also choose to pick up at the event and save on shipping. Just mention it in your order comments and we’ll refund the shipping. WE WON’T BE SELLING THESE TEES ON SITE! Reading is key!