Vans Pride Collection Brings Colorful LGBTQIA+ Flag Spin to its Signature Sneakers for 2023
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Footwear News may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Vans is taking a colorful step forward with its latest Pride collection, celebrating LGBTQIA+ visibility and representation.
Within the line, which retails from $10-$95, Vans has put an inclusive spin on its signature skate-oriented sneakers and casual athleisure. The brand’s range includes unisex adult and children’s T-shirts, hoodies and footwear — with ready-to-wear pieces featuring colorful embroidery proclaiming “Always Authentic Together as Ourselves.” The shoe selection taps into Vans’ signature styles, like its black adult low-top Old Skool sneakers — with rainbow LGBTQIA+ flag-esque embroidery bringing a burst of color to the $75 style.
Watch on FN
Similarly, the brand’s $65 Authentic shoe is also given a Pride spin with LGBTQIA+ embroidered flag stripes across its counters, as well as “Love is Love” lettering on each toe.
The adjacent $80 Skate Old Skool is similarly cast in an all-black palette, with the cap-toed pair’s paneled uppers featuring sides printed with larger graphics of the LGBTQIA+ and transgender flags. A $75 black Skate Authentic colorway includes smaller rainbow side stitching, as well as “Skateboarding 4 All!” lettering on its outsoles. Rounding out the Skate Old Skool range is the $90 Sk8-Hi style, featuring a dusty cream high-top silhouette with lightly perforated toes and LGBTQIA+ flag stripe-printed side panels.
Rounding out the adults’ line are two iterations of its white canvas Old Skool sneakers, each featuring rubber Stackform outsoles with stacked platform soles printed in multicolored LGBTQIA+ stripes — a $90 high-top Sk8-Hi style and $85 Old Skool style.
On the children’s’ side, Vans has also given two of its signature shoes an LGBTQIA+ twist. Similarly to its adult Old Skool sneakers, a $48 kids’ Old Skool sneaker includes black canvas uppers with rainbow LGBTQIA+ flag-esque embroidery. On a vibrant note, it also includes two size ranges for its white Classic Checkerboard slip-on shoe, each featuring rainbow multicolored checks — a $43 kids’ version and $43 toddler version.
Vans’ Pride 2023 collection is now available on the brand’s website.
