On 16th March 1966 the first Vans store opened in Anaheim, California. That’s 50 years ago today! There are all kinds of celebrations going on in honour of this date, including this cool video showing how the shoes are made. Going back to archive clips from the early days and coming forward to footage of Steve Van Doren and Christian Hosoi helping craft a few pairs, this is a rad insight to the manufacture of their iconic shoes.

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“From the first pair of Vans in 1966, to countless pairs of Vans in 2016, Steve Van Doren, the Godfather of Vans, has been putting his staple on Vans footwear since he started working for his father’s company 50 years ago. His dedicated led to the production of the first-ever skateboarding shoe. Get a glimpse into the past and take a tour of what goes into making a pair of Vans shoe with Steve and Vans Skate Legend Christian Hosoi.”