Skatewear brand Vans and Japanese label WTAPS have continued their almost decade-long run of collaborative projects, returning with an eight-piece footwear collection for autumn/winter 2015. The capsule collection, produced under Vans’ premium Vault brand, sees a range of its Original Classics models reimagined in rich shades and textures, including the OG Era LX, OG Sk8-Hi LX and OG Style 36 LX. Kicking off the line is the OG Era LX in a trio of colourways inspired by Japanese school uniforms and traditional ‘uwabaki’ shoes: a lightweight silhouette designed to be worn indoors, with the colour of the sole indicating the student’s grade. Vans x WTAPS’ riff on the style sees a crisp white upper contrasted with a blue, red or green colour-blocked outsole. Next up is the hi-top OG Sk8-Hi LX, which utilises tonal hues and reptile skin textures, drawing inspiration from the vintage styling of Vans’ Caballero model – a favourite of WTAPS designer Tetsu ‘Tet’ Nishiyama. Last but certainly not least is the OG Style 36 LX, a low-top silhouette designed “with unity in mind”. Utilising a single hue across the entire upper and outsole, it is available in rich shades of black, navy and burgundy. The Vault by Vans x WTAPS collection is available now at Dover Street Market, Goodhood, Sneakersnstuff and Offspring.
Vans x WTAPS AW15 Collection
