The Vans Classic Slip-on has a simple, classic look that is synonymous with the Vans brand and encapsulates the skate culture of southern California in the late ’60s and early ’70s. This iconic skate shoe is known for its ‘waffle’ sole that is grippy and flexible, which gives an excellent board feel.
Vans are very proud of their beginnings in skateboarding, and deservedly so! Not only were they the first shoe company to truly back skateboarding and design styles to accommodate the brutal treatment both your feet and shoes endure whilst skating, but they pulled it off with so much style that the very first silhouettes designed are, to this day, some of the most popular shoe styles within skateboarding, and modern fashion in general. One of the iconic early footwear styles Vans released was the Slip-On, an incredibly simple yet effective design that found itself becoming a timeless silhouette.
The Vans Slip-On, originally known as the Vans Style #98 was first released in 1977, and was quickly adored by skateboarders, surfers, BMX riders and musicians alike. This was cemented once the shoes were featured in the cult teen movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", with the popular character Jeff Spicoli wearing them throughout the film.
Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High
A shoe that crossed subculture boundaries
Spicoli embodied the surfing and skating youth at the time, disenchanted with the rat race and instead wanting to focus on what was most important to him, surfing. Thus, the black-and-white checkerboard Slip-On was forever the symbol of laid-back rebellion. Not only were Slip-Ons "seen on screen", but they were also very often worn on stage by musicians and bands such as The Ramones and Bad Religion. This isn't something that ever really stopped either, with a plethora of Vans styles including the Slip-On still often worn by artists across the globe to this day.
The Ramones
Once the Slip-On had solidified itself within many sub-cultures, as with many other classic Vans silhouettes, imitators began to seep out onto the market, and still to this day, many brands have their very own version of the Slip-On design. However, as Oscar Wilde once said, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.” That's not to say there aren't good competitors in the lace-less skate shoe market, I think the Emerica Wino Slip is a fantastic shoe, however, it just quite isn't the same. Firstly, no one is ever going to beat the Vans waffle grip; secondly, I don't believe anyone has managed to design a Slip-on with a better overall shape than Vans'. Vans have had nearly 50 years to perfect the Slip-On and that's exactly what they have done!
A simple yet versatile footwear silhouette
With all the time Vans has had to refine the Slip-On, many different versions have been released. Alongside the OG Slip-on, we now have a skate-specific model (crammed with technology we will get into a bit later), a ComfortCush design created for maximum comfort, an MTE version designed to keep you warm and protected in all weather as well as variation that would definitely get Spicoli hyped, the MTE Slip-On Mule. A durable rubber construction designed to cope with whatever surfers can throw at it, which is basically just sand and pebbles I think? Either way, they can handle it!
As you can imagine, skateboarding in 1977 looked different to what it is today, so naturally Vans have had to occasionally just give the design a bit of an update in regards to durability. As mentioned above, you can still purchase the original version, but if you were to want to skate in a Slip-On it makes far more sense to opt for the "Skate Slip-On" which has skate-specific features. These include suede uppers (rather than canvas), impact-cushioning PopCush insoles, Duracap layers underneath the suede on high-abrasion areas and the ever-grippy SickStick upgraded rubber compound. So whether this is your go-to chiller or you are looking to skate them, the Vans Slip-On is an excellent choice!
