Vans Logo

Founded in 1966 America as a producer and distributor of sports apparel, Vans quickly became an international manufacturer and received the support of multiple teams and individual sportspeople from surfing, BMX, skating and the popular soccer and American ball.

Meaning and History

The company was founded by two brothers Paul and James Van Doren, and their partner Gordon Lee. The name was chosen simply because there were two Van Dorens on the founders list. They simply took that first part and made it plural – hence the name, Vans.

What is Vans?
Vans is a globally recognized company that specializes in manufacturing footwear, apparel, and accessories. It is known for its iconic skateboarding shoes and has expanded its product line to cater to various lifestyles. Vans is celebrated for its commitment to youth culture and creative self-expression.

1966 – 2016

The initial logo of the company represented its name written in the classic black sans-serif style, with bold font. It hadn’t any special features except the long tail of the letter ‘V’, but this logo due to its simplicity and minimalism fulfilled all its tasks and remained with the company until 2016.

2016 – Today

The ‘Vans’ part of the logo has changed its color palette to the red, and the company’s slogan ‘Off the wall’, written in black, was placed below. The typeface became a bit straighter, and the letter ‘s’ has changed its tail, but generally the font remained the same.

Emblem and Symbol

The slogan ‘Off the wall’ quickly became associated with the company. But it came from the slang of the Californian professional skaters, where it was used to describe the ludicrous tricks involving touching the wall with your skateboard and then leaping off of it with style.