PARIS — Vans’ mood is in Paris.
A year after launching its OTW by Vans initiative with a Plexiglas skate ramp on the banks of the River Seine, the shoe brand is returning to Paris Men’s Fashion Week with a series of events at the intersection of skateboarding and culture — and this time, it’s at the Sacré-Coeur.
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Despite traffic restrictions ahead of the Olympics, Vans is building a slide-out facility in front of the basilica overlooking the Montmartre district.
Celebrating both Fête de la Musique and Go Skateboarding Day, Friday will feature a live skating show and performances from leading French and international artists.
It’s a bold statement from the brand, which is in the midst of a recovery effort after two quarters of sharp sales declines; In fact, the Classic Slip-On style is being touted by some as the summer shoe of 2024.
“Using this moment in time to create these unique experiences, storytelling that is meaningfully disruptive, is what truly makes a difference and transforms our brand for the future,” said Vans global marketing chief Drieke Leenknegt.
Paris activation is threefold.
On Tuesday, the “Pledge to Progress” gallery tour, showcasing the work of industry legend and longtime collaborator Anthony Van Engelen, touched down in the French capital after stops in Los Angeles, Shanghai and Seoul. This event also included a public skating competition on the Place de la Bastille, the gathering point for riders in Paris.
On Wednesday, Vans was hosting a party for the “Atiba Jefferson: Skate Photography” exhibition curated by Architecture, the creative studio founded by the late Virgil Abloh that documented 30 years of Jefferson’s work. This marks the show’s second stop after its premiere in Miami last December.
The brand created Vans’ skateboard installation for OTW (Off the Wall) by LA-based creative studio Playlab, Inc. and is building it together with California Skateparks, which also built the facility for the Street League Skateboarding championships held in Paris in February.
A teaser on Vans’ dedicated OTW Instagram account showed a truck in the quarry and event details etched into a marble slab, but the brand said the skate park will be made from a mix of concrete, wood and foam.
“They were inspired by the marble inside and used that to build the skateboard art that will be front and center at Sacré-Coeur,” Leenknegt said, without going into too much detail.
He admitted that logistics were challenging and that parts of the city were closed to traffic as local authorities started construction at key competition venues ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and Paralympics.
“Creating new space is always difficult, but at the same time, doing it is the most exciting,” he said, comparing the brand’s determination to the mentality of a driver.
“When you operate ‘off the wall’, you don’t know when you’re in the air whether you’ll land safely or not. “In other words, the attitude of young people is also quite determined,” he said.
In parallel with the event, Vans is also launching a sneaker designed by Dutch artist Piet Parra, known for his surreal bird-like characters, that will be available in Paris exclusively for friends of the brand.
Vans wanted to be present in the French capital ahead of the Olympics, which saw skateboarding included as an official competition for the second time.
“We serve drivers all over the world, and celebrating that moment at scale is always a win for us as a brand,” Leenknegt said.
She’s especially excited about the next generation of riders, like Arisa Trew, who recently reached a milestone in skateboarding history by becoming the first woman to land a 900, a two-and-a-half-rpm air spin on a ramp.
“The future of female cyclists is amazing and I’m very passionate about it because they’re going to redefine skateboarding and they’re redefining it now for the future,” she said.
Leenknegt, who posted a 26 percent drop in sales in the fiscal fourth quarter, said the VF Corp.-owned brand has received good response to new styles, including the Vans AVE 2.0, billed as the “most advanced skate shoe ever.” Latest version of Knu Skool.
“We’re seeing incredible, positive progress,” said the executive, who joined Vans last year from Timberland, which is also owned by VF. “There is a huge appetite for innovation products and the new designs we bring to market. The AVE 2.0 with knitted upper is making a splash around the world.”
But he declined to share specific sales data or comment on when the brand expects revenues to increase.
Meanwhile, Vans’ cult slip-on style, which first debuted in 1977, is trending on TikTok after being worn by celebs like Emily Ratajkowski and Sofia Richie, as well as influential Renggli designer Morgan Stewart McGraw. Similarly, Leenknegt did not share any insight into whether this translated into sales.
“It is an honor to have people from around the world celebrate our brand and iconic products,” he said.
While Vans polishes its fashion identity with partnerships such as its recent collaboration with Proenza Schouler, it prioritizes skateboarding to get back on its feet.
“We remind ourselves and the world that skateboarding and skate culture are at the heart of this brand,” Leenknegt said. “Sometimes we lose sight of that.”
He said other initiatives will be shared in July as part of the brand’s broader “Always Pushing” campaign. “This is just the beginning,” he promised.
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