This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Pour One Out for James Van Doren, the Man Who Created Vans
Photo by Jpfmack via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
James Van Doren, the man who accidentally started a skater phenomenon when he created Vans shoes, died at his home in Fullerton last month after a long fight with cancer.
Van Doren hailed from New England, and he was the chemist and designer behind the popular shoes. The soles that stick to pitching decks were meant for mariners, according to the New York Times, but when the company moved to Orange County, a younger generation of West Coast skaters quickly figured out that the soles had the right grip for perfecting an ollie. Sean Penn's character Jeff Spicoli in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" wore checkered Vans and the rest was history.
That is until the Fast Times fad wore off and foreign knock-offs flooded the market. Vans declared bankruptcy in 1984, Van Doren was ousted and the company was sold off (and changed hands too many times to count after that). So pour one out to the guy who invented Vans (but not the Warped Tour).
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
