Vans Classic Slip-on Shoes

Vans Classic Slip-on Shoes

Introduction

Canvas, slip on Deck shoes have long been a popular choice of footwear and I remember when they became popular back in the mid-eighties thanks to being featured in a number of American films of the time. Like Rayban sunglasses, Vans slip ons became a must have item for anyone to be seen in and I well and truly jumped on the bandwagon, although I couldn't afford the real thing at the time there were plenty of copies available from high street stores and for a while they were my preferred choice of footwear.

My Experience of Vans

Many years later and after noticing a pair of Vans on a work colleague I decided that I would buy myself a proper, branded pair and ordered the eye-catching black and white checker board design. They proved to be a fantastic buy for me and for a number of months they barely left my feet however due to the colour they soon became dirty and so I decided to be more sensible second time around and order a pair in one block colour, black.

The Vans brand themselves have always been associated with 'street' wear, particularly for skateboarders due to the design and grip of their soles and nowadays come in a variety of different colours and designs some of which are very bright and distinctive. I chose a pair which were understated in comparison to some of the more 'out-there' colours as I wanted something for everyday wear which I could put on with a pair of jeans and T Shirt.

The design of the shoe is instantly recognisable as Vans with the chunky, white rubber sole contrasting the canvas material upper. The upper part of the shoe feature two stretch elastic vents which allow a little give when the shoes are slipped on and off and the toe is rounded and finished off with contrasting piping. The sole itself is rubber and features an elaborate series of criss-crosses to help maximise grip and all in all they are quite weighty as far as a pair of shoes go. The "Off the Wall" logo emblem is located on the heel of the shoe and both pairs of mine appear to be well made, sturdy and well finished off.

Benefiting from a thick sole means that your feet are well cushioned in a pair of Vans and mine are incredibly comfortable to walk in, they are quite narrow though so do bear in mind that you may need to go up a half size. I am usually a shoe size 10 and I bought my first pair of Vans in my regular size and noticed that for the first few times of wearing that they pinched my feet at the sides, in my black pair I ordered a 10.5 and although that meant I had extra toe room the higher size also gave me a little more room at the sides of the shoe. If you have wide feet then I wouldn't suggest ordering a pair until you have tried them on as you may find them to be uncomfortable and rather 'pinchy' so do bear this mind.

Once on though you can expect these shoes to last, they are robust and really well made and once they have lost their 'new' feel they are easy to take on and off. The soles on the shoe have a reassuring grip and although the upper part of the shoe makes these unsuitable for wearing out in the rain (your feet will get damp!) you can wear them all year round.

Vans Slip on's are suitable for all ages and are unisex so anyone can wear them, there are plenty of designs and colours to choose from so selecting a pair would come down to personal choice. My black pair goes with jeans and shorts and I tend to wear them in the Spring and Autumn months rather than the summer months as they can be quite heavy and I prefer a lighter shoe when the weather becomes warmer. They are easy to maintain especially the sole which is wipe-clean although if you go for a lighter colour upper the canvas material itself can become grubby over time.

Conclusion and Rating

The only downside with Vans is their price; mine cost £35.00 which *is* expensive for what is essentially a pair of rubber and canvas shoes. They are comfortable though and I do like the design but it is worth keeping an eye on the sales for these as they do feature quite often on various websites with money-off offers on them.

Overall then I can't award a perfect score for Vans Classic Slip On's, their price will put a lot of people off and you do have to be careful that you select the right size as they can be on the small side. 4/5 stars seems fair though, I love mine and I find them to be incredibly comfortable and that's all I can ask for in a pair of shoes. Definitely recommended but keep your eyes open for the sales as you can get these at a much lower price so shop around would be my advice!

Thanks for reading my review, please note that this also appears on dooyoo under my username.