I googled this query about Vans last night as I need a pair of some cool walking around sneakers.

Vans are the ones I want.

I like Vans because they signal to me visions of California, which is kind of like a fantasy for me, bringing to mind the extreme cool of the documentary I recently netflix instant-watched Dogtown and Z Boys— a highly recommended, awesome movie.

Were they wearing Vans as they made up an entirely new sport, and illegally skated in empty swimming pools? Probably.

But are Vans vegan? There is a lot of controversy on the internet about this.

They look vegan, being made out of plastic and canvas, but some have an unnoticeable leather trim or are made altogether from leather, so the jury was out.

Well, I  wrote to Vans Customer Service last night to settle the matter once and for all.

They told me:

Hello Victoria,

We proudly offer the following Vegan styles through our online shop
(shop.vans.com):

Classic Authentic Canvas
Classic Slip-on Canvas
Classic Zapato Del Barco Canvas
Custom Slip-on, Era & 106 Vulcanized (the Custom Old Skool is NOT vegan)
Era “Parra” – Limited Edition
Go Green Collection (Organic Canvas Styles) – Limited Edition
Old Skool Vegan (only if it states Vegan)
Rowley “Stripes” – (Synthetic Only) – Limited Edition
Sk8-Hi (True White)

Please note, we constantly refresh our styles, and unfortunately do not
maintain any inventory for items from past seasons.  If you see something
you like we suggest buying it now since we cannot guarantee that we are
able to make more.

So now we all know.

And now:

Here are my picks for the coolest vegan vans:

classic vans authentic: $42. Comes in a wide array of colors.

Classic Authentic slipons— $42. millions of colors and patterns. but of course the classic is checkerboard.

Custom Slip-on, Era & 106 Vulcanized (the Custom Old Skool is NOT vegan). Customize your own– totally awesome!!

Go Green Collection (Organic Canvas Styles) – Limited Edition

I will be adding Vans, with a link to this post, to my article “Where To Find Cool Vegan Shoes Online” for a good place to find cool laid back sneakers!

Tell me what you think of Vans? Would you customize or go checkerboard or just plain white? And have you see Dogtown and Z Boys?