More Than a Founder, a Genuine Innovator
We were all deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Van's Co-Founder, Paul Van Doren. Over his 90 years, Paul established a lasting legacy as a businessman, inventor, philanthropist, and all-around good person. While we mourn his departure, we also want to celebrate the many positive life lessons he imparted and the significant impact he had on the skate community.
Vans was established by Paul and his brother Jim, together with their business partners Gordon Lee and Serge Delia in Anaheim, CA in 1966. Famously, on their first day of business, they forgot to bring change for their cash register, which led them to allow customers to pay later. Remarkably, everyone returned and settled their payments. Paul's desire to create an affordable, high-quality shoe resulted in several innovations that guided the company's direction, including the waffle outsole vulcanized onto the upper, which made the rubber durable and attracted skateboarders early on for its enhanced traction.
During a period when many parks, authorities, and businesses wanted no association with skateboarders, Vans actively listened to and supported them. This involvement led to Vans offering their shoes individually, recognizing that skateboarders often wore out one shoe faster than the other, and also led to the production of custom-colored Vans, a practice that has continued and expanded to this day.
Vans also sponsored legendary skaters Stacy Peralta and Tony Alva, who helped coin the phrase "off the wall." Tony Alva was describing pool skating and reaching heights beyond the pool's edge, to which Skip Engblom, founder of the Zephyr Competition Team, commented, "Man, you just went off the wall!" The phrase subsequently became the identifier for Vans as skate-specific shoes.
Paul Van Doren and The Van Doren Rubber Company fostered a loyalty with the skate community whose influence has helped shape skateboarding and is felt across all action sports. Therefore, we express our gratitude to Paul for everything.
