Vans and Gallery Dept. are back at it again with their latest sneaker project.
This time, the duo updated the footwear brand’s Authentic 44 model, drawing inspiration from the raw energy of a painter’s studio.
Each pair is designed with a hand-painted aesthetic. This can be seen with paint drips cascading across the toe, while subtle grease marks add depth and texture to the vamp and sidewalls. Plus, the clean quarters and heel act as a blank canvas, allowing the unique artistry on the upper to take center stage, Vans noted.
What’s more, Vans said that the collection aims to honor the creative process itself. The “Art That Kills” text wrapping the sidewall serves as a testament to the fearless, unapologetic nature of artistic expression, the footwear company said.
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The OTW by Vans x Gallery Dept. Authentic 44 sneaker, which will retail for $150, will be available at vans.com/otw and select OTW by Vans and Gallery Dept. retailers worldwide on Dec. 11.
The collaboration follows last week’s release with the Netflix smash hit “KPop Demon Hunters.”
The Vans x “KPop Demon Hunters” collection reimagined classic Vans footwear styles, including the Classic Slip-On, Old Skool, Old Skool V and Sk8-Hi. Each shoe featured imagery of either the Huntr/x girl group, made up of Rumi, Mira and Zoey, and their loyal guardians, Derpy Tiger and Sussie, or of their rival demon boy band, Saja Boys.
This news also comes after Vans parent company VF Corporation said it was progressing on its turnaround plan, besting Wall Street’s expectations in the second quarter. At Vans, specifically, revenue showed sequential improvement as product newness drew in new customers.
“We delivered broad-based growth for The North Face and Timberland, while continuing to moderate declines in Vans,” VF Corp. chief executive officer Bracken Darrell said in a statement at the time.
Moderating declines at Vans suggest that the brand’s overhaul is taking shape. The brand made waves this fall with the Valentino Garavani x Vans collaboration, which took the latter’s Authentic silhouette and reimagined it under the direction of Valentino‘s current creative director, Alessandro Michele.
