Vans covered its iconic Old Skool in pearls and then made it look like someone had already thrashed them
The latest Premium Old Skool 36 combines distressed suede and canvas with pearls and crystals
There’s something deeply funny about buying a £115 pair of trainers that already look as though they’ve survived several years of skate sessions, particularly when someone has also gone to the trouble of decorating them with pearls.
Yet that is essentially the proposition behind Vans’ latest Premium Old Skool 36.
It takes the familiar low-top silhouette, gives the upper a deliberately distressed finish, then covers parts of the shoe in pearl and crystal embellishments.
Vans says the idea is to evoke a “well-travelled shoe” that has been reworked and customised over time.
The newest addition to the Premium Old Skool 36 collection is the wonderfully chaotic Yacht Club colourway, which combines green, blue, red and yellow panels with an off-white Sidestripe and matching pearl detailing.
Vans Premium Old Skool 36 – Yacht Club
According to Vans, the colour blocking is inspired by sailing flags from around the world and mixes those nautical references with the spirit of 1990s sportswear.
Vans is expanding the range throughout autumn with Lime Pop, Navy, Black/Marshmallow and Red versions, while the relatively restrained Marshmallow model is also returning.
The Pearlized treatment has actually appeared before, including previous Old Skool 36 releases and the sold-out OTW by Vans x Satoshi Nakamoto Pearlized Old Skool.
However, this is now becoming a much broader part of the Vans Premium line.
Style 36 debuted in 1977 as the company's second dedicated skate shoe and, importantly, was the first Vans model to wear the now-iconic Sidestripe.
It was renamed the Old Skool in the early 1990s and has since become one of the brand's defining designs.
Vans Premium Old Skool 36 – Marshmallow
The Premium version retains some of the sharper proportions of the original Style 36, including a shorter toe cap, but adds a padded collar, an upgraded footbed, a higher-gloss sidewall, and Sola Foam ADC cushioning.
You still get Vans' vulcanised construction and signature waffle outsole underneath.
The Yacht Club Premium Old Skool 36 Pearlized launches today, 10 September, for £115 in the UK, with Marshmallow also returning today.
In the US, Yacht Club is priced at $130 and also launches on 10 September through Vans and selected Vans stores.
EU and AU prices and availability TBC.
