Just a few years after the brand was founded in 1966, everyone in skateboard culture chose Vans as their favorite brand. The company still embodies that unique Southern California spirit to this day, not only in its clothing and footwear collections but also in its bold and instantly recognizable logo. In 1976, the company first released on its shoes the slogan Vans Off the Wall, which became a real symbol of the company, which to this day accompanies almost every emblem of the brand. In slang, this expression means “eccentric” or “unconventional”. While the most well-known Vans logo has probably been the one placed in the Van shape, eventually designers opted for a more generic emblem.
The original logo tag, which appeared on the very first pairs of shoes manufactured by Vans, sported the name of the company inside a rectangle. There was no “Off the wall” text yet.
The next logotype was designed in the 1970s. Surprisingly enough, the logo was created by a 13-year boy! This boy was Mark Van Doren, who came from the family of the Vans company co-founders, Paul Van Doren and James Van Doren. He was the son of James Van Doren, who was the head of the company back then. The logotype existed in the form of a stencil, which was to be painted on Mark’s skateboards. Afterwards, it appeared on the heel tab of the Style 95 shoe, which was one of the first models manufactured by the company.
What is Vans?
Vans is the name of a casual and streetwear brand, which was established in 1966 in the United States, and at the beginning of its history was only focused on the design and production of shoes for skateboarding. Today the brand is known all over the globe and has its items for sale on all continents.
The old version of the Vans logo was purely typographic. The word “Vans” was given in a type that would have been pretty generic if not for the unusual “V.” The right end of the letter was extended – it stretched over the lettering “ans.”
The black word “Vans” was colored red. The lettering “Off the wall” was added below. The type grew lighter and went through a couple of other modifications, which was especially noticeable on the “A” glyph.
The famous “Off the wall” logo made its debut in 1976. Its most notable visual detail was the stylized Van shape of the emblem. Also, it was the first time when the “Off the wall” motto was included in the logotype. This motto came from the Californian skaters’ jargon. They used it to call the fancy tricks they performed in empty pools.
The current Vans logo comprises the name of the company inside a red rectangular shape, below which the “Off the wall“ motto is placed.
The solid, bold all-cap typeface featured in the Vans logo is a modified version of Helvetica. This font was created in the middle of the previous century and was extensively used for commercial purposes in the 1970s.
The color scheme has not been consistent throughout the company’s history. The shoes manufactured in the 1960s featured white tag with the blue wordmark, while the van-shaped logo brought about a lively shade of red. Having used a black-and-white logo for a short period, Vans switched to the more eye-catching red-and-white scheme. The current version also included black for the motto.
What does the Vans logo represent?
The Vans logo represents the name of the brand, written in a heavy geometric sans-serif typeface with a modified letter “V”, which has its right bar elongated and bent to the right, making up a roof for the rest three characters. This lettering stands for strength, stability, and confidence.
What is the meaning of Vans’“Off the wall”?
The Off the Walls logo was invented by the son of the company’s co-owner, James Van Doren. Mark Van Doren, 13, drew the logo for a stencil that could be transferred to a skateboard. Originally, the logo was put on the back of the sole. This is the phrase, used by skateboarders who skate on the sloping walls of empty pools.
What is the Vans symbol called?
Each pair of Vans shoes has a small strip of leather sewn on the outside with a printed or embossed logo. It shows the name of the company and the year of its foundation. This strip has its name, Jazz Stripe. And the author was inspired to create such a logo by the exhaust pipe on his favorite 1967 Shelby Cobra car.
What is the meaning behind Vans?
The iconic skateboarding brand Vans was founded by two brothers, Paul and James Van Doren, hence the name of the brand. As for its philosophy, the company takes its inspiration from slater the street culture spirit.