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Vans Old Skool Original vs Fake Guide 2024: How to Spot Fake Vans Shoes?

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Vans Old Skool Original vs Fake Guide 2024: How to Spot Fake Vans Shoes?

Debuted under the name “Style 36” back in 1977, the Vans Old Skool skate shoe is today among the brand’s most famous silhouettes. It has always been popular amongst skateboarders.The iconic side stripe was originally just a random doodle by the brands' founder Paul Van Doren, which he referred to at the time as the 'jazz stripe'. Fast forward to the modern day and that simple doodle has become an unmistakable hallmark of the Vans brand. But this was only the beginning for the Old Skool which would rise to rival the authentic for the title of Vans’ most iconic shoe. But there are more and more fake Vans shoes on the market today. How to spot fake classic Vans shoes from the real? In this Vans Old Skool original vs fake guide, I will help you how to tell.

Cover Photo:vans.com

1. The Overall look of Vans Classic Old Skool Shoes

The Old Skool was a new low top,lace-up style, it was Vans' first skate shoe to incorporate leather panels. It's the first to bear the iconic side stripe. It is lined, has padded collars for support and flexibility, re-enforced toecaps to withstand repeated wear, and features the Vans signature waffle outsole for a firmer grip. The Old Skool was the first Vans skate shoe to incorporate leather panels for enhanced durability, notably the silhouette's suede toe.

Except for Old Skool and Sk8 styles, Vans sneakers usually have a rectangular strip of fabric with the brand's logo on the lateral side of the shoe.

Source:vans.com

2. Feel the Weight of Vans Shoes

If you've owned a pair of Vans before, you'll know that they aren't light. Vans shoes are known for being fairly heavy for a pair of shoes. They generally weigh anywhere between 0.75 (Vans Era)- 2.87(Vans Sk8-Hi Classics) pounds, depending on the shoe style. If they feel light, they're likely fake.

Source:vans.com

3. The Rubber Toe Cap

1) Every Vans sneaker has reinforced rubber toe guards that are neatly bonded to the shoe for protection against wear and tear. It should be textured, while the rest of the midsole should come smooth.

2) The toe angle of authentic Vans shoes should point slightly upward. If it's flat, then they are most likely fake.There should also be a slight gap between the rubber toe cap and the shoe fabric. Knockoffs usually have no gap, with the rubber collar extending to the fabric.

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4. The Stripe on the Sole

1) The stripe on the rubber foxing tape is a trademark styling cue for the Vans classic. Vans makes the stripe with solid colored rubber that has clean and straight edges. On genuine Vans shoes, the stripe is molded into the shoe.

2) On some fake Vans shoes, the stripe is not molded but painted on. Therefore, it will not have clean lines like a genuine pair and may even have excess paint elsewhere.

5. The Laces and Eyelets

1）Genuine Vans shoes will come with flat shoelaces, while fake Vans may come with round shoelaces. All authentic Vans shoelaces should be firm. Fake ones have poor quality soft and thin laces.

2）Except for the original Old Skool Vans, which only have raw shoelace holes, genuine Vans sneakers have neatly painted and properly aligned eyelets

6. The Tag inside of Tongue

Check the information on the inside of your Vans tongue. There are the infoemation of sizes and of where are the original Vans shoes manufactured on the tag . It should not only exactly correspond with the information labeled on the box, but also indicate the country of manufacturing. Made in China, Made in Vietnam and Made in Cambodia – these are the signatures that you should find on the original models. You should find the size on the tag (in American, British and European numbering as well as the liner’s length in cm.)

7. The padding

Aside from the logos, genuine Vans shoes are easily identifiable by the slightly rounded padded collar. The footbed is also padded for added comfort and superior shock absorption.

8. The Trademarks in Vans

The real Vans shoes should have three trademarks: a nicely printed, easy-to-read trademark on the insoles(solid, not fated logo) , small label outside of the shoe (depending on the style), and the logo on the sole placed at the heel. Check out the details, such as font and “V” letter with a characteristic extension. You can compare the trademarks with those in the Internet or the other pair of the original shoes.

9. The Logo on the Heel

'Off The Wall' was the name of a skateboarding trick that was very popular in California during the 1970s. The original version of the skateboarding logo with the‘ Off The Wall’ text was designed in the 1970s by the son of President and co-owner James Van Doren. They began to use the logo on the heel tab of the Style 95 shoe, which is one of the first skateboarding shoes that they produced. Both of these logos are still synonymous with the brand today.

10. The Middle Sole

Vans makes outsoles with three layers of rubber foxing tape glued together. The real Vans rubber outsole shows how the layers of rubber foxing tape come together in a bulging pileup of overlapping parts. While this may look like poor shoemaking, it is original to Vans sneakers. The fake Vans in red may look cleaner, it's not authentic.

11. The outsole of Vans Shoes

1) The authentic Vans shoes have vulcanized rubber waffle soles that come in rhomboid and diamond shapes. Check that the edges are sharp and straight.The real's has clean lines around the perimeter of the sole, while fake Vans are usually messy, with the color of the sole bleeding into the white. A flat sole, while fake pairs won't be flat at the bottom of the waffle design.

2）Factory Code

Vans Old Skools will have a small factory code embossed into the sole within one of the diamonds (fake Vans may also have this code).
There are a number of different factory codes that are used in various countries, one shoe style may have different factory codes. It should be a embossed two or three-letter country code, which is a mark to determine the country of production. It should also match the code on the sticker inside the box.

12. The Stitching

Carefully check the stitching. In the original Vans there is straight, symmetric and solid stitching and no place for imperfections. While fake Vans usually have loose, uneven, or inconsistent spacing stitching, and may have kinked stitching.

13. The Swing Tag

Vans Old Skools come with a swing tag with the Vans Off The Wall logo, make sure the printing is solid and clear. Look for the small registered R above the front wheel, make sure it is clear and sharp. Take note of how the end of the swing tag is perforated so that the skateboard can be "broken" off easily.

14. The Shoe Box

1) The real shoes have a locking mechanism via a tab on the top. Cheap imitations often have no locking mechanism. The top will drape over the bottom of the box, with nothing holding it in place.

2) The original packaging always has a label with size, country of manufacturing and its code. CLK, HF or R means country code, where your Vans were manufactured (e.g. CLK – Made in Cambodia,) manufacturer’s index, original colouring of the model and bar code. Make sure the printing is clear and sharp and that there are no spelling mistakes. You can scan the code with special applications, such as ShopSavvy or ScanLife, which recognize the originals and fakes.

3) The shoes should be wrapped in paper with logos within the box to protect the shoes.

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