Check(erboard) Out These Vibram Vans
Brand: Vault by Vans
Model: Authentic Vibram LX and Sk8-Hi Vibram LX
Release Date: Available now
Price: ¥17,600 - 20,350
Buy: Online at Billys Tokyo
Editor's Notes: Nothing quite says performance and comfort like Vibram. Typically reserved for outdoor high-performance footwear silhouettes like HOKA and Salomon, your mountain-crazy cousins and tech wear bros will be all too familiar with the company's unparalleled responsiveness.
That doesn't mean the rest of the sneaker industry hasn't tapped in; after all, comfort is for everyone, right?
Vibram certainly isn't gatekeeping – it's lent its iconic yellow-stamped soles to KEEN, Represent, Merrell, Veja, and Reebok, to name a few. Everyone's tacked on, including Vans.
This new collection isn't Vans' first outing with Vibram. Earlier this year, Vault by Vans updated the Sk8-Hi Reissue LX and Authentic LX in a four-piece monochromatic pack which saw both silhouettes pack a bigger punch than ever before.
Unlike the Vans you're used to, these featured exaggerated studded soles that completely transformed each shoe, giving them some serious height. The grungy aesthetic blended high-fashion statements and the urban subculture of the '90s, creating the essential Brick Lane footwear.
For the next pack, both silhouettes feature once again. Almost as if the blocked black and white colorways were thrown at each other in angst, Vans' iconic checkerboard print fills both pairs.
The previous pack certainly didn't lack character, but if you're trying to make a statement, this collection goes a step further. It'll be interesting to see how Vibram and Vault by Vans take this partnership further and if any additional silhouettes will enter the fold.
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