This new Vibram soled “Half Cab Reissue 33’ shoe” that Vans has dropped is the latest sad attempt to correct the brand’s sales freefall. It’s called OTW by Vans and it is an attempt by VF Corp to force the Vans brand back into mainstream fashion relevance. Apparently, the execution of this VF force has been left up to this guy:
Ian Ginoza, VP of Creative Direction for OTW by Vans, said: “OTW by Vans is a frontier for progression, experiences and collaboration. The skateboarding mindset is core to Vans, and OTW enriches that spirit through a distinct perspective to propel culture forward.”
If anyone can pull it off Ginoza can. He has deep roots in sneakers and culture marketing, however using a tag like “skateboarding mindset” as sales euphemism for “not skateboarding” has never ended well. Read the whole piece if you’d like. And if these become Vans best selling shoes ever, we will apologize. Promise.
[Link: The Industry.Fashion]
