We’ve got no backstory on this one. We left the controls for a few days to catch the tail end of the winter that wasn’t and celebrate Holi while avoiding the St. Pats day madness only to return to news that VF Corp chose March 17, 2022 to announce that the company had named long-time Vans (and former Vans president) Kevin Bailey as the new global brand president for Vans.
This appointment marks Bailey’s return to the Vans brand after holding several enterprise leadership roles at VF. Bailey was Vice President of Retail for Vans when the brand was acquired by VF in 2004. He was later appointed as President of Vans, a role he held from 2009 to 2016. Under Bailey’s leadership, revenue for the brand more than doubled to $2.2 billion.
As for Vans comment on former president Doug Palladini (pictured right)? Well, they thanked him for his dedication and passionate service for the past 18 years and wished him “all the best” in his next chapter. Wish we had more info. If you see something, say something. Please. For the official word from VF click the link.
Merge4 has released a rad new collection of three crew socks from skateboarding legend Tony Alva.
Along with the classic Alva logo, each pair of Tony Alva socks is constructed with textile technology that supports an action based lifestyle, including moisture wicking soles, light compression to encourage circulation, and elastic arch support to cushion every movement. “Tony Alva gives us old men hope,” joked Santa Cruz Bicycles Founder and MERGE4 Board Member since the sock brand’s inception, Rob Roskopp.
The MERGE4 X Tony Alva collection socks are available to purchase at www.MERGE4.com and through select retailers. For all the details, please follow the jump.
It’s newsies time. Obviously, this list is overloaded with Olympic content since that’s what snowboarding is up to right now. And Shaun White is the biggest news from Chinaland. Shaun, and the terrible judging. But, oddly, few outlets wrote about that. Censorship? Probably not, but you know the journalists who are visiting China and hope to stay and/or return to the country don’t want to upset the PRC media watchers. Click the link for the list. And get going. This is enough to make it look like you’re working for the rest of the afternoon!
Vans is not letting Walmart off the hook in their blatant copying of Vans shoes (see the images above), according to a story on The Fashion Law. Vans filed a suit last year against Walmart’s rather obvious design borrowing, however, Walmart apparently complained that Vans “waited too long” to file suit. Vans believes “a preliminary injunction to block Walmart from continuing to sell “copycat” versions of “virtually all of [its] bestselling shoes” is necessary.” Can’t really blame them.
Vans has since lodged its reply to Walmart’s memo in opposition, taking issue with Walmart’s arguments, including the retailer’s claims that Vans lacks robust trademark rights, primarily for its OLD SKOOL sneaker. Looking specifically to the OLD SKOOL mark, Vans states that “based on longstanding use dating back more than 40 years, substantial sales and advertising, unsolicited media references, popular culture usage, and intentional copying by Walmart, Vans is likely to succeed in demonstrating that the OLD SKOOL trade dress has acquired secondary meaning.” In terms of sales, Vans says that it has generated “$10 billion in lifetime sales and current revenue of over $1 billion each year in U.S. sales of shoes bearing the OLD SKOOL trade dress.”
This entire case is just another example of how suspect Walmart’s entire business model really is. And we’re stoked that Vans is taking it to them full press. Click the link for the rest of the story.
Selema Masekela tells the story behind the Afrosurf book project and work on the afrocentric surf brand Mami Wata with Danny Agnew at Inside Hook.
It’s interesting to have a passion for a thing like surfing or snowboarding that affects you, and it’s your place to express yourself and to find peace, and also have to constantly be dealing with people looking at you strangely or wanting to comment that you’re even there in the room. Or dealing with the micro and less micro aggressions towards you even being there in the first place. And then nothing to back up your presence in any of the storytelling around the thing that you love the most. So I always dreamt of being able to build a brand that story told it from another perspective.
It’s a great look into the interface between action sports, culture, and following your heart. Click the link for the rest of the interview.
Merge4, the sock brand from Santa Cruz, California is releasing a set of socks celebrating the release of Jackass Forever.
The Jackass collection includes three brand new sock designs featuring iconic Jackass graphics: ‘International’, ‘Scattered’, and Skull’ – each constructed with light compression, padded soles, and a seamless toe and heel. And there may be more to come! “MERGE4’s Jackass socks are the only socks you want to be caught in, no matter if you’re cheatin’, lyin’ or kickin’ ass haha!” said Jackass star, WeeMan.
Get the while they’re available. Three pair for $62. Click the link.
Not that we’re on some VeeCo kick, but they keep doing things that seem relevant to us. Not sure if that’s good or bad for the brand, but their recently released Down For This 30th anniversary edit it worth checking out.
If you remember when Volcom was the newest action brand pushing the concept of youth boarding culture, then you’re old. If you’d like to reclaim some of your youth by watching old Volcom video footage in its original format, then here are a few of the classics currently for sale online (some at ridiculous prices).
Volcom has decided to ante-up and purchase the rights to outfit the 2022 US Olympic Snowboarding Team.
“The Volcom team is honored to be the official uniform provider for the U.S. Snowboard Team and provide for world-class athletes on snowboarding’s biggest global stage,” said Ryan Immegart, CMO of Volcom and Liberated Brands. “Volcom was the first brand to combine the cultures of surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding, music and art and the original pioneer of the action sports industry. Thirty years later, Volcom’s ‘True To This’ spirit comes to life through these uniquely designed uniforms created exclusively for some of the world’s greatest snowboarders.”
A little OG VeeCo 90s punk patterned power suits with knees patches? Volcom really does mean business. Click play for the entire announcement. How do you think they look? Leave a comment.
A group of teens reportedly stormed the Volcom Store in Santa Barbara, California grabbing a bunch of stuff and running right out the back door without paying on Monday, December 6, 2021, according to a story in Cal Coast News.
Shortly before 5 p.m., the teens entered the store and grabbed multiple items before escaping out the back door. A security alarm alerted store clerks that the teens had fled with the merchandise. . . The teens, who all wore similar jackets, fled on foot or on bicycles.
On the one hand, bummer, on the other apparently the kids are still alright with the brand.
Turns out what the world needs now is another outerwear company that is focused on sustainability. You know, because there just aren’t enough outwear companies creating environmentally sensitive body coverings for snowboarders who care about the world around them. And Jones Snowboards is here to do it right where so many have failed before.
Jeremy Jones’ ultimate all-weather outerwear line that balances unmatched performance and durability with industry leading sustainable manufacturing and material standards.
How will this outerwear be different from other clothing companies? Jones doesn’t mention it. Why is it sustainable? Again, no mention. But it’s sustainable. And that’s good, right? Sure it is. For a closer look at the line, please click the link.
We’ve got no backstory on this one. We left the controls for a few days to catch the tail end of the winter that wasn’t and celebrate Holi while avoiding the St. Pats day madness only to return to news that VF Corp chose March 17, 2022 to announce that the company had named long-time Vans (and former Vans president) Kevin Bailey as the new global brand president for Vans. 
Merge4, the sock brand from Santa Cruz, California is releasing a set of socks celebrating the release of Jackass Forever.
A group of teens reportedly stormed the Volcom Store in Santa Barbara, California grabbing a bunch of stuff and running right out the back door without paying on Monday, December 6, 2021, according to a story in 
