Vans were a classic part of my youth, same with David Bowie, and I’m sure there are a lot of you out there whose formative years involved one or both of these classic icons. Many hours were spent scouring skate shops for the perfect pair of shoes and the local record shop for albums (not much has changed, although now we can do it online at our convenience and don’t have to rely on Mum to drive us in to town to go to the shops).
It’ll be no surprise then, that the news that Vans have released a limited edition footwear collection to honour this music legend has had the Ambient Light crew absolutely fizzing.
It’s really exciting to be able to look at this collection of footwear and see that each style has been inspired by iconic Bowie imagery spanning his career from 1969’s Space Oddity all the way through to his final album, 2016’s ★. Tributes to the album covers, accents with Bowie or album names, and even the iconic red and blue lightning bolt make an appearance in the Vans x David Bowie collection, and to be honest that does make it difficult to pick a favourite!
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There are a couple of styles that really stand out – firstly the Vans’ Old Skool which is dedicated to David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane album. It includes pearlescent pebbled leather uppers accented by the iconic red and blue lightning bolt and is finished with Vans’ Sidestripe – instantly recognisable as a tribute to the album cover art.
The iconic checkerboard print on the Sk8-Hi model is something that’s definitely associated with the classic Vans of my youth, and it includes the Bowie lightning bolt logo lock-up overlaid across the print and Sidestripe.
Paying homage to Bowie’s inclusive nature, Vans will be offering the Sk8-Hi Platform style in an extended size range for men and women. Even the littlest of David Bowie fans can pay tribute to the prolific artist with a two-pair collection of footwear including the Sk8-Hi Zip and Old Skool V models that match back to the Bowie and Aladdin Sane adult styles.
The Vans x David Bowie collection is available from both the Pat Menzies retail store and online from today (5th April, 2019) – but we recommend getting in quick if you want to purchase as these will sell out sooner rather than later!
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