I have longed for a pair of regular shaped Vans- I made the mistake of only buying two pairs of Vans when on holiday in America. A black suede pair of high-tops more suited for skating and a pair of brown leather brogues. I always seem to underestimate the value of the traditional and classic colours of shoes such as black converse Chucks or a pair of blue Vans. The moral of the story is that I should learn to swear by the classics of shoe brands and styles. I really like the velvet vans as a part of Jesse Jo Stark’s collaboration with the skate shoe company Vans and the velvet shades of the colours red, green and blue. Velvet seems to soak up the lighting rather than shine and I like that difference about it.
I like the cute and round cut of the toe of the shoe in contrast with the moody and dark blue of the velvet. It’s not that often you see casual shoes incorporate the material into their design so I felt really in awe of the simple combination of the round almost ballet flat vans and moody and brooding velvet.The dark blue velvet also worn with the matching blue velvet dress worn with Jesse Jo’s dress in the photo shoot and her leopard print beanie and eyeliner is the perfect indie and seminal punk look. Since I’ve killed a few pairs of ballet flats in my high school years the thing I look for most is versatility with a few different outfits and these vans can be the edgy look to a sweet outfit with a skirt but they can also be worn with jeans if you’d want to look more casual.
I feel so confident and free when I wear my Vans, the grip on the shoes and the support and structure is something I swear by. If I’m late for the bus or train and I need to stampede down the street then I know my pair of brown leather Sofia Vans won’t let me down or slip off. I imagine it would take a lot of wear and outings to properly destroy a pair of Vans although I may be wrong since I’ve had them for a year but I had been in school uniform for a while. If I had been lucky enough to get a job at General Pants Co maybe it would be acceptable to wear a pair of Vans to work without having to swap shoes. Oh well, I am lucky to be employed this Christmas and I should take it for what it’s worth.
My only lament about Vans is that not all the colours and styles can be available from one shop or from online so it is hard to know the biggest, best and most boisterous of their current styles available. In Australia the collaboration with Jesse Jo may not be as big but I am a fan and would love to buy a pair of velvet Vans in either blue or a dusty faded black. Her style has intrigue and she is a bit of a mystery herself. Known as a party girl, smoking and wild colours streaked from the tops of her bangs I style admire Jesse Jo Stark’s wild spirit and would love to own part of her collection (if I had the funds).
