July 29, 2026
Romaset/Depositphotos.com
Can Vans Become Cool Again, Heading Off a Perceived Decline in Popularity?
Those who remember the fast times of the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s might fondly remember Vans as a “cool” brand, with their slip-on shoes being nigh-synonymous with punk and skater culture. Fast forward to 2026, and the brand seems to be wearing a bit of tarnish it’s trying to shake, as Retail Dive’s Daphne Howland outlined.
A series of quarterly declines for Vans culminated most recently in a significant 8% fall, year-on-year, during parent company VF Corp.’s first quarter. Vans’ misfortunes were somewhat offset by YoY growth within The North Face and Timberland brands, which improved by 6% and 4% in terms of revenue respectively.
Trouble brewing at Vans didn’t necessarily spell big trouble for VF Corp. as a whole, however, with total Q1 revenue trending upward by 1% and the company raising its guidance for the year as a whole. The report card also saw gross margin blooming by a slim 10 basis points (missing projections) as net loss tightened by more than 16% to $97.2 million.
“We’re not going to pretend that this quarter was great — it wasn’t. But it really sets us up for a year of accelerated growth, which is great. Very modest, I’ll say that, but that accelerated growth story is going to get stronger and stronger over the following year,” VF Corp CEO Bracken Darrel said on an analyst call dissecting the results.
Vans Currently Described as Party to a ‘Downfall,’ and Customers Complain about Declining Quality Standards
In a lengthy YouTube video provided by The Fashion Fable earlier in 2026 titled “The Painful Downfall of Vans,” the former glory of the brand as a fashion icon within certain subcultures — a popularity that would later expand beyond music festivals and skate parks to Main Street — was contrasted with its current period where its intrinsically rebellious “cool” factor had been “watered down.”
“And maybe you felt that shift, too. Vans never fully disappeared from stores, closets, or street style. But when was the last time the brand actually felt ahead of culture?” the narrator of the video asked. On the other hand, the top-rated comments attached to said video argued with the stated premise, arguing that the brand was still both popular and relevant.
However, in a recent conversation on Reddit, nested within a subreddit specifically dedicated to the brand, users bemoaned what they perceived to be a striking decline in quality over the course of the past few years.
The thread, titled “Decline in quality since 2018,” saw the original poster complain about the lack of quality in his latest pair, with replies echoing the sentiment.
“Yup! I checked out about 3 or 4 years ago because the decline was clearly visible…Had nearly 100 pairs prior to that, which I’m still mostly wearing through,” one user wrote.
“Same here. Over 40 years of loyalty to the brand and was done 5 years back. Still here so [sic] see cool designs but few and far between. All this sub is now is these quality issue posts,” a second added.
BrainTrust
Gary Sankary
Retail Industry Strategy, Esri
Chris Niesen
Mark Ryski
Founder, CEO & Author, HeadCount Corporation
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
Do you believe it’s likely that Vans will regain its former brand heat to become cool with consumers again? What steps should leadership take to make this happen?
In your opinion, is the criticism against Vans current brand positioning as accurate as it puts forth? Why or why not?
Are there any missing pieces to the puzzle that Vans could easily leverage to gain some quick wins?
Poll
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Vans’ revenue has been shrinking, and the latest results show that it is shrinking still. Some of this, especially in markets like Asia, comes from a deliberate pullback on distribution to protect brand integrity. However, much is also the result of the brand falling out of favor because it lost its edge and became too ubiquitous. That said, the latest numbers provide some glimmers of hope, mostly from growth in the direct-to-consumer channel in the US. This is the first place regained brand heat would show up – and it is potentially supported by increased interest in skater-style sneakers and collaborations like Valentino. However, it is too early to say that Vans is fully cool again.
Fashion is fickle, and it’s challenging for any brand to remain relevant over the long term. VF Corp has plenty of experience and a strong portfolio of brands, so I wouldn’t bet against them turning Vans around. But when brands go off trend, it can be extremely difficult to regain their edge. Social media has become the front line in assessing market sentiment, and I’m sure VF Corp and Vans leadership are paying very close attention to what’s being said. So, will Vans regain its former brand heat? Maybe. Getting back to positive YoY growth will be a good first step.
Vans’ challenge is that the shoe and the brand are essentially the same thing. You can’t reinvent the silhouette without losing what makes it Vans. Where they do have room to maneuver is on the marketing side through initiatives like brand collabs and influencer partnerships to regain relevance.
I was in a class A mall today and saw plenty of people wearing Vans.
The video in the article asks if Van’s needs to stay ahead of culture. Why? The brand has earned cult status, right alongside Doc Martens and Converse Chuck Taylors.
The Vans Warped Tour is still going strong, and I remember when Vans drew customers in with cool merchandising and in-store skate parks. I couldn’t keep my kids out of those stores.
That most of us don’t need to ask what this is suggests there is a chance; but the fact that we’re talking about “cool” rather than “kewl” – or whatever the variant these days – tells me you’re asking the wrong demographic. And isn’t that always the challenge with youth-oriented items (?) : somehow combining the older folks who know how to sell it, with the younger ones who actually know what it is they should be selling.
Vans can become cool again, but it will require more than new designs or nostalgia-driven campaigns. The brand’s original power came from representing an authentic California Americana counterculture rooted in creativity, individuality, and self-expression. Over time, as Vans expanded into a global lifestyle brand, some of that cultural edge was diluted.
The criticism of Vans is accurate in that the brand has moved from being a cultural participant to a cultural artifact. Its heritage remains powerful, but heritage alone does not create relevance. Vans does not need to abandon its roots; it needs to translate its original promise into the communities and cultural movements shaping consumers today.
The quickest wins are not mass-market campaigns but targeted cultural investments: stronger relationships with creators and communities, authentic sponsorships, meaningful collaborations, and addressing product quality concerns among loyal customers. The biggest mistake would be chasing trends. Vans became iconic because it represented a point of view. Its future depends on rediscovering that point of view for a new generation.
Vans can follow the Gap playbook and imitate their Hailey Bieber campaign. Pick an attractive star of the moment and have that person imbue their personality into the product.
I’ve walked Vans several times this year and written about them on two different occasions. I have several observations I could make but the one that seems most relevant to this discussion has nothing to do with the store itself. It has everything to do with traffic. In 2026, I’ve never seen more than two other customers in the store while I’m walking the location and browsing the assortment. These store visits span all ranges of day and time. On some days, the mall was quiet and other times certain stores were very busy. The energy or lack of it inside the Vans store never changed.
In the sneaker world, you have brands like On Holdings and New Balance who continue to take overall market share and Adidas stepping in to some key cultural moments. This doesn’t suggest that Vans can’t regain relevance, but it should highlight how tough that will be.
Vans has more of an image problem than a heat problem right now — it’s fallen further out of fashion than the “one spark away” framing suggests. The clearest near-term path back isn’t a new influencer, it’s nostalgia. Gen Z has been running a 90s/Y2K revival for a couple years already, and Vans sits right in that lane. The window’s real, but it won’t stay open forever.
The bigger threat is quality, and it’s not just perception. Skaters and extreme sports participants have been upgrading to genuinely better-performing gear for years, and Vans hasn’t kept pace. If the brand wants credibility with the community that built it, the product needs to perform, not just look the part. Nostalgia can open the door. It won’t keep people in the store if the shoes don’t hold up.
First, reinvention is important to any business. Sometimes what got you to the dance needs to change to meet changing customer demands, desires, and expectations. On top of that, there’s more competition than ever, and if a brand loses its loyal customers to a competitor, the emotional connection driving that loyalty has disappeared. Finally, if the brand is losing customers due to quality, that’s not an excuse. It’s an explanation.
Whenever I hear the question about a brand regaining its former heat, I think about Gap. They experienced years of frustrating decline as they zigged and zagged their way through various iterations of fashion and promotions, and they only succeeded in confusing customers more and more. Until…they took a deep breath and went back to their roots. It’s not that they reinvented their Brand Promise or reinvented their core demographic. They did totally update their marketing and their conversation with that demographic. It’s a vastly different competitive world today than the world that Gap and Vans reached theirs pinnacles. Those same heights might not be achieved again due to the complexity of today’s retail ecosystem, but they can certainly play a big role. Success born and nurtured in the analog world now needs digital/AI/social media horsepower to compete.
Vans can become cool again, but the comeback cannot be built on nostalgia alone. The brand still has strong cultural memory around skate, music, and everyday style, but if customers are questioning quality, that has to be fixed first.
The priority should be product credibility. Vans needs styles that feel current, but customers also need to believe the shoes are durable, comfortable, and worth buying at full price.
The timing is favorable because simpler, lower-profile sneakers are back in the conversation. Vans already fits that shift. The opportunity is to turn renewed attention into repeat purchases by improving product, merchandising, and quality standards together.
The UTube video tells the story well…Vans wasn’t about being cool its about “off the wall” rebellion culture. The go to market strategy has two audiences they are playing for thats a tough balance when YOY sales are so off. They made it through one bankruptcy getting back to the basics I hope that they can avoid a 2nd one and the strategy works. I have been wearing mine since I was 11 and still am but my adult son, young niece and nephew all wearing as well but not sure their loyalty will stand as long as mine. I will be watching and stocking up on my basic white slip-ons just in case.
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Vans’ revenue has been shrinking, and the latest results show that it is shrinking still. Some of this, especially in markets like Asia, comes from a deliberate pullback on distribution to protect brand integrity. However, much is also the result of the brand falling out of favor because it lost its edge and became too ubiquitous. That said, the latest numbers provide some glimmers of hope, mostly from growth in the direct-to-consumer channel in the US. This is the first place regained brand heat would show up – and it is potentially supported by increased interest in skater-style sneakers and collaborations like Valentino. However, it is too early to say that Vans is fully cool again.
Fashion is fickle, and it’s challenging for any brand to remain relevant over the long term. VF Corp has plenty of experience and a strong portfolio of brands, so I wouldn’t bet against them turning Vans around. But when brands go off trend, it can be extremely difficult to regain their edge. Social media has become the front line in assessing market sentiment, and I’m sure VF Corp and Vans leadership are paying very close attention to what’s being said. So, will Vans regain its former brand heat? Maybe. Getting back to positive YoY growth will be a good first step.
Vans’ challenge is that the shoe and the brand are essentially the same thing. You can’t reinvent the silhouette without losing what makes it Vans. Where they do have room to maneuver is on the marketing side through initiatives like brand collabs and influencer partnerships to regain relevance.
I was in a class A mall today and saw plenty of people wearing Vans.
The video in the article asks if Van’s needs to stay ahead of culture. Why? The brand has earned cult status, right alongside Doc Martens and Converse Chuck Taylors.
The Vans Warped Tour is still going strong, and I remember when Vans drew customers in with cool merchandising and in-store skate parks. I couldn’t keep my kids out of those stores.
That most of us don’t need to ask what this is suggests there is a chance; but the fact that we’re talking about “cool” rather than “kewl” – or whatever the variant these days – tells me you’re asking the wrong demographic. And isn’t that always the challenge with youth-oriented items (?) : somehow combining the older folks who know how to sell it, with the younger ones who actually know what it is they should be selling.
Vans can become cool again, but it will require more than new designs or nostalgia-driven campaigns. The brand’s original power came from representing an authentic California Americana counterculture rooted in creativity, individuality, and self-expression. Over time, as Vans expanded into a global lifestyle brand, some of that cultural edge was diluted.
The criticism of Vans is accurate in that the brand has moved from being a cultural participant to a cultural artifact. Its heritage remains powerful, but heritage alone does not create relevance. Vans does not need to abandon its roots; it needs to translate its original promise into the communities and cultural movements shaping consumers today.
The quickest wins are not mass-market campaigns but targeted cultural investments: stronger relationships with creators and communities, authentic sponsorships, meaningful collaborations, and addressing product quality concerns among loyal customers. The biggest mistake would be chasing trends. Vans became iconic because it represented a point of view. Its future depends on rediscovering that point of view for a new generation.
Vans can follow the Gap playbook and imitate their Hailey Bieber campaign. Pick an attractive star of the moment and have that person imbue their personality into the product.
I’ve walked Vans several times this year and written about them on two different occasions. I have several observations I could make but the one that seems most relevant to this discussion has nothing to do with the store itself. It has everything to do with traffic. In 2026, I’ve never seen more than two other customers in the store while I’m walking the location and browsing the assortment. These store visits span all ranges of day and time. On some days, the mall was quiet and other times certain stores were very busy. The energy or lack of it inside the Vans store never changed.
In the sneaker world, you have brands like On Holdings and New Balance who continue to take overall market share and Adidas stepping in to some key cultural moments. This doesn’t suggest that Vans can’t regain relevance, but it should highlight how tough that will be.
Vans has more of an image problem than a heat problem right now — it’s fallen further out of fashion than the “one spark away” framing suggests. The clearest near-term path back isn’t a new influencer, it’s nostalgia. Gen Z has been running a 90s/Y2K revival for a couple years already, and Vans sits right in that lane. The window’s real, but it won’t stay open forever.
The bigger threat is quality, and it’s not just perception. Skaters and extreme sports participants have been upgrading to genuinely better-performing gear for years, and Vans hasn’t kept pace. If the brand wants credibility with the community that built it, the product needs to perform, not just look the part. Nostalgia can open the door. It won’t keep people in the store if the shoes don’t hold up.
First, reinvention is important to any business. Sometimes what got you to the dance needs to change to meet changing customer demands, desires, and expectations. On top of that, there’s more competition than ever, and if a brand loses its loyal customers to a competitor, the emotional connection driving that loyalty has disappeared. Finally, if the brand is losing customers due to quality, that’s not an excuse. It’s an explanation.
Whenever I hear the question about a brand regaining its former heat, I think about Gap. They experienced years of frustrating decline as they zigged and zagged their way through various iterations of fashion and promotions, and they only succeeded in confusing customers more and more. Until…they took a deep breath and went back to their roots. It’s not that they reinvented their Brand Promise or reinvented their core demographic. They did totally update their marketing and their conversation with that demographic. It’s a vastly different competitive world today than the world that Gap and Vans reached theirs pinnacles. Those same heights might not be achieved again due to the complexity of today’s retail ecosystem, but they can certainly play a big role. Success born and nurtured in the analog world now needs digital/AI/social media horsepower to compete.
Vans can become cool again, but the comeback cannot be built on nostalgia alone. The brand still has strong cultural memory around skate, music, and everyday style, but if customers are questioning quality, that has to be fixed first.
The priority should be product credibility. Vans needs styles that feel current, but customers also need to believe the shoes are durable, comfortable, and worth buying at full price.
The timing is favorable because simpler, lower-profile sneakers are back in the conversation. Vans already fits that shift. The opportunity is to turn renewed attention into repeat purchases by improving product, merchandising, and quality standards together.
The UTube video tells the story well…Vans wasn’t about being cool its about “off the wall” rebellion culture. The go to market strategy has two audiences they are playing for thats a tough balance when YOY sales are so off. They made it through one bankruptcy getting back to the basics I hope that they can avoid a 2nd one and the strategy works. I have been wearing mine since I was 11 and still am but my adult son, young niece and nephew all wearing as well but not sure their loyalty will stand as long as mine. I will be watching and stocking up on my basic white slip-ons just in case.