July 29, 2026
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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
Nicholas Morine
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.
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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.