vintage VANS black suede AV NATIVE off the wall MADE IN USA old skool native american RARE van engelen jazz stripe

 was not sure what I had with a $5 ebay risk but I knew it was gold! what was this old skool-like jazz striped full suede low cut van with otw tongue & toe/heel bumpers? upon arrival it was confirmed as an og #AVnative!! #vanengelen & #vandoren would be proud

 

we dont pay a huge amount of attention to modern release although im starting to think maybe we should. 1st encountering the AV native via the spitfire edition of course it's more a reference to madrid flys than a native american, with the spitfire logo replacing the fly print & the same triangular tongue graphic. finding the original however the AV is more an old skool without the toe box & with native's ollie pad silhouette only.

vintage vans style #_ av native

black suede

made in usa circa 1995

used

size N/A

vintage VANS yellow on blue SK8-MID cut JEFF GROSSO made in usa old skool sk8-hi rare skateboard marine sunflower

 

 take route (19)66 to vans california & the birth of the sk8 family. #style36 low-cut sk8➡#style37(c)? sk8-mid➡#style38 sk8-hi

 

 

the history of the sk8-mid is somewhat blurry. with perhaps only 3 years of made in us production at best, we are yet to confirm the style number however this was at a time circa 1993 when style numbers were becoming superfluous. jeff grosso spearheaded the long anticipated re-release & even modern incarnations are hard to find. there is so much finesse to the original however which is lost on todays mid. as such, these are staying in the vault..... however we do have another strong mens pair available in the coming weeks. don't sleep

vintage vans style #37c(?) sk8-mid
yellow on blue
made in usa circa 1993
used
size N/A

vintage VANS charcoal suede STREET STYLE NATIVE AMERICAN style #37 #238 MADE IN USA US6.5 black sole high top

 there's no more time to keep vans 'secrets' to myself anymore. 2013 will be sleeveless... if you know what I mean, & I ain't wearing no tank top! who remembers #vansstreetstyle? & not the crappy 2011 re-issue

vintage vans vintage vans style #238 native american

charcoal suede

street style black rubber scene

made in usa circa 1988

new in box

US6.5/UK6

BUY-IT-NOW! ¬
http://theothersideofthepillow.bigcartel.com/product/vintage-vans-charcoal-suede-street-style-native-american-style-37-made-in-usa-us6-5

vintage VANS black black suede native american style #37 MADE IN USA skateboard shoes 1980's US5.5 high top

vintage vans style #238 native american

black suede

black rubber scene

made in usa circa 1987

new in box

US5.5/UK5

BUY-IT-NOW! ¬
http://theothersideofthepillow.bigcartel.com/product/vintage-vans-black-black-suede-native-american-style-37-made-in-usa-skateboard-shoes-1980-s-us5-5

STYLE PROFILE; vans style #38 sk8-hi ¬

 not sure of the exact date of this ad which we have posted b4, however being so loaded with significance it deserves greater attention. dogtown era was in full swing as the blue/red/blue army flooded the streets & pools of california & the mouse went off the wall in the 'dog bowl' (zoom required)! style #36 were literally rolling out the door & style #37 mid skool was poised somewhere in between the 2, made fresh by hand, with 1 foot already in the grave so to speak. hopefully someone with the original ad or maybe knowledge of the tunes young 'red' is listening to could enlighten us to the exact date of issue, however our educated guess (with the help of the calender on/off the wall) is january 1977.

the lesser known 2nd installment in what we call the S.C series reveals a changing landscape. vans are still handmade by the same sweating craftsman, the dogtown #95s are still prevalent however skate has taken a back seat to the domineering world of bmx. style #36 retains its position on the podium meanwhile the advance in helmet development & the arrival of knee pads accompany the replacement of the #37 mid skool with the style #38 sk8-hi & the new lines of flight it now necessitates. printed scenes & canvas have now also become available & carbon date this ad from perhaps october 1982?

this essentially says it all about the evolution of the style #36 into the style #38 via style #37. late 70's pool & vert skating necessitated the extra cushioning & ankle support provided by the highest hi-top to be added to the off-the-wall collection. the suede eyestay & heelstay were extended across the 3 rolls of padded collar while new toe ventiliation helps keep you cool. speaking of cool, the new trajectory of bmx unfolding in the late 70's & beyond, offered a new landscape for vans dependability of traction, fit & snappy styling with new advances in comfort, protection & durability. the vinyl jazz stripe also made the transition however now flowing on a different wavelength. until recently we had not noticed the stripe of a #38 exhibits more the dip or trough of a wave than an old skool peak or crest. this was accentuated further by the eventual modification of the style #38 as it was adopted as the vehicle of choice through the paradigm shift in core sports the next decade end would bring.

introduced in 1978, style #38 was there at the high water mark of vertical skating, helped bmx make fresh tracks in the 80's & underwent its first change in form only after 10 years of solid thrashing. the advent of street skating in the late 80's & the ripple effect of ollie-based tricks dictated a new threshold for action footwear. in confrontation with frequent blow-outs from ollie & flip-based tricks the style #38, much like the style #37 around the same time, underwent a few modifications. the suede heel stay was widenened to protect & reinforce the ankle while the suede eyestay was expanded to form an ollie patch of sorts for greater durability. although these changes were for the greater good of construction & did reduce the high turnover of skate shoes, we think the overall aesthetic was impaired as the trend towards this 1st generation look re-release may indicate. the integrity of the flowing jazz stripe had now been compromised like a musicain cut short amid improv. 

we also have evidence of a few more manifestations of style #38 including what was known as #138 with an extanded rubber toe box. this is a rare style perhaps re-designed to combat destructive knee slides on vert although was also prominent in bmx circles. just as we featured our solid suede style #36 recently we also found evidence of a full suede sk8-hi known as style #338. the style number #438 was also used interchangeably with #38 & did become redundant around the same time as the 1st generation sk8-hi although not exclusively. the last manifestation was in response to the kids on the street cutting down the padded collar of their #38 to a sk8-mid & as such it was thus coined. 

out of all the models released by vans over the years it is the sk8-hi which embodies the most spirit & is loaded with attitude. its origin was skate, to where it remains loyal. an unofficial member of original bones brigade team it had & still has vert, freestyle & street credibility. it traversed the helltrack of bmx through the 80's & 90's & maintains a place in flatland & race history. the crossover appeal into underground subcultures such as punk & hardcore speak volumes for its longevity & authenticity. it is a statement of intent. the most versatile, sought after & pre-eminent core shoe of all time.