Vans invites misfits home for the holidays

Picture this: you head home for the holidays and find Nettspend is cooking the ham, Bella Poarch is drinking milk and Tony Alva is bringing over gifts. Meanwhile Zion Wright, Junior Gutierrez, Efron Danzig, Marc Lovejoy, Calli DeWitt and 22 are all in the living room. That’s the chaotic energy that ‘Meet the Vans’, the skating brand’s festive collection, captures with a new 14-piece collection.

Meet the Vans brings together a bunch of “misfits” in a range of merry styles, each representing their own version of family with Off The Wall cheer. With creative direction from longtime magazine editor Thom Bettridge, Vans enlisted a wide cast of characters, meant to represent three generations of brand lovers, to portray the beauty (and chaos) of a holiday spent at home. Ample tinsel, fruit cakes, and tartan served as the backdrop for various shots of a family going through the many emotional stages of a holiday celebration.

Meet the Vans shoes themselves appear to take inspiration from traditional wrapping paper, with plenty of red and green plaid infused in many of the designs. Even if tartan isn’t your thing, though, there’s something in the collection for everyone. Holiday-coded renditions of classic Vans silhouettes are plentiful, with cable knits and high pile fleece woven into styles like the Authentic, the Slip-On and the Old Skool. Lace, pearl and metallic embellishments find their way into the collection, too, serving as a more subtle entry point for those in search of something they can wear year-round.

This collection is just the latest example of Vans bringing people together – the shoemaker has always infused a sense of community into its work. Since its inception in 1966, the Off The Wall label has brought together legions of skateboarders, streetwear enthusiasts, athletes and creatives, all rooted in their belonging to different countercultures. The aesthetics of Meet the Vans furthers this vision, bringing together members of the eclectic “Vans family” to showcase the brand’s latest styles.

In a chaotic and unpredictable world, the holidays can (hopefully) offer some refuge; a rare period when you can curl up and be surrounded by those who know you best. The Meet the Vans campaign, along with the new collection, reflects all the delight and the absurdity that a family (or chosen family) gathering provides. If you’ve been itching to get into the holiday spirit and gift-giving, this may be your sign to get started.

Head here to shop the new collection.