Why Can't Vans Regain Its Popularity Despite Its Creative Vigor?

In recent years, the sports shoe industry has been in turmoil. Leading brands like Nike and Adidas have faced significant performance challenges, while brands such as New Balance and ASICS have shown strong growth momentum. Amidst this, Vans seems to be a brand that is less frequently mentioned.

As one of the once - popular brands representing skateboard culture and street fashion, Vans has also been struggling with its performance in recent years. Despite the brand's continuous efforts through new product launches and market initiatives, demonstrating creative vitality, the financial reports show that it has become a revenue black hole for its parent company, the VF Group. In this uphill battle, regaining popularity remains a daunting challenge.

Performance in Decline, but Creativity Unabated?

In the past, Vans took some remarkable steps. One of the most memorable was ending the twenty - year - old Vault by Vans and replacing it with the new high - end line, OTW by Vans, for a "fresh start". After that, the brand did launch many collaboration projects, but they didn't generate much market buzz.

This year has been similar. From the luxury brand VALENTINO to the minimalist JJJJound, from the street classic Supreme to the fashion brand SATOSHI NAKAMOTO, Vans' collaborations are diverse and rich. However, there is still a lack of a blockbuster hit that leaves a deep impression.

Beyond collaborations, Vans' attempts to follow popular trends can also be seen in its modified shoe styles that blend various popular elements:

For example, there are loafers with a trendy silhouette, mule - like slip - on styles, Mary Jane elements to follow the feminization trend, new shoe shapes based on boat shoes, Birkenstock - like alternatives, and even alternative "crocs - like" shoes.

It can be said that all the shoe styles and style elements that have been popular over a long period can be found in Vans' modified styles. This clearly shows the brand's strong "survival instinct" - an attempt to stimulate consumers' purchasing desire by leveraging mainstream trends in a market where it is not very popular.

Of course, there have also been some creative works that have received significant attention recently. For instance, the Old Skool 36 "Souvenir" with "Chanel - like attributes".

The brand cleverly played on a "loose interpretation". It's hard to deny that its design references Chanel's On the Pavement messenger bag launched in 2015. This popular bag was made trendy by many celebrities like Lil Yachty and Bella Hadid at that time, and its distinctive design was almost entirely transferred to the Old Skool 36, adding a special style. As a result, it has a high premium in both domestic and international secondary markets.

In addition, the latest collaboration with the artist Sterling Ruby's S.R. STUDIO. LA. CA. design studio also breaks people's existing perception of Vans. The newly launched Future Clog integrated sandal style deconstructs and reshapes traditional clogs from an industrial perspective. This avant - garde and experimental design is not something we would usually associate with Vans.

Moreover, just last week, Vans announced a new move - inviting SZA to serve as the brand's creative director, participating in creative work such as product and marketing activities. The brand hopes to drive the consumer market, mainly composed of the younger generation, through this in - depth cross - border internal cooperation beyond simple collaborations.

As can be seen, Vans is constantly making new attempts in terms of product creativity and marketing initiatives. However, as mentioned at the beginning, the response from the capital market is not ideal. According to the financial reports of the parent company VF Group, the brand faces significant challenges in turning the situation around.

Market Dilemma: A Revenue Black Hole for the VF Group?

Previously, the financial report of the VF Corporation for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025 showed that Vans' revenue dropped by 22% year - on - year. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, the decline continued, with revenue dropping by another 14%.

What's more concerning is that among the entire group, brands like THE NORTH FACE and Timberland have achieved growth, while Vans has become a "black hole" dragging down the performance, even being described by investors as the VF Group's "Achilles' heel".

The problem is that this is not a short - term fluctuation but a continuous decline. Although the VF Group has tried to repair Vans' business structure through "channel optimization" - such as closing inefficient stores, optimizing inventory, exiting low - margin wholesale channels, and even shifting more resources to the direct - sales model - these adjustments have brought more revenue pressure in the short term. In other words, the brand is trying to "stop the bleeding" to extend the recovery time, but the market's patience is wearing thin.

In addition to the numbers, the brand also faces a crisis of market confidence. The international rating agency Moody's downgraded the VF Group's credit rating, citing the lack of clear results from Vans' transformation as one of the reasons. This shows that the capital market's skepticism towards Vans almost outweighs its optimism about the VF Group's other businesses.

However, there may be a glimmer of hope. Previously, CEO Bracken Darrell said in an interview that the company has observed early signs of a trend reversal. In fact, the resurgence of skate shoes during Paris Fashion Week earlier can be seen as an indication.

Luxury fashion brands like DIOR, LV, and LOEWE are refocusing on street - style skate shoes, launching corresponding styles with designs similar to the Authentic. Additionally, from the new - season fashion weeks, it's evident that the aesthetic trend in the shoe industry is quietly changing, which may bring some positive signals for Vans' revival.

The fashion industry has no shortage of "comeback stories". Adidas staged a remarkable turnaround in just two or three years. Now, with its performance in decline, Vans urgently needs to regain its brand influence. Although the VF Group has made changes in its transformation plan, the more important question is how to seize the changing fashion trends and create sufficient appeal in product updates and brand storytelling.