This is the message that I wrote to our readers and followers on 12/8/13 regarding our website name change:
There’s no easy way to break this news, but I’ll get straight to the point. The name Offthewallsite and OTWS are going to be leaving us soon. Vans has finally come to us and respectfully asked that we stop using those names, as they are too similar to Off The Wall and OTW, which are their rightfully owned trademarks. We were given a pass all this time, because let’s be honest, they like us, and love what we do for them, and for our beloved sneaker community. This fan site that we’ve created has grown by leaps and bounds over the years, as have the popularity in Vans, especially in the exclusive and limited releases, and collaboration projects , which us Vans collectors seek out mostly. That’s who we cater to, and naturally that’s who we represent. So with that, we will be changing our name to “Under The Palms”, which has a few meanings to me, but in all honesty, it’s just a timeless name. It appeals to us “cool guy Vans heads” who are down with the palm leaf pattern, it looks good on stuff, represents that Cali brand that they are, and most importantly doesn’t infringe on any trademarks! You could also say that we’re stuck “under the palms” of our favorite brand, being held down by the man! Just kidding.
Let me break it down to you for a minute. We represent all that is dope about Vans. All this time, I haven’t really taken the time to sit back and think about that. I mean, I’ve always known that we were the most knowledgeable core group of Vans enthusiasts in the sneaker community. Not just with the shoes, but with the culture, the history, and the heritage. Vans has a ton of that, unlike a few other brands who buy their way into an industry, and constantly are called out for calling something limited, and creating tons of hype, and then re-releasing it later on, just making their customers mad, and in many cases, causing some to defect from said brand. Those tactics have allowed for many other brands to win over a new customer, especially our favorite brand, Vans. We embrace that authenticity about Vans, and we show the people that there’s also a sneaker collector community within Vans. We even convert fans into advocates. We find people all the time, who have worn nothing but Vans their entire life, but never knew there were Vans Vaults, Syndicates, and many dope collabs. We show them that there’s so much more to Vans out there. Without a place to gain knowledge, share release info, show off collections, and buy and sell your Vans to people who are specifically looking for your shoes, then why collect? Vans might as well not even do limited and cool stuff. We invite all to come and hang out with us “Under The Palms”.
-Guamstyles
