What's your top 5 Vans sneakers of 2012?

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What's your top 5 Vans sneakers of 2012?

Post by DJGuamstyles »

Well, it's the end of the year, and you know what that means! We need to put out an OTWS top 5 list, of the best sneakers of 2012. This survey went really well last year, and we came to a consensus here on OTWS, of what OUR top 5 were. Basically, list your top 5, in no particular order, and the most repeated shoes will be in the OTWS top 5. You can also include an entire pack or release, like "Supreme x Campbell's Soup Pack" or "Syndicate x Julien Stranger Pack". I will tally it up by Dec. 30th, and create a post for this on the blog! There's a lot of shoes to dig through, and think about, so take your time! If you feel like adding an explanation for each shoe, do so, as it makes for some good reading. I will be thinking of mine in the meantime, and should post them up soon.

Remember, there's Syndicate, Vault, CA, Supreme, Collabs, GR, OTW, etc!
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Re: What's your top 5 Vans sneakers of 2012?

Post by DJGuamstyles »

For all you new guys, look at last year's 2011 post here:

http://www.offthewallsite.net/forum/vie ... =13&t=1303

Here's a few that I've thought of so far. Not sure which ones I will place in the top 5:

Supreme x Campbell’s Soup Pack
Supreme MC 2012 ‘Nubuck’
In4mation Chukka Low “Rattles”
Half Cab 20th Anniversary Collection?
Syndicate “Jazz Stripe” Pack
Syndicate x Carhartt WIP Old Skool “S” Pack
Syndicate x AVE/Dill Pack
Primitive Half Cab Pro “Cable Knit”
HKIT Half Cab Pro “The Last Dragon”
Vault Palm Leaf Pack
Colette x The Cobra Snake – Hamburger Era
Any Kenzo Vans?
NiceKicks “The Duel” Pack
Vault x Kicks/HI collabs?
St. Alfred Chukka?
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Re: What's your top 5 Vans sneakers of 2012?

Post by akamedaniel »

2012 has been a great year for Vans! I tried to narrow it down to 5, but I just couldn't do it, I feel that all ten of these releases need to be recognized!
#10 Vans Vault x Harris Leathers: These just came out but I must say these are hot shoes! ..specifically the Old Skool's & Era's.
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#9 Vans Syndicate 'Jazz Stripe' Pack: I really liked how it was just a tweak on a classic model/colorway. The quality was on point on these and the comfort was just unbelievable!
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#8 Vans x Supreme 'Nubuck Carroll': I could never wear these, but I love the simplicity and the history behind the shoe. Not to mention that awesome 3M tongue.
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#7 Vans CA 'Birds' Pack: I didn't think too much of these at first, but once I saw them in person and tired them on, I had to have them!
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#6 Vans Syndicate x Carhartt WIP: These were just on point, inside and out! Loved the details on this shoe, definitely a quality release! It's a shame these were so hard to get your hands on, I would have loved to have the black & brown pair.
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#5 Vans Vault 'Zip' Sk8-Hi: This was one of the best Sk8-Hi releases in a while. The vintage look on these really gave them some character.
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#4 Vans x Supreme 'Corduroy & Checkerboard' Authentic: The first time I saw these I really didn't care much for them. I thought they were kind of childish with the bright colors and the checkers. But once I saw that Blue colorway, I thought Id go check them out. Glad I did, I love the blend of the materials and patterns, these were truly slept on!
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#3 Vans Vault OG 'Palm Leaf' Pack: The old school silhouette really made these shoes great! I really liked the pointed shape on the toe-box, and the shortened toe bumper. Not to mention that palm leaf pattern goes well with anything!
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#2 Vans Vault x Horween Leather Pack (First Round): Never got a chance to pick these up, but I did have a chance to check them out in person. The materials on this shoe were top notch! Truly a classy release! A great set of Vans to get your mature on!
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#1 Vans Syndicate 'Dill/AVE' Pack: It might have been the extensive teasing that really made me lust after these shoes, but once I had them in my hands, I could never let them go! One of the best Syndicate releases I've ever seen. There's a reason why these were so hyped.
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Sz 12
WANTED:
- Vault Leather & Flannel SK8-Hi (Brown)
- Supreme Checkerboard & Corduroy Authentic (Blue, Green, or Red)
- Syndicate Carhartt WIP Old Skool (Brown, Camo or Black) *Size 11.5
- Syndicate Mister Cartoon Authentic (Any Color)
- Vault Cuerpo LX (Monks Robe)
- Vault x Taka Hayashi x Billy Kirk SK8-Hi
All size 12 DS//VNDS//NDS
$$$$$$$
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Re: What's your top 5 Vans sneakers of 2012?

Post by erwin »

1 vault sk8 hi zipper
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2 carhartt old skool
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3 Soupreme's
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4 Primitive half cab
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5 Syndicate av/dill pack (last proper Syndi's)
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sz 11
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Re: What's your top 5 Vans sneakers of 2012?

Post by DJGuamstyles »

Some nice picks here, and akamedaniel, you mentioned most of the shoes that I failed to mention!
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Re: What's your top 5 Vans sneakers of 2012?

Post by Mr.Madlove »

i like how all of erwins picks were his own pictures :?:
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Re: What's your top 5 Vans sneakers of 2012?

Post by DJGuamstyles »

Yeah, that's incredible Erwin! OK, for my list, I chose 5 plus 1. I just had to. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Supreme x Campbell's Soup Pack
This release was so odd, and when we first saw pics of it, we weren't quite sure if it was a real release. Well, sure enough it was, and it did quite well. Sometimes a good collaboration doesn't need a back story, just a cool concept and design. Supreme killed it with this one, minus the matching t-shirt!

2. Supreme MC '12 Nubuck
Once again, Supreme hooked up all of us Vans collectors here, by offering up another round of the Mike Carroll signature shoe. This time, in some more friendly "Supreme-esque" colorways. Why couldn't these have gone to the Nordstrom Rack like the first release?! Once again, I bought every colorway. Thank you Supreme!

3. In4mation Chukka Low "Rattles"
Rattlesnake print, are you kidding me?! This shoe set off a new trend, that we are going to be seeing in the near future, with the Vans GR line, and we have the good homies, AND SUPPORTERS OF OTWS to thank, over at In4mation in Hawaii. Keith, Ryan, and Todd. Thank you for allowing us to pre-book this awesome shoe. We consider ourselves fortunate to have such an awesome hook-up!

4. Syndicate x AVE/Dill Pack
Here comes that snake print again! Jason Dill's Authentic in the black & silver snakeskin print was a bad ass shoe in itself, but then we get AVE with the cheetah print and premium dress shoe leather in an Old Skool?!? AND a collabo AV Sk8-Low, with both of their inspirations on it? The hype was real on this one, and congrats to those who got theirs! This release made Syndicate exciting again.

5. Syndicate "Jazz Stripe" Pack
This pack was a gift to Vans, celebrating the Vans Jazz Stripe's 35th anniversary. Taking the two OG colorways, and putting them on the two OG shoes with the jazz stripe on 'em, and then doing them up "Syndicate style". Syndicate knocked this one out of the park. This pack attracted a lot of core Vans fans, with their familiar colorways, but with better suede and leather accents, and better comfort. We couldn't have asked for a better build on a shoe, and the price point was perfect! Now, if only they didn't put the wrong sized laces on them!

6. Vault "Palm Leaf" Pack
I can count the number of "non-hyped" Vans Vault releases that have had such a wide acceptance, on one hand. Vans Vault has been incorporating a few retro releases into the mix, over the past few years, and this is continuing into next year. Perhaps it's due to the fact that they see that collectors like us, have a few pairs ourselves, and that there could be a viable market for them. Well, it's working. Besides digging into the old stash of designs, Vault has even gone so far, as to construct the shoe in the original shape and construction. With the "flat" toe, screen-printed heel tab, and leather heel insole, these are about as close as we can get to the OG "Made in USA" versions of a long time ago.
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Re: What's your top 5 Vans sneakers of 2012?

Post by Crimson Ghost »

1. Syndicate Jazz Stripe Pack
2. Syndicate AVE Old Skool
3. Syndicate x Carhartt Pack
4. Half Cab 20th Anniv
5. Vault x Horween
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Re: What's your top 5 Vans sneakers of 2012?

Post by tinsleyhesh »

1. Julien Stranger eras! Hes a great skater and it was cool to see him do a shoe. I especially love the suede and perforations! There gunna be great to skate.
2. Dill Authentics
3. Supreme Campbells authentics.
4. Syndicate Jazz Stripe
5. Syndicate Derby. Feel like these are really slept on.
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What's your top 5 Vans sneakers of 2012?

Post by nurizat »

too many great release..

but i post mine soon:)


Since 66... 10/10.5
since 66 forever

size 10.5/11
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Re: What's your top 5 Vans sneakers of 2012?

Post by rocketgoof »

(sorry for the length... I just couldn't help it. haha)

This year is REALLY tough! So many releases that were just plain great. Vans really went to their roots this year, and it paid off big time. It seems that the theme from Vans this year was just simple and classic, but with premium materials and updated technology. So many pairs that I bought this year were really just amazing updates on standard Vans designs and colorways that it's extra hard to decide...

Checkered Vans!
My obsession with Vans started because of their classic checkered slip-ons. This year, Vans really worked with their classic pattern and I loved it! There were so many great checkered Vans that it warranted it's own category from me this year...
Checkered Era Pro
I've been wanting some checkered Pro's ever since they introduced that line, and they finally gave me some this year with the Era's!
Glow-In-The-Dark Checkered Era's and Slip-On's
I've always dreamt of having glow-in-the-dark checkered Vans... And this year the Vans Gods blessed me with Era's AND Slip-on's!
Checkered AV Natives
The checkered AV Natives are firmly rooted in Vans traditional aesthetics and I loved all of the elements taken from pairs of Vans I've loved over the years.
Honorable Mentions
Honorable mentions have to go to the Supreme checkered corduroys and the Bones Brigade Sk8-Hi's. I still wish the Supremes used any other material but corduroy for these, but I can't deny the fact that I love having a more technically advanced pair of checkered authentics... With the Bones Brigade's, I just loved that I was able to get a black/white checkered pair of Sk8-Hi's in the Vert model.

Teal Van Doren Sk8-Hi's
Just amazing. Had to have them from the moment I saw them, and I couldn't stop wearing them once I did have them. Probably my favorite shoe of the summer.

Vans Vault Sk8-Hi Zippers
So awesome and classy that I haven't worn them much yet because I'm preserving them for the right occasions... But also so classic and simple that I'm also not afraid to put them into steady rotation someday.

AVE/DILL Syndicate Authentics and Old Skools
I don't know that there was a more hyped release this year? The Dill's were amazing and every detail is just incredible. Silvery textured snakeskin authentic's?! Sign me up! And I loved that the AVE's were like a combination of an old pair of GR Old Skool's that I have from '03 and a pair of sk8-lo's from a few years back. Just a super solid release that lived up to the all the hype that surrounded it. (it's actually kind of funny, cuz there was also a similar snakeskin sk8-lo in the same release I got the leopards... Inspiration? Or did AVE and Dill work on that pack, too? haha)

Syndicate "Jazz Stripe" Navy sk8-hi's
Whereas the Zippers are so nice that I'm scared to dirty them up just yet, I'm pretty sure I rocked these the day after they came in the mail. And steadily ever since. Super comfortable, super classic, and a perfect every day shoe. (and I don't even usually LIKE Navy shoes!) Still tempted to pick up a black pair, but I have so many great pairs of black sk8-hi's as it is, that my trigger finger isn't as itchy... The red old skool's in the second wave of this pack are also fantastic (might have to be my Christmas shoe this year, haha).

Honorable Mentions
Vans Rad Authentic pack - Vans authentic's that say Rad on them? I'm gonna need every colorway, every time... And I did just that with this release. Nice, simple upper, but the classic RAD pattern on the foxing... Great compliment to my Rad Syndicate collection!

Vans Speckled Authentic pack - I still haven't been able to get my hands on a pair of the Supreme Disruptive Era's... And this release made me feel a little less bad about that for now. Once again, had to grab all 3 colorways.

Supreme Metallic Old Skool's - I love that these got no hype at all. In fact, most people hated on them. But I love the simplicity and the fact that I have yet another super comfortable standard colorway (but with a little extra flash). The black pair is an awesome everyday shoe and the burgundy pair is tempting to grab one of these days.

Supreme Mike Carroll's - Now I know why there's an MC cult... Somewhat hesitantly got the red pair when they came out, but loved 'em as soon as I had them on foot and wore them out right away. Had to grab the black pair when I saw a pair go for cheap on ebay... And the blue pair is always on my hit list for the right price. haha

Gray Wingtip Era's - This pair could actually pretty easily make my best of list, but I figured I'd stop at five and just do honorable mentions... Loved the combination of leather wingtip accents on sturdy canvas Era's. These were my favorite pair of shoes to wear to work this summer. Super comfortable GR Vans that age perfectly, in just the way a good pair of Vans should.

Julien Stranger Old Skool's - This is a fairly exciting shoe with all the "barefoot" technology they added to the shoe. I haven't worn them yet because I'm saving them for next summer. Then I'll probably beat the crap out of 'em. I just wish there was a different colorway, especially for the Era's, but I can live with the navy Old Skools!

I may have missed something here or there, but I'll have to look through my stacks at home and see...

tl;dnr
Hello, my name is Kyle and I'm addicted to Vans. I'm a size 9.5 or 10.

Looking for Supreme Disruptive Era's (any color, but especially teal), Supreme dark teal pebbled leather chukka, navy GR Zero Lo's...

@IAmRocketKyle on the instagramz.
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Re: What's your top 5 Vans sneakers of 2012?

Post by Music City »

My top 5:
1. Vault - Piragua - (Horween) Havana Brown
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2. Cali - Authentic CA - (Brushed Twill) White
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3. Syndicate - Old Skool "S" - Julien Stranger
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4. Pro Skate - Era Pro - Bulgarian Camo
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5. Classics - Half Cab - (20th Anniversary) White
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Honorable Mention:
Classics - Authentic Lite - (Pop) Pewter/Scuba Blue
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Re: What's your top 5 Vans sneakers of 2012?

Post by rocketgoof »

I've been wondering how the authentic lite's are! Really wanted a pair over the summer, but they're harder to track down now...
Hello, my name is Kyle and I'm addicted to Vans. I'm a size 9.5 or 10.

Looking for Supreme Disruptive Era's (any color, but especially teal), Supreme dark teal pebbled leather chukka, navy GR Zero Lo's...

@IAmRocketKyle on the instagramz.
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What's your top 5 Vans sneakers of 2012?

Post by Music City »

rocketgoof wrote:I've been wondering how the authentic lite's are! Really wanted a pair over the summer, but they're harder to track down now...
They are really awesome, and have to be lightest Vans ever made. There is another colored sole pack coming out in July 13.
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Re: What's your top 5 Vans sneakers of 2012?

Post by DJGuamstyles »

Great write-up rocketgoof! Love your long-winded explanations, as I do the same thing.
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