Travis Barker and Vans team up for shoe partnership

Vans has announced a partnership with blink-182 drummer Travis Barker for a footwear collaboration. The Old Skool collection, designed by Barker, nods to his Southern California upbringing, particularly skate and punk scenes. 

For the campaign video, Barker wrote and produced “Dues Paid,” a mantra that he abides by. The phrase is included as an emblem on the shoe’s design across the vamp to represent Barker’s journey as a drummer and his dedication to his craft. Barbed wire is wrapped around the foxing of the shoe along with Barker’s signature logos on the heel and tongue. The campaign was shot by photographer Atiba Jefferson, known for his work with Turnstile and the NBA Lakers, and features New York skateboarder Ben Kadow. 

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The collaboration comes alongside Vans’ bespoke shoe for beloved Midwestern emo band American Football. The OTW by Vans x American Football shoe features their 1999 self-titled debut album cover art on the brand’s Authentic 44 sneaker, available on the band’s site. To mark the release, Vans threw a house party at the famed American Football house in Urbana, Illinois that’s featured on the album art. The event included guests like Hayley Williams, Yvette Young from Covet, and Novo Amor, with a backyard BBQ, a skate park, and a performance inside the house.  

“The house from the cover of LP1 has seemingly become a sort of cultural identifier and blank canvas for fans to write themselves into or onto — an expression of creativity or humor or whatever they may be feeling at the time,” the band explains. “We are thrilled to be able to collaborate with Vans OTW to incorporate that image so beautifully into the iconic design of their Authentic sneaker. Dream collab come true.” 

The Vans x Travis Barker Old Skool in black is available now, with Vans teasing that additional releases will come next year.

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