The Vans Authentic isn’t the only white sneaker worth revisiting right now. For more intel, check out our comprehensive guide to the category.
Telling people not to overthink things is a dangerous proposition when you’re in the business of overthinking things. To wit: I love shoes, own a collection of them that can most generously be described as “bloated” and, up until recently, wore sneakers more than the rest. But over the past few months—years, even—I’ve barely worn sneakers at all.
There isn’t a shortage of good sneakers available, mind you, but none of them were really doing it for me. Instead, I thoroughly flambéed a pair of clogs here and a pair of loafers there, barely missing my sneakers until an angry red blister erupted on my foot, sending me back to the shoe rack. It wasn’t far from there, in a couple of boxes above my kitchen cabinets, that I found a battered pair of once-white Vans Authentic sneakers.
I’m sure that plenty of you never stopped wearing the archetypal canvas shoe; it’s been a pretty consistent hit since Vans introduced it in the ‘60s. To which I say, “kudos, and hang in there.” Because, as you’ve probably noticed, your ranks are dwindling. The Samba’s dominance is well documented, but there’s been a surfeit of low-profile alternatives—from Nike and Onitsuka Tiger, Puma and Sperry—overshadowing the Authentic recently, too. In my opinion, that short-term memory is an absolute tragedy.
For starters, the Vans Authentic looks as good as it ever did, even, maybe especially, with today’s bigger-is-better silhouettes. A pristine new pair will cost you a mere $55, but they happen to look radder cooked than they do out of the box, meaning you could—and should—wear them into the ground and then keep wearing them long after that. It doesn’t matter what, exactly, you wear ‘em with, either: they’ll play nice with baggy jeans, slim jeans, big shorts, short shorts, and pretty much every other pair of pants in your closet. I can’t get enough of mine, and it’s only been a few weeks since they resurfaced.
Let’s pause for a second here. If you can see where this is going, I want to preemptively hedge against any skepticism. Yes, this is an argument in favor of buying white sneakers in the middle of fall, when most folks are thinking about boots or lug-sole derbies. I’m aware that it doesn’t seem like the firmest ground to stand on. But the thing about a good pair of thrashed white sneakers is that the thrashing is best done yourself, and fall happens to be the best time to thrash ‘em. (What better season to sully sneakers than one who’s very arrival is heralded by the sound of leaves crunching beneath feet?)
I’m also aware that wantonly declaring one of the most influential sneakers in modern history “underrated” or “forgotten” is a little bit dramatic. But for anyone out there feeling listless looking at their sneaker rotation (or nursing a blister after swearing off sneakers for good), it might behoove you to buy Authentics of your own—or double-check your closet for the pair you forgot you had.
