Back east, swimming pools were classical and rectilinear. But amid the wealth and glamour of Hollywood, pools became luscious, curving bowls with plunging depths. After the war, the suburban housing boom promised a pool for everyone, and smaller, kidney-shaped versions were everywhere, a glorious California dream. But when a terrible drought came in the 1970s, water restrictions drained thousands of California swimming pools, and this suburban landscape—now less dreamy—was filled with empty concrete bowls.

The first skateboarders were surfers looking to practice on dry land. Life magazine had called skateboarding a “craze” and a “menace,” and authorities tried to crack down—but there was no way to stop all those kids sneaking in to hurl themselves up the walls, off the walls, of the empty pools.

The shoe was designed specifically for those electrifying suburban joyrides. Its patented waffle sole could flex in any direction without cracking; its padded collar cushioned ankles as the bodies attached to them crouched and swayed in midair.

The kids themselves started decorating them, drawing checkerboards on the canvas, and the company noticed and made it official. When Sean Penn selected the slip-on for his character Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the shoe became instantly desirable. Kids who had never seen the ocean wanted the rebellious, jubilant thrill of riding concrete waves, and every curb, parking lot, and schoolyard in America became a small piece of Southern California. Kissed by the sun, free.

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Special thanks to Allison Hayne for suggesting Vans.

Links:

• Off the Walls of Greatness: Vans, an Orange County Icon – Evan Senn, Irvine Weekly, January 12, 2019

  
  

• "In Vans, I feel free" SZA Become Vans Artistic Director - Kristin Kaye, Casawi, Summer 2025

  
  

• Vans’s Modern Revival of the World’s First Skate Shoe Is Surprisingly Affordable – Hayley Helms, Gear Patrol, February 2026

This post is part of The American 250, a series featuring 250 objects made by Americans, located in America, in honor of the country's 250th anniversary. 250 words on 250 works, from January 1 to December 31, 2026.

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