Vans Checkerboard Slip On: Out of the Box
Highlights:
- Price: $50 MSRP [$75 for the “Anaheim Factory]
- Pros: Great Cost, Classic Design
- Cons: Hard to Clean, Not-great Comfort
Contents:
History:
There are several classic shoes that can trace much of what makes them popular back to a single pop culture moment. Harrison Ford picking his old Alden 405s (now called the “Indys” in his honor) instead of the Red Wings on Raiders of the Lost Ark. Keanu Reeves choosing the Torsion Artillery Hi to match Bill & Ted’s attitude. Michael Jordan wearing a black and red colorway of the Jordan 1 despite the fines (even if that was actually a Nike Air Ship). All of those shoes are priced to match their celebrity status, but there is one classic that you can pick up for less than the price of getting Chinese delivered – The Vans Checkerboard Slip-Ons.
Thanks to Sean Penn’s character in Fast Times and Ridgemont High, the Vans Checkerboard Slip-Ons became synonymous with a laid-back style. This is no small feat for a shoe so bright. They weren’t just for the Visine carrying crowed, either. Ska bands had already started to use checkerboard patterns to represent the music’s blend of styles. Having the pattern on a pair of shoes you could beat up while skanking the night away was a perfect match.
Today, even though Sean Penn is in his 60’s and the ska band members are even older, you can still find this shoe everywhere. From dirty basements to Ryan Reynolds, it’s hard to get away from this style. More than 40 years on from the shoe’s introduction, is it worth jumping in yourself?
Looks:
[Disclaimer: Due to a corrupted SD card, the original out of the box pictures were lost. The shoes have about 10 wears on the pictures here]
Of course, the first thing you notice on this shoe is the checkerboard pattern. Splashed across the vamp, the around half-inch (1 cm) squares run from the toe all the way to the tongue. This pattern is continued on the rear of the shoe, with the heel cap also featuring the design. While the design is classic, and the reason to buy the shoe, it does hide a few other details that can get lost.
First, the upper is not actually white and black, but cream and charcoal. When you first take them out this is a little bit jarring. When you first think of a Vans checkerboard slip-on in your head, it’s just two colors on the shoe. In reality, it’s a bit faded looking both on the light and dark sections. Once you get used to the different colors though, it’s something you come to appreciate.
No canvas shoe will stay white (or black) for very long. Dirt and sun bleaching will change the color in a couple of days. By opting for the cream and charcoal color scheme, Vans was able to get ahead of this.
The cream also spills over onto the middle of the shoe. One panel runs along the collar and down around the heel counter, and another fills the space between the front and rear designs of the shoe. There is a Vans tag – white with black lettering – sewn between these two panels. Charcoal panels are a bit rarer, with just the outlining of the vamp featuring this as a single color.
Of course, the shoe isn’t lacking in white and black. White, like cream, is the primary color elsewhere. The midsole, toe guard, interior lining, and elastic straps are all a bright white. While this is an initial impression, even in just the few wears I’ve put on the shoe you can already see dirt spots that can’t be cleaned. Seeing that makes you appreciate the cream upper a lot more. Black is used in the rubber strip that runs along the midsole, as well as on the logos on the insole.
The only real bright color on the shoe comes from the red “Off the Wall” tag on the back of the shoe that secures the tape. Finishing off the shoe, the gum colored outsole features Van’s famous waffle-sole pattern.
Construction seems fine overall. There are a small number of inconsistent stitches, especially on the inside, but it holds up with more expensive shoes. The panels line up well, and the checkerboard patterns seem to line up between the two shoes.
Fit & Comfort:
Vans says that all of their shoes are built on the same last. This means that any Vans you buy should fit the same as any other. This shoe proves that is just not true.
The slip on fits noticeably slimmer through the upper than something like the Era or the Old Skool. While I take these in the same size 12 as I do in other Vans, that’s only because they don’t make a 12.5. If you’re lucky enough to be able to do so, I’d plan on going up a half size, especially if you have wider feet.
Making slip on shoes slightly smaller than lace ups is pretty normal. Often, a company will do so to make the shoe hold the foot feet don’t fall out. That being said, Vans should be honest to their customers that it’s built a different way.
Vans are not known for their comfort, and this shoe is no exception. Due to the way they are made, the only real padding can come from an insole. Everything else between you and the ground is just hard rubber. Unfortunately, due to the cost of this shoe, Vans wasn’t able to get a high-end insole in these.
Elsewhere on the shoe, the elastic straps make the shoe easy to slip on and off. These are perfect for keeping by the door if you need to make a quick run to the store. The padded ankle is better than nothing, but it’s fairly minimal. If I was looking for a skate shoe, I’d try to find something a bit more padded.
Materials:
The primary material on the upper of the shoe is a thick canvas. While certainly not “premium” in any sense of the word, it’s just fine for an affordable sneaker. It’s strong enough that it will certainly outlast the outsole, and light enough it’s not a drag to walk around in. It also rolls a little bit like Shell Cordovan, which is something that people will pay $700 + for on other slip-ons.
The only other material on the exterior of the upper (apart from the cloth tag) is the white elastic straps. While these are great for slipping on and off, they feel really cheap. This is an initial impression, so we’ll see once they get some wear, but they don’t look like they’ll hold up.
Inside, the lining of the shoe is another canvas, though much thinner. The shoe is lined from back to front, though that provides 100% of the structure of the upper. Around the throat, in between the upper and interior lining, the shoe features a small amount of padding. As I mentioned in the comfort section, this isn’t anything to write home about. It’s pretty stiff overall. Personally, I see this more as a way to grip your heel a bit better, rather than pad your ankle.
Speaking of your heel, just below the padding is a medium strength heel counter. Most likely pressed cardboard, it’s a good medium ground between having not enough support, and having an overly stiff casual shoe.
Below your foot, the insole is topped with that same thinner canvas material. Just below that is a fairly cheap feeling open-celled insole. Going one step further, the vulcanized rubber outsole keeps you off the ground. While not particularly comfortable, this type of rubber lasts a long time. In fact, the shoe normally fails when the tape that keeps it attached to the upper fails, rather than wearing through.
Speaking of that tape, finishing off the shoe is a rubber foxing tape that runs the full circumference of the shoe. This is attached to both the upper and the outsole, and provides both the construction and protection from the elements.
Overall, the materials are clearly picked for affordability, but the shoe is also extremely affordable. Hard to complain too much with the choices from a longevity standpoint.
Ease of Care:
While it’s easy to forgive the material choices, from an ease of care point of view they are not great. The canvas upper gets dirty almost immediately. Even with the cream color, these will show a lot of dirt. This dirt is even worse because the canvas Vans picked is almost impossible to clean. Basic water and a rag will do almost nothing, and soap can take off the charcoal that is printed on. When it comes to the upper, you really need to embrace the worn-in look.
Elsewhere on the shoes, the bright white of the midsole and elastic straps show dirt even quicker. Thankfully, both of these are a lot easier to clean. The midsole will get rid of most of the discoloration with dirt and water, and there are no concerns about using soap. The elastic straps are also easy to clean, if a bit hard to get to.
Then again, vans always look better a little beaten up, so maybe it’s best to not worry too much.
Pricing:
This is where the Vans Checkerboard Slip-ons really shine. The MSRP on these are just $50, and finding them on sale is pretty easy. At the time of writing, YCMC has them for 20% off in a full-size run. This puts them significantly less than most other classic sneakers.
Competition here is pretty sparce. For slightly more money, the Sperry Striper II comes in at $60. If you’re looking for a skate-style slip on, you’ll need to go even higher to the Stefan Janoski Slips for $85.
Alternatively, the biggest competition might come from Vans themselves. You can get the Comfycush version of this same shoe for $60. The softer sole of this model solves the comfort problem. However, Vans doesn’t use high-quality materials with model, and the look is off. Alternatively, you could go with the Slip-On Pro, which keeps the classic look but upgrades the insole and the impact protection for $55.
Value:
Obviously, Vans had to cut some corners to get this shoe down to the sub-$50-dollar price point. But it’s hard to ignore how it undercuts all of its competition. Short of finding a crazy sale somewhere, only off-brand shoes that will fall apart in weeks come in lower. And, apart from having an upper that’s hard to clean, it’s hard to see what you’re giving up to get down to this price.
Is a Dunk low (non-SB) really twice as good at MSRP (or many times more at resale) because it uses fake leather? The Vans Checkerboard Slip-ons are a classic with some Hollywood pedigree that you can get for well under $50. It is an incredible value.
Wrap Up:
The Vans Checkerboard Slip-on isn’t perfect. The sizing is off, the materials are hard to clean, and for anyone over 23 years old, you’ll probably regret wearing these if you’re out for the whole day. However, as a classic fashion, there might not be a better value out there.
This pair of shoes has been worn by everyone from A-list celebs to kids going back to school. They’ve done collabs with Micky Mouse, Marvel, END, and, of course, Fast Times. Even if you’re not sure about them, they are so cheap that even if you only wear them a few times you won’t be stressed about donating them. If someone steps on them, you won’t care and they’ll probably look better.
If you’re still reading, you might as well go pick up a pair.
