Name: OTW by Vans Mary Jane DS by Beatrice Domond
Colorway: Black
MSRP: $140 USD
Release Date: December 19
Where to Buy: OTW by Vans
It’s always a good day when Beatrice Domond drops a new shoe with Vans. In what feels like a very natural progression for the skater (and part-time sneaker designer), Domond has presented her own hybridized take on Vans’ classic Mary Jane silhouette that arrives as a homage to her Haitian roots and upbringing.
“For this project, I wanted to show my community another side of me, I don’t think anyone really knows I have Haitian ancestry,” Domond explained in a press release. “It’s also to pay homage to my grandma and mother because this shoe is a really big deal for me – if it wasn’t for them, I don’t believe I would be having such amazing opportunities.”
Domond expressed her adoration for Vans’ slip-on silhouettes during Hypebeast’s 2023 Sole Mates interview, so the OTW by Vans Mary Jane DS by Beatrice Domond feels like a proper next step.
The shoe boasts a mixed-material upper built from premium leather and suede in monochromatic black and goatskin linings and is defined by its rugged statement outsole. A digitally printed map of Haiti is stamped on the sock liner while the box comes adorned with throwback Vans logos and Domond’s signature.
Domond’s Haitian background is further focused on in the campaign’s Sandy Kim and Domond-directed short film in which Beatrice and her grandmother Elise discuss their upbringings in both English and Haitian Creole.