In celebration of Vans’ deep roots in the NYC skateboarding community, Vans brought the “Off the Wall” family together for a series of immersive experiences, honoring its iconic skate legacy. It all started with the revival event for the beloved Lower East Side bar landmark, Max Fish, in downtown NYC on September 4 with a surprise reunion performance from TV On The Radio.
Keeping the energy up, Vans then hosted a Bushwick block party in the middle of New York Fashion Week celebrating the best of NYC skateboarding— featuring pop-ups, skate lessons with KCDC and Sk8 Babes, food trucks and a late-night rave. Vans activated at Skate Space 198, which serves as a community-focused cultural hub rooted in skateboarding, from 3 pm to 1 am on September 7. The all-day party brought together the movers and shakers that make up the brand’s core — labels, shops, skaters and creatives who, just like the skate staple — Keep “Always Pushing.”
The day started with open skate sessions and a skate jam competition complete with cash-for-tricks and gift card giveaways from KCDC, Labor and Tenant. Off the ramp, the brand also hosted an “Off the Wall” market, showcasing Vans’ family members: LQQK Studio, Quartersnacks, PunkandYo, Homerun, Star Team, EC Melodi, FTI, Nayfandwavey and more. Notable attendees included some of Vans’ closest collaborators, skateboarders and friends, including Beatrice Domond, Ben Kadow, Shiloh Catori, Curren Caples, Zion Wright, and many more.
King Marie, LQQK Studio, and Ben Kadow provided the tunes during the all-day celebration, but Vans took things up a notch at night, turning the lights down low for a skate rave. The rave featured ghettotech from Detroit’s HiTech and NYC’s Jubilee.
The Vans Old Skool, the shoe that created a resounding cultural movement and continues to transcend both skateboarding and fashion, was present throughout the week’s activities from an exclusive colorway with Satoshi Nakamoto, customized Old Skool in the SC103 runway show, a tease of the upcoming Punk & Yo collaborative Old Skool, as well as gifting to the Skate community with the Skate Old Skool. Symbolizing Vans’ ability to bring together diverse communities, the legendary skate sneaker will continue to remain a cornerstone of the brand.
