Vans, ‘Star Wars’ partner on galaxy full, full of gear
In advance of “Star Wars” Day (Sunday, May 4, as in “May the Fourth be with you”),” the Vans skate brand has taken the wraps off a new capsule collection of “Star Wars”-branded footwear and apparel.
We’ve been excited about the Vans X “Star Wars” collection since we got a sneak peek at it earlier this year, partly because we’re right smack in the middle of that Vans fan / “Star Wars” fan Venn diagram but mostly because the collection goes beyond simply slapping the beloved characters on backpacks, trucker hats, T-shirts and shoes.
The footwear side of the collection steps it up with six different patterns, including a camouflage style with bounty hunter Boba Fett subtly lurking in the pattern, a bandanna print from the Vans archives that incorporates Stormtrooper helmets almost on the sly and a bold Hawaiian floral motif which depicts the most famous denizen of Dagobah playing hide-and-go-seek in the foliage -- a pattern called “Yoda Aloha.”
(In addition, there a couple of kid-specific designs, options for the pint-sized padwans include Darth Vader, Yoda and Stormtrooper prints as well as a comic-book-style graphic.)
The Stormtrooper bandanna and Yoda Aloha patterns carry over into the clothing and accessories pieces for men and women, including backpacks, trucker-style caps, T-shirts and socks.
The Vans X “Star Wars” footwear ($60 to $70 at retail) and apparel ($17 to $52.50) is scheduled to hit the shelves of Vans stores and select retailers globally on June 1.
For those willing to drop a few extra druggats, there’s also a limited-edition run of “Star Wars” kicks under the Vault by Vans label that includes mashups of Vans’ archival prints (one is the ‘80s-era Miami print with Imperial AT-AT Walkers thrown in, another is a pirate design with Darth Vader and Stormtrooper helmets with crossed lightsabers replacing the skull and crossbones), as well as an all-white Yoda pair and an all black Darth Vader pair.
The Vault by Vans X “Star Wars” collection ($80 to $140) drops May 4 exclusively at just 10 high-end boutiques worldwide, including Opening Ceremony at 451 N. La Cienega in West Hollywood.
But with less than 300 pairs of each style being produced, even the fastest shopping Jedi in the galaxy may need the Force to truly be with them to score a pair.
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