Vans Old Skool (1977)

The first shoe with Vans' iconic "jazz stripe" sidestripe, designed by Paul Van Doren's son. Adopted by skateboarders, then punk rockers, then the Warped Tour generation, and eventually mainstream fashion. Sean Penn wore checkered Vans in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (1982) and sales exploded. Vans has maintained its $60-75 price point for decades while Nike and Adidas pushed prices above $200 — making Old Skools accessible to every high school kid who wants to signal subcultural belonging without spending a paycheck. VF Corporation acquired Vans in 2004; it now generates $3.5 billion annually. The sidestripe is the people's logo.