Vans x Dime
Arriving six years after the pair’s initial ‘Banana Stomper’ Vans x Dime MTL Slip-On Pro release from 2015, Vans and Montreal-based Dime partner up for yet another capsule-collection inspired by new-millenium aesthetics and both parties’ admiration for skate’s sporting legacy. Complete with a pair of Vans Skate Mid Skool LTD’s and an array of vintage-washed custom apparel, the latest Vans x Dime drop is one that commemorates an endless journey of individualistic self-expression and ‘90s era charm.
Representative of much more than just your run-of-the-mill skatewear brand, humour-first, skate-second Dime’s true beginnings pre-date the original grainy-toned ‘Dimestore Video’ from 2009, with the likes of Antoine Asselin, Phil Levoie, Bob Lasalle, Hugo Balek, Charles Rivard, Eric Riedl and Alexis Lacroix making up the original Dime crew famed for their eclectic characteristics and their ties to the local skate scene. Striking the perfect balance between nostalgic energy and the rise in popularity of East Coast skating that was swiftly becoming a mainstay across Canada, Dime’s visual-style and refreshing aesthetic is one self-described as being an extension of their videos; not the other way around. With their luxe-like logo, designed by photographer and resident art director Vincent Tsang, and their refined sense of skate-centric function growing exponentially to rival the likes of Palace Skateboards and Supreme, Dime’s tight-knit appeal and youthful persona has since gone on to conquer collaborations with the likes of Rob Harris and Bryce Jones’ Alltimers, the legendary DC Shoes and New Balance since their skate-crew cumulative circa 2005.
With the Canadian head-office for Vans located just a stone’s throw from where the OG Dime crew kick-started their story, there’s no real surprise as to how the two skate-scene figureheads came to collaborate. Following on from their debut Slip-On Pro drop from early 2015, Vans partnered with Dime to become the official sponsor of their infamous Glory Contest that same year, with an accompanying edit featuring the likes of Bobby De Keyzer, Aaron Herrington and Jake Johnson showcasing the contest’s ironic challenges and spontaneous set-ups. Just a year later, Dime’s fourth official edit, ‘The Dime Video’ presented by the Montreal crew, Vans and Thrasher Magazine honoured some of MTL’s hot-spots, with a two-part Vans x Dime remastering of both the Old Skool Pro and ‘90s era Fairlane arriving in ‘16 to celebrate the year-long tie-up. Fast forward to 2020 and along came the exclusive Vans x Dime Half Cab Pro, an off-beat icy blue remodelling that offered a contemporary twist on the Caballero classic.
Sticking to the same neutral-hued and ‘90s esque colour-pairings that the duo have opted for in the past, the Vans Skate Mid Skool offers a playful remastering of the iconic Style 37 design. Part of the Anaheim team’s latest Skate Classics collection, a project focused on delivering the very best in all-season performance with respect to archival design, these mid-collar skate shoes pair classic DURACAP overlays and a double-up POPCUSH sockliner with a traditional Waffle outsole tread. Dime’s internationally-renowned namesake makes its debut via the translucent underfoot casing, whilst the brushed-suede and lightly padded upper side-walls combine to deliver a refined yet resilient day-on-day skate. Extended foxings wrap around the perimeter to ensure increased structural support, whilst Vans’ traditional side-wall stripe is recast in a shadow-stripe trim to mirror its Skate Classics checkerboard flag-label and commemorative Dime x Vans hang-tab. A recessed 8-eyelet lacing system secures the strap-down tongue across the natural arch of the foot, whilst the corporate-logo inspired ‘Vans x Dime’ tongue-tab branding mirrors the white-one-blue ‘Dime’ ankle collar and the bright-yellow ‘Off the Wall’ heel scab for a creative and tonal sign-off.
Unlike previous releases, this SS21 Vans x Dime drop also includes a duet of tees inspired by garment-washed nostalgia and creative custom graphics. The Vans x Dime Face T-Shirt features block-tone profiling to mirror that of the accompanying Mid Skool’s, whilst the trellis-green and twilight-purple Outline T-Shirt plays to Dime’s distilled character and minimalist aesthetic with its fine-lined collaborative decal.
The Vans x Dime collection will be available online at Flatspot on Tuesday 27th April.
Shop all Vans at Flatspot.
