The founder of Vans did not intend on making a skateboarding shoe. But as Southern California youth became more interested in skateboarding, Van Doren’s shoe was a perfect fit for their needs.
Fast forward to the late 1980s when skateboarding appealed to a new audience. Skateboarders up and down the East Coast carved out and popularized a new skateboarding genre, which had long-reaching impacts.
Those skaters would also bring their style and music into the sport, ultimately carving out a new fashion trend eventually called streetwear. Around the same time, a Bay Area rap group released an anthem about Van’s sneakers, making the shoe more appealing to young consumers of color.
While Vans had a tumultuous journey as a skateboarding brand, they could capitalize off of the streetwear market, which grew 30 to 40% each year in the early 2010s.
Here’s how the overlap of skateboarding culture and hip-hop changed Vans' consumer base forever.
» Subscribe to CNBC Make It.: cnb.cx/2kxl2rf
About CNBC Make It.: CNBC Make It. is a new section of CNBC dedicated to making you smarter about managing your business, career, and money.
Connect with CNBC Make It. Online
Get the latest updates: www.cnbc.com/m...
Find CNBC Make It. on Facebook: cnb.cx/LikeCNB...
Find CNBC Make It. on Twitter: cnb.cx/FollowC...
Find CNBC Make It. on Instagram: bit.ly/Instagr...
#CNBC
#CNBCMakeIt
How Hip-Hop Helped Vans Become A Billion-Dollar Brand
8 сен 2024