Vans was founded in 1966 by Paul and James Van Doren, in Anaheim, California. Originally called The Van Doren Rubber Company, the company makes shoes. The company became very popular in the early 1970s for allowing customers to bring their own fabric and have their own “personalized” shoes made. Vans were often used by cheerleading and school sports teams for this reason.
The company was sold in 1988 to McCown De Leeuw & Co. for $74.4 million. In 2004, the company merged with VF Corporation. The company has sponsored The Warped Tour for more than 20 years. Many skateboarding professionals use only Vans shoes.
Vans shoes became so popular in the late 1980s that counterfeit shoes became the basis of a US/Mexico investigation and, for a time, all production was stopped. In addition to shoes, the company also offers t-shirts, hats, hoodies, and backpacks with the Vans logo.
Vans was acquired by VF Corporation in 2004 and has headquarters in Costa Mesa, California.
Vans was founded in 1966 by Paul and James Van Doren, in Anaheim, California. Originally called The Van Doren Rubber Company, the company makes shoes. The company became very popular in the early 1970s for allowing customers to bring their own fabric and have their own “personalized” shoes made. Vans were often used by cheerleading and school sports teams for this reason.
History
The company was sold in 1988 to McCown De Leeuw & Co. for $74.4 million. In 2004, the company merged with VF Corporation. The company has sponsored The Warped Tour for more than 20 years. Many skateboarding professionals use only Vans shoes.
Vans shoes became so popular in the late 1980s that counterfeit shoes became the basis of a US/Mexico investigation and, for a time, all production was stopped. In addition to shoes, the company also offers t-shirts, hats, hoodies, and backpacks with the Vans logo.
Vans was acquired by VF Corporation in 2004 and has headquarters in Costa Mesa, California.
I was noticing all the generosity you have shown throughout the pandemic. I was actually looking for a way to ask you if you had a contest or any other ways that I may get a pair of shoes for my 15 year old son. His favorite pair have holes in them . They are checkered slip ons size 10. We became homeless earlier this year. We are in a toxic living environment and I disabled awaiting disability decision making. This is the first Christmas that I have no tree and no presents whatsoever . I’ve never been so sad and I know he is so depressed. The move and ptsd leads to anxiety and he has not been able to socialize bc of it. He has no friends and I’m dying inside for him. I do not know what else to d ok but write to you and beg you for your help for a gift for my son. He goes to night school on line so there are no secret Santa lists to get on. I’ve tried to get him what he needs and someone we pull through. I just want him to feel special . Thank you for your time.
So frustrated, I cannot get any help. I called and they advised me to email, I emailed and no response. I used their chat and the bot can’t find my order.
Terrible service!!!!
I love vans, and their shoes but what in the actual hell is going on with their customer service.
I ordered two items and still have not received them, it’s been 7 weeks and the delivery states 3-5 weeks. I get it, it’s delayed, at this point I just want my money back, who cares about the product. I work hard, single-mom trying to get her kid’s their back to school items all to never receive these items or my money back? I need help, someone from Vans please refund me!!
I live in in La Habra, Ca. I am extremely local to the HQ in Costa Mesa, but with work and joggling children I do not have the time to head there to beg for my money back. It should NOT be this hard to get a basic form a customer service.
Hello Vans Corporate,
Question, those it matter what I do with the vans shoes I buy from your Tulare Outlet Mall Store, if I buy them to wear, give away or sell to support my self and my family. I thought that the sales Person Jerrica A was rude in asking what I was going to do with the shoes I paid for and I told her to sell online on ebay, then she told me that that would be my last purchase of your shoes at their store it was real embarrassing the way she treat me. I bought shoes for myself and other family members but never had a issue before. I ll wait for your reply, thanks.
Very upset at how I was treated at Vans in 5points Huntington Beach Ca by a Manager over the phone and a rep in person.
I was Miss led on a sale and when I went to correct the rep after purchase I was directed to wait for manager to get back from lunch so I left and called back but the store was closed but the manager answered and I explained my issue only to be dismissed with a laugh and well sorry. The rep explained a sale wrong. Said spend 75$ and get 25$ gift card to use on next visit. The sale is spend $75 get a discount card where you will need to spend a additional 75$ to use the $25 discount card by the exp date with a month to use or it go’s expired. So you would need to spend a total of 150$ to get 25$ off in store .
If it was explains right I would of never made the purchase & to boot I get treated like a juvenile. If this is the way Vans is going with there brand I might as well buy DC shoes.
Sincerely
Miss treated Customer
Looking for this one type of shoe.. no where is to be found in wondering where I can just order it from
Placed an order for custom shoes on May 5th 2021. Website states 3-4 weeks delivery. It has been 8 weeks and no sign of the shoes. Every time I contact customer service I am told it will be shipped the following week.
Very disappointed!!
Live in Ford City, Pa. Daughter graduates tomorrow, from Lenape Vo-tech, in Armstrong Co. She wants to wear her black Vans to walk across the stage and except her diploma. They told her, if she wears those shoes, they will not give her tickets for me, her mom and dad, to attend her graduation. My husband is so angry! He said, if she can wear them to church, she can damn well wear them to graduation. Also said, he is a tax payer he paid for that school. Just wish someone would call and question this. My daughter doesn’t want us to, doesn’t want to be embarrassed. Thanks for the ear! Very upset mom ?
On June 9 my daughter who works for Vans in Chandler Arizona was exposed to Covid 19 do to a irresponsible manager coming to work and exposing her and every body that came into the store. HR will not shut the store down or post signs to their customers that they have been exposed to Covid 19. The worst part is they found out two days ago and just let us know. They also think it’s ok for them to go back to work even though it hasn’t been 14 days yet. This is very irresponsible of Vans and there management. Now my family has been exposed and I feel that their management and HR did not sound very concerned about it. They have fired the manager but I feel that they are not concerned about their employees or their customers.
I need two pairs of the “Retro Block Old Skool” (White backround with red and blue trim) 11.5 and 10 in men’s.
I have been a Van fan for a long time. We are a family of 5 and buy a lot of Vans. My son gets new shoes about every 4 months because he is hard on them and does a lot of things to ruin them. Over all I think Vans have held up pretty well so it surprised me when I went into the store to exchange a pair of shoes my daughter had gotten 6 weeks earlier. The shoes she had she took care of and was not hard on them but you could see there was a manufacture defect on the side of the shoe. I asked the sales associate if they would be willing to exchange for a new pair given that it was a defect. And his response made me laugh a bit. He said in a upbeat voice that you could tell he had been using to sale all day with… “oh yeah… sorry about that. 100% no. Yeah no…”
“Ummmm…. okay. Even though this is Vans fault I am going to eat the money?”
“Yeah… a 100%”
Bawhahahaha! Wow. I mean… I wished I could say I wouldn’t buy again but that’s false I loved Van’s and I will be back to replace my daughter’s with a bitterness. I will take my son to get 2 more pair in about 4 weeks… but it bothered me that the buck fell to me and not back to Vans.
Vans, you return policy needs updated in a more customer friendly way.
Vans forever,
Sarah
I was at the Vans store at Perimeter Mall in Atlanta, GA tonight. A very friendly guy helped me and was talking to me while I was waiting to check out. A young couple came in and wanted to return something for cash – the girl said they needed the money for food. The guy reached into his pocket and gave them a gift card told them there was money on it and not to go to Starbucks but the grocery store. He told them he’d give them cash back. This employee MADE my day, week and probably month. You are lucky to have such a kind, compassionate and caring employee.
I bought a pair of Vans & needed to return them because another family member purchased the same pair for a Christmas gift.
I was told they could not credit my Visa account because I did not have the sale receipt. I had the gift receipt, but was told I needed both.
I feel I should have been told that at the time if the sale.
I just wanted the purchase to be refunded not a store credit.
Good day, I have a great idea for vans and not sure who to share this idea with, but I’m extremely confident it would be awesome and beneficial for both parties…I tried to get the CEO direct email to assure my idea goes into the right hands, and no one takes credit for this but me….who do I get in contact with??? 208-391-XXXX
Regarding Employment
I have try to get you my information OPPS ! Would not come up my bad..
Tried on my cell got through but could not down load resume did not work sending copy to HR and hope to here from you?
Thanks You
Nyle Schafhauser..
I wrote to Van’s, Inc CEO Paul Van Doren at 6550 Katella Ave., Cypress, CA 90634 for donation to nonprofit organization. Letter return forwarding expired. Do you have new address?
Sincerely,
Louise Inouye
Thanks for letting us know the site needed updating. The correct address has been entered
I purchased a pair of vans pro skate shoes from the vans store in the galleria mall Riverside, Ca. I am not a professional skater but purchased them on the recommendation from the sales associate since they had more padding and that they were stronger and more rugged than the regular vans shoes. On the 3rd moth 3/4/19 I noticed that the shoes were coming apart at the seams at the top of the shoes, an obvious defect went in to see what is the policy for defective merchandise she said they don’t have one. Although both sales associates agreed that it was not normal wear and tear but couldn’t exchange them even if they were defective because I passed their return policy, all I want is shoes that don’t pull apart at the seams in an area of the shoe that doesn’t get any wear and tear I can’t walk on the tops of my shoes for Christ sake. The employees were rude and said your just gonna have to call the corporate office and try and get help good luck with that. So what is your policy on defective products, and is this how your employees are trained to deal with customers? An I’m sorry but I can only do so much would have went farther than her being rude. This has left an extremely sour taste in my mouth as far as your company, I doubt that I will ever purchase one of your product again and am contemplating wheather or not to share my experience with my 70k followers on social media. Regardless I would appreciate an apology, and some real answers concerning the quality of your products.
Northampton Mass Vans outlet Theory is giving Vans a bad name. I was at a hamburger place with my wife, my 11 and 13 year-old sons and a 12 year -old neighbor and two of the kids went a few doors down to the vans store to look around while we waited for our food. My kids needed new skateboard parts and were interested in some new shoes. One of the kids went and told the others our food was ready and they ran back. A minute later the store manager or owner came running into the restaurant and accused the kids of stealing socks from him. They have never shoplifted nor did they in this case, they ran out of the store because our food was ready. But the guy found an empty sock package and his mind was made up. He accused them of stealing, swore and pushed one of them, made my 11 year-old lift his shirt (the kids were all in tight fitting shorts and tees–no stolen anything on them–it is August in New England) and I told him he needed to apologize. He didn’t, he left and when I went into his store after our meal–which he ruined with his out-of-line accusations and tone–he still insisted the kids stole, swore at me and called me a homophobic hate slur. Northampton is a great town with a fairly tight knit community and my family has been here for close to 2 decades–is this the way Vans wants to represent itself in our town? My friends on the school board, soccer club, YMCA and at the university where I work will all hear about this awful experience–but I’m hoping vans has a policy to keep tabs on their outlets so the vans brand is not also sullied by this bad actor in our community. He needs to manage his inventory better and stop abusing shoppers. Thanks for your anticipated feedback.
I went to the store and Tommy made me feel like I didn’t belong and no one help me at all can someone call me (909)-499-XXXXX
Hello .My wife Becky Bowman has order vans from vans website.We never had trouble with vans website . She order 3pairs of vans this past Xmas.Well she had the $20.00 on her next pair of vans.She order another pair of vans on 1/27/2017 order 357214421.Item VNOA38GJ .She use the same vista card for the last pair of vans.It took 4or5times with your customer services ,and kept my Becky the card wouldn’t go thru,well the card she use be4 went thru.Well instead going thru her. Gmail she went thru her Google to vans site .She went back into her gmail & sent vans customer services a gmail told vans customer services that she finally got thru with the same card .Then vans customer services sent Becky Bowman a message&wanted to know how she got thru.Well my wife didn’t respond. Plus she always lost her $20.00off for this pair of vans.Her favorite shoes are vans.All together she has 40pairs of vans.She has been order vans since 1977 Hometown South Carolina beach Susette. Her birthday coming up&she has browse in vans website but hasn’t order because of what happened at vans website with the customer services.She does go to van store to order,but she loves to order on vans website. So will this happen again.Vans customer services gave her a real hard time eventually she got her vans. Please fix this problem So my wife can order her favorite vans website.Thank u Jane’s Bowman
Had what I thought may be an issue, called the St. Louis Galleria store they were professional, helpful obviously but most incredibly polite. There are a whole lot of retailers who can learn from this stores customer service. On a 1to10 scale 20+.