The white slip-on shoes (called “deck” shoes) are an icon of the beloved skater brand, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Though Vans filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the ’80s, it bounced back in the mid-aughts, when it was bought by apparel giant VF Corp. For the last five years it’s reported consistent double-digit growth in sales each quarter.

Image by David Martyn Hunt on Flickr, licensed under CC BY 2.0.

 

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