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Today, the Vans brand evolution continues. From its foundation as an original skateboarding company to its emergence as a leading action sports brand, it has become the world’s largest youth culture brand.
A staple for skaters and surfers, Vans has a strong heritage in action sports and prides itself on being grounded in youth, authenticity, and individual style.

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In 1966, the Van Doren Rubber Company opened up for business in Anaheim, California, creating a simple canvas shoe that soon became a staple in the surfing and skating communities. Today, Vans has extended out to street culture as the company continues to re-create the original ‘Classic.’

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Accent Group became the New Zealand Vans distributor in 1992 and the Australian distributor in 2002. In addition to wholesaling the brand to premium retailers, Accent Group operated 16 mono-branded Vans stores. The brand is one of the key brands in the Platypus retail business.