Vans and Awake NY have launched a bi-coastal collaboration consisting of three takes on the Classic Sk8-Hi. Combining Vans’ classic California cool with Awake NY’s New York roots, the Vans x Awake NY collaboration centers on a unique take on Vans’ classic checkerboard pattern.
Awake NY has always been about creating streetwear with a calling. Founded in 2012 by Angelo Baque, Awake NY is unapologetically New York. The brand captures the unique cultural spirit and sensibility of New York City, consistently mirroring the vibrant energy that defines the cultural landscape of the five boroughs. Awake NY evokes the city’s unending vitality and timelessness, while remaining rooted in New York’s greatest assets: its people. Community is at the brand’s core; through partnerships with local organizations, Awake NY continues to extend its reach throughout New York City’s boroughs to create something entirely new: La Communidad de Awake NY.
While the streetwear brand has New York roots, there’s also a deep west coast connection through Vans. Awake NY used the California brand’s Sk8-Hi as a palette, marking the first time both forces have ever collaborated together, uniting east side sensibility with west side style.
Arriving in pink/black, green/blue, and blue/red, each style in the Vans x Awake NY Sk8-Hi collection features Batik swatches, which use a wax-resistant dye and a digitally printed checkerboard pattern, providing a worn-in look right out of the box. Edge-painted side stripes add a nuanced detail and are complemented by Awake NY’s logo subtly debossed on the shoe’s lateral forefoot. Classic Vans details like a white jazz stripe on the quarters, suede toe boxes, and white vulcanized midsoles finalize each look.
