The Chukka Boot has never looked better.
Having been around in the skateboarding scene in the early 2000s, making a name for himself for his unrelenting, fearless approach to street skateboarding, it nearly feels a little odd that Philadelphia-bred skater Jimmy Gorecki has only recently teamed up with Vans.
We can now report that it’s been well worth the wait, with the first glimpse at the Jimmy Sweatpants (or JSP AKA Jimmy’s company) X Vans Vault collab perfectly blending old and new. Paying tribute to the gritty young energy of the legendary city blocks, Gorecki tapped local artist and skater Joe Lees to imprint his Philly hand style across two make-ups of the Chukka 79 VLT LX from the California footwear label’s Vault by Vans division.
Offering an alternative red checkerboard, in both off-white and black variants with “JSP,” “215” and “LOVE” – Lees’ Philly-centric tags – repeated, the kicks aim to celebrate and honour all the skaters who made the city blocks at 15th and JFK a place of legend.
“Vans is part of the DNA of who I am and the skate and fashion culture I was raised in. The Chukka boot signifies all of that to me,” Jimmy says of the collab. “The heritage of it speaks to community and people I was influenced by as a kid. This is the greatest honor to share this opportunity with JSP, to keep visibility on the city and region that made me who I am today.”
Check out the collab below and set a reminder for Feb 10th when this loved-up collab becomes available at Lapstone & Hammer, Nocturnal and JSP:
