Words by Harry Webber July 17, 2024

I love me some good words…

So when my favourite company is reborn under a new slogan, I get tingles all over. Why those words? What are they really saying? Who are they speaking too? If you’re a word nerd, these things are always fun to unpack.

Vans’ new anthem “Always Pushing” is perfectly loaded. On surface level, it throws back to the roots of the company as pioneering skate shoe designers while also speaking to the ways they’ve expanded into the creative world of art, music and design.

It goes beyond that too – “Always Pushing” means enduring the bad, seeking the new: pure empowerment. Whether you’re a skater, musician, or pasty journalist; these are simple words to live by without feeling pretentious or exclusive, the antithesis of “Eat, Pray, Love”.

“Always Pushing” also says a lot about how Vans see themselves in the culture. This isn’t a brag, it’s not a for the elite, it isn’t even about getting to to the top, it encompasses every wrung on the ladder as long as you’re looking upwards (or sideways or diagonally etc etc). Vans are a tool not a trophy.

To mark this new direction, which was developed in partnership with creative director ALEX/2TONE, Vans have dropped a new video featuring Elijah Berle (Old Skool), Rowan Zorilla (Rowan Pro), Tania Cruz (Half Cab), Rio Morishige (Mixxa), Courage Adams (Slip-On), Lizzie Armanto (Lizzie Low), Curren Caples (Slip-On), Zion Wright (Half Cab), Willow Voges (Ave 2.0), with frequent collaborators Paris, Texas soundtracking.

Watch it below, shop Vans here.