It’s not every day a skateboarder is bestowed with their own signature shoe, much less their first signature shoe. So when Vans announced that team member Curren Caples would be getting his own shoe — a model aptly named The Curren — the brand pulled out all the stops to ensure that the launch would be a memorable one. That entailed bringing a lion’s share of the Vans Skateboarding team down to Palm Springs for two days of skating, surfing and shenanigans, all in service of the launch. “Designing a shoe for Vans is a pretty full circle moment,” said Caples of the launch. “I’ve been skating with Vans since I was 12 so I’m really stoked to get a chance to do this.”
The festivities kicked off with an evening session at Palm Springs Surf Club, where surfers and bodyboarders alike shredded the machine-made waves. Curren showed off his surf skills as well — the multifaceted athlete has surfed just as long as he’s skated. The atmosphere was festive, with Vans’ Vice President of Events and Promotions (and unofficial “Ambassador of Fun”) Steve Van Doren sitting poolside and cheering on the festivities, while Vans Skateboarding team members like Zion Wright tackled the waves and the desert sun shimmered above and a giant inflatable version of The Curren bobbed through the churning waters.
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If the first day was all about the “sea,” land was the theme of the second day. A halved concrete cylinder, placed in the middle of the desert, became a makeshift halfpipe, illuminated by a sparkling chandelier. Vans skaters, including Caples himself, hit the halfpipe to show their stuff and put the shoes to the test. Alongside the course, guests could immerse themselves in scent discovery stations that showed off the cologne Curren developed alongside his signature shoe, titled, “la chaussure,” or “shoe.”
“The three classic Vans models for me are Slip-Ons, Authentics, and Old Skools,” noted Caples. “I tried to figure out how to blend all three of those shoes into one, all while making what I felt were some positive changes.” Guests watched the show and sipped ice-cold drinks before watching a screening of The Curren’s campaign film, a parody of old-school fragrance commercials with plenty of Easter eggs thrown in for the real skate heads. “Connecting the shoe to a scent started as a joke,” said Caples of the film. “I sent the Vans team the Johnny Depp Dior Sauvage ad as inspiration and it snowballed into a real thing. I think fashion can be so over the top and I wanted to put an ironic spin on that.” Finally, the crew headed inside for an all-night party that saw Lizzie Armanto and other Vans skaters dance into the wee hours.
The Curren is available now via the Vans webstore and select stockists, and is priced at $80 USD.
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