Vans Sk8-Hi

About

The Vans Sk8-Hi launched in 1978 as "Style 38," part of Vans' early practice of numbering its shoes rather than naming them. It arrived as skateboarding was turning increasingly vertical, and its defining feature was a padded high-top collar that gave skaters the ankle support and protection they had been asking for. The model was only the second Vans silhouette to carry the brand's now-iconic Sidestripe, the "jazz stripe" that founder Paul Van Doren is said to have first doodled casually along the side of a shoe. The original Style 38 launched in three colourways: light blue with a navy stripe, rust with a cinnamon stripe, and beige with a brown stripe. Vans did not officially rename the Style 38 to "Sk8-Hi" until 1995. Built on a vulcanised rubber sole with the brand's signature waffle tread, the Sk8-Hi became a cornerstone of skate culture before crossing over into punk, streetwear and everyday fashion. Today it stands as one of Vans' most recognisable and enduring high-top silhouettes.