Out with the old and in with the new – or at the very least, an update like no other. Vans’ famed and favorite Premium Old Skool silhouette truly lives up to its name, dating back to the ‘70s, but a modern makeover is in store and on the way for the low-top classic. Through a collaboration with Vans’ very own star athletes, Tania Cruz, Karina Rozunko, Efron Danzig and Cocona Hiraki, the Premium Old Skool skate-inspired shoe arrives in four new and improved iterations as part of the New Future campaign and collection.
All about championing collective creativity from a new generation of boundary-breaking athletes, the New Future campaign, shot by Grace Ahlbom, spotlights each of their unique takes on the Premium Old Skool silhouette. Every pair packs a punch of personality for skaters and surfers alike while weaving in bits and pieces of their passions outside of their respective sports. For some, like Hiraki, that meant designing her pair of kicks with a removable friendship bracelet and Japanese-inspired charms as an ode to her preferred pastime, bracelet-making.
For others, such as Danzig, who doubles as a pro-skateboarder, poet, model and artist, fashion was the focus of her version of the Premium Old Skool. An alternative flair meets haute couture with the shoe’s heeled cupsole, sleek silver hardware and corset-derived lacing. Keeping in step with the punk pattern Danzig set, Argentina native Cruz’s approach to Vans’ fan-favorite style features a bold black rub-away leather that later reveals a rich red underneath. Designed with her and her skate crew in mind, with the custom fade-away colorway, no pair of Cruz’s Premium Old Skool Vans is exactly alike.
Rounding out the New Future campaign is San Clemente surfer, Rozunko. Throwback-inspired accents meet a custom metal hardware, a nod to her jewelry-making hobby, creating a statement silhouette – fit for on-and-off board styling – unlike any other. Each silhouette designed by Vans’ star athletes speaks to their identities inside and outside the skatepark and whether they’re hitting the waves or not. In a conversation with Hypebeast, Cocona Hiraki, Tania Cruz, Karina Rozunko and Efron Danzig speak on their career trajectories and the New Future campaign and collection.
Continue scrolling to read the full conversation.
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Hypebeast: Tell me about the inspiration and process behind your Old Skool design. How does it reflect your personality, style and identity?
Karina Rozunko: The Old Skool was about balance — something familiar, but not too polished. I added silver hardware because that’s where my head was at, working with metal, designing jewelry. The creeper toe and the asymmetry… [it] just felt right. I wasn’t trying to overthink it. It had to feel like me.
Tania Cruz: Designing my own Old Skool silhouette was also pretty crazy, that was another dream of mine. The process was both challenging and rewarding. In the end, it was an amazing experience to see it come together and I’m really happy about it!
Efron Danzig: [I was] excited to have the opportunity to design something with Vans, and I’ve always worn their shoes since I was a kid. I wanted to make a Vans shoe [that] I can wear out when I’m not skating. Something cute but a little tough.
Cocona Hiraki: I’ve always worn Vans and to me, they feel like a part of my identity. I love fashion and mixing shapes/colors with little tweaks that can make things fun and stylish. When I thought about what makes me “me” I knew I wanted to cherish the things I’ve continued to love. So instead of breaking away from the classic Old Skool style, I blended my roots and personal expression into the silhouette, then added some sparks of current inspo through color and stitching. It was a new experience for me and I had so much fun working with the Vans design team, to make my visions come to reality. It was a fun process, and I feel like it helped me grow and refine my sense of style.
Beyond skating and surfing, you express your creativity in other ways. Why is having a creative outlet outside of surfing and skating important to you?
ED: I think a lot of [the] practices, [being an artist, musician, model and poet], intertwine [and] can be done simultaneously, while some need their own space. It’s good to have different outlets. You can say something with a poem that you obviously can’t say with a skateboard.
KR: Surfing’s always been the center. [Those] other outlets — fashion, film, jewelry — they’re just different ways to say something without [using] words. I got into it naturally, being around inspiring people and in places that give me space to create. When I’m not in the water, I still want to feel that same flow.
CH: Since I was little, I’ve always loved creating things, whether it’s skating, making accessories, or drawing. I enjoy being able to shape and color something the way I imagine it. Color is so important in skateboarding too, right? Whether it’s park design or fashion. I’ve always loved wearing accessories and one of my favorites is making bracelets out of thread. You can make them anywhere as long as you have thread and they’re an easy gift that makes people happy. So, I’m always making them.
Tania and Cocona, you’ve both carved distinct paths in the world of skateboarding — one of you becoming a two-time Olympian and a rising of Japan’s skate scene at just 16, the other building a global skate and art community rooted in creating safe spaces from La Rioja to Spain and beyond. How has your journey in skateboarding shaped your identity and why was it important for you to make space — whether on a global stage or within your community — for yourself and others?
CH: I wanted to meet Lizzie Armanto, and to accomplish that, competing at the Vans Park Series became my goal. Since then, I’ve been skating with all my heart, and when I look back, everything that’s happened has brought me to where I am today. Wearing Vans while skating has become a part of my lifestyle. I continue to do something I love because of the people I’ve met; the Vans riders who inspired me, the support from my family and friends and everyone I’ve connected with through skateboarding and being involved with Vans. Just like I once admired Lizzie, I’d be happy if someday a kid looked up to me and started skating because of that.
TC: For me, it’s always been important to create a safe space in skating. Since I was little, I’ve used skating as an escape and a refuge and I found plenty of friends and a family there. But, [like] many others I also went through unfair situations. That’s why I’ve always tried to speak my truth and look out for the younger girls and everyone around me. Skating gave me so much and I want others to feel safe and experience the same sense of belonging.
What does it mean to you to be part of the Vans family? How was it meeting and connecting with the other athletes through this experience?
KR: Being part of the Vans family means being part of something bigger. I’ve been with Vans for over eight years — it’s been part of the years that shaped me. The culture here is real — rooted in creativity, freedom, and respect. These people feel like family. Meeting amazing people I might not have connected with otherwise, you realize it’s all about shared passion. It’s real.
CH: I started skateboarding and fell in love with Vans. This led to me wanting to meet Lizzie Armanto and setting my sights on the Vans Park Series and all of that led to the incredible moment of becoming part of the Vans family. It’s such a blessing to grow and keep pushing myself alongside other skaters who share the same goals. Skateboarding is deeply connected to art, fashion and music. I continue to be inspired by skaters from around the world and artists [as well]. It’s opened so many new worlds for me. I feel like this journey will just keep expanding. And I think it all started with that one first step to my dream of becoming a Vans rider.
Vans champions originality, boundary-pushing and staying true to yourself. In what ways do you feel you embody that spirit as an athlete?
TC: I think I do it by just being myself. For me skating is one of my ways to express myself and I’ve always tried to push my own limits without comparing myself to others. Of course, we all get inspired by so many other people but it’s good to remember that every one of us is unique in our own way.
ED: I’m happy with myself, I don’t need to try [and] be anything I’m not. I try to follow my intuition.
Get ready to shop Vans’ New Future collection today starting with Cocona Hiraki’s Premium Old Skool silhouette and see below for all upcoming releases.
Premium Old Skool ™ by Cocona Hiraki drops July 17
Premium Old Skool ™ by Karina Rozunko and Tania Cruz drops September 4
Premium Old Skool ™ by Efron Danzig drops September 10
