Vans are one of the most popular Skateboard Trainers and for good reason, they are comfy and cool, they’re pretty durable and come in hundreds of different styles.

In fact, that’s probably why they are such a popular trainer, full stop, not just with skaters, but with people generally.

Can you buy vegan Vans?

What happens if you want to find a pair of Skate shoes (or just fashionable trainers) that are also Vegan?

Are you bang out of luck if you want to wear Vans?

Fortunately not, in fact Vans are one of the more popular Vegan Skate brands.

Vans have (fairly) good labelling on their website about which of their trainers are Vegan (we’ll get onto that), so choosing a pair shouldn’t be too much of a struggle.

Why should you buy Vegan Vans?

I’ll not get too much into why you should consider Veganism in this article, there’s plenty of decent Vegan skate blogs that cover it way better than I do.

However there are both ethical and environmental reason to choose Vegan, and with a growing market it makes sense that Vans are trying to accommodate it.

Which Vans are Vegan?

This is a great question and one that should be easier to answer than it is!

The UK Vans website has quite an informative article about which Vans are Vegan.

However unless you buy direct from Vans, it’s very time consuming cross referencing other retailers information with the Vans website to find if the exact colourway you want is Vegan.

For example, some canvas Vans shoes look like they should be vegan, but in fact have a leather embroidered Vans logo on the side!

If it wasn’t for the fact that Vans are so popular, meaning they have great availability and discounted pricing amongst other retailers, I would say just stick to the official Vans website so you can read the descriptions there to be 100% sure, however there are some real bargains to be had from shopping around.

And that’s what I did!

In an effort to make this the best article about Vegan Vans on the internet, I bought EVERY single style of Vegan Vans listed on the Vans website!

Best Vegan Vans

Let’s take a look at all the Vegan Vans available and see which is the best pair of Vegan Vans.

As mentioned, this list is based on what Vans officially declare as Vegan and are available for sale (as of 2020).

I have since found out that some older (discounted?) models of Vans such as the popular Atwood are also available in Vegan styles. I may try and acquire these to add to the list, likewise if anyone is aware of any other styles of Vans that are Vegan that I’ve missed, please leave a comment and I’ll try and get a pair.

Vans Classic Authentic

The Classic Authentic have a timeless style, I opted for this slightly unusual colour in an attempt to not have only bright white shoes in this list.

Here’s the official blurb from Vans

The Vans Authentic is a lace-up, low top shoe with classic stitching, flag branding and a waffle thread sole for firmer grip.

Composition:100% Canvas

The materials used in the manufacturing of these styles (including adhesives) are free of any animal by-products and therefore are 100% vegan.

I’ll do a full review of thee Vans Classic Authentic here, but for now in summary I think they look great on.

Vans Classic Slip On

So.. these are a little bit off the wall..

At first I wasn’t sure what I’d think of these in real life, they’re also not exactly the same colour as I expected, they’re a slightly off white/yellow.

However I actually really like them on and they are super comfortable.

Here’s the official blurb from Vans.

A low profile, slip-on shoe, the Vans Classic Slip-On has elastic side accents and padded collars for extra comfort. It also features the Vans flag label and signature waffle outsoles for firmer grip.

Composition:100% Canvas

The materials used in the manufacturing of these styles (including adhesives) are free of any animal by-products and therefore are 100% vegan.

I’ll do a full review of these Vans classic slip ons here. But in summary, although they are a slightly odd colour, they are incredibly comfortable.

Vans Authentic Lo Pro

I’m still trying to get hold of these, I suspect they’re going the way of the Atwood.

The Authentic Lo Pro, a simple low top, lace-up with a slim silhouette, has a canvas upper, metal eyelets, Vans flag label and low profile vulcanized micro Waffle Outsole.

Composition: Canvas

The materials used in the manufacturing of these styles (including adhesives) are free of any animal by-products and therefore are 100% vegan.

Vans Classic Era

I could of gone with an all black front on these, but thought the white rubber might set them off.

In theory this should provide more durability for flip tricks, but it only just covers the front of the toe, so I don’t think they’ll be particularly durable.

Here’s the official blurb from Vans.

A low top, lace-up shoe with a padded tongue and lining for extra comfort, the Vans Era also features waffle outsoles for a firmer grip.

Composition:100% Canvas

The materials used in the manufacturing of these styles (including adhesives) are free of any animal by-products and therefore are 100% vegan.

I’ll be doing a full review of the Vans Classic Era here, but for now in summary I think these look quite nice, although I don’t think the rubber toe would be to everyone’s taste, especially if you are looking at these for fashion.

Vans Old Skool (‘All White / All Black’)

This and the next pair of vegan Vans are a bit of an oddity.

Let’s see what Vans have to sat about the Old Skool’s vegan credentials.

our Old Skool shoes are also available in a vegan version

That’s helpful, but unlike the SK8-Hi they don’t mention which version.

Turns out it’s the all white version.

Here’s the official blurb from Vans.

The Old Skool, the Vans classic skate shoe and first to bare the iconic sidestripe, is a low top lace-up featuring sturdy canvas uppers, re-enforced toecaps to withstand repeated wear, padded collars for support and flexibility, and signature rubber waffle outsoles.

Composition:91% Canvas,9% Synthetic

The materials used in the manufacturing of these styles (including adhesives) are free of any animal by-products and therefore are 100% vegan.

I’ll be doing a full review of the Vans Old Skool here. But in summary these are a really nice trainer.

In hindsight, I’d probably rather have the All Black version as they are very similar to the Vans Canvas SK8-Hi, but at the time I wasn’t sure which colours were Vegan.

Vans Canvas SK8-Hi (‘True White’)

So these are an oddity, there’s only one specific colourway that are listed as Vegan and it’s the All White version.

I’ve not owned many hi tops, but they do tend to be quite comfortable.

I don’t think I’d choose to skate in these though.

Here’s the official blurb from Vans.

A lightweight, lace-up, high top shoe, the Vans Sk8-Hi features heel cushioning for extra comfort, re-enforced toecaps for durability, and padded collars for support and flexibility. Signature rubber waffle outsoles give this shoe a firmer grip.

Composition:92% Canvas, 8% Synthetic

I’ll do a full review of the Vans Canvas SK8-Hi here, but in summary I think these are a nice trainer that offer lots of comfort.

They are pretty nice, but I’m not sure how long they’ll stay looking nice.

Final thoughts

As you can see, there are a wide array of options and colourways available if you’re after a pair of Vegan Vans.

You just need to do a little research first to make sure there’s no hidden leather or suede.

One thing to note, is that most of our Vans arrived unlaced, if you’re looking for advice on the best way to lace your Vans for skateboarding and fashion check out our guide.