Vans shoes co-founder dead at 90 – Paul Van Dorsen remembered as beloved ‘entrepreneur and innovator’
THE co-founder of the skateboarding sneaker brand Vans had died aged 90, the company confirmed on Friday. Paul Van Doren, who co-founded the California-based company with his brother Jim in 1966, passed away just days after publishing his memoir. Vans announced Van Doren’s passing in a post to Twitter this afternoon. “It is with a […]
THE co-founder of the skateboarding sneaker brand Vans had died aged 90, the company confirmed on Friday.
Paul Van Doren, who co-founded the California-based company with his brother Jim in 1966, passed away just days after publishing his memoir.
Vans announced Van Doren’s passing in a post to Twitter this afternoon.
“It is with a heavy heart that Vans announces the passing of our co-founder, Paul Van Doren. Paul was not just an entrepreneur; he was an innovator,” the company wrote.
“The Van Doren Rubber Company was the culmination of a lifetime of experimentation and hard work in the shoe industry.
“Paul’s bold experiments in product design, distribution and marketing, along with his knack for numbers and efficiency turned a family shoe business into a globally recognized brand,” the post continued.
“We send our love and strength to the Van Doren family and the countless Vans Family members who have brought Paul’s legacy to life.”
Paul and Jim Van Doren founded Vans in 1966, along with business partners Gordon Lee and Serge Delia.
The company was originally called The Van Doren Rubber Co. and began selling its shoes out of a warehouse in Anaheim.
The slogan on the first shoebox was “Canvas Shoes for the Entire Family” and pairs were priced between $2.29 – $4.49.
The brand grew steadily across the 1970s, finding favour with surfers and skateboarders, and had around 70 stores open by the close of the decade.
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