The iconic 51-year-old Southern California sneaker brand has finally found a new home. Right off the 405 freeway, located in Costa Mesa, California, the new global headquarters for Vans spans 182,000-square feet and houses over 500 employees. The fully-skateable office-space includes a shaded pavilion for relaxing, hand-painted walls, and even a fountain-turned skate bowl. Plans are underway to convert a warehouse into a 3,500 square-foot skate park filled with mini ramps and rails just for employees. As we skate through the facilities with Vans Global Skate Team Rider, Elijah Berle, Vans customized a pair of sneakers for us.
This isn’t Vans’ only recent foray into new spaces — the label is preparing to open the doors of their new Williamsburg location soon. Furthermore, Vans has been busy working on collaborations with fashion labels, preparing a new slip-on release with Opening Ceremony, and an Old-Skool model with Mindseeker. Most recently, mastermind JAPAN announced a collaboration with Vans Japan.
Check out the video above to see our unconventional tour through the campus space and the process of making a pair of custom Vans.