Vans Joins Artist Zhao Zhao for "Year of the Rat" Collection

Three models commemorating a new lunar year.

Footwear 
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Vans has just given us a look at its Lunar New Year “Year of the Rat” collection. With a little over a month until Chinese New Year 2020, we take a look at the three models that are part of the special pack. Arriving in the form of the Sk8-Hi, Era Lacey, and Comfycush Slip-Skool, Vans has elected to work with Beijing/Los Angeles-based artist Zhao Zhao.

The former assistant to Ai Weiwei has chosen to interpret the daily travels of a city rat onto each pair. Each sneaker adorns the perspective of a street rat and the various city elements the animal is exposed to while foraging on a daily basis. The pack is comprised of three silhouettes; the Vans Era, constructed in monotone suede with a conceptualized rat hole penetrating from toe to heel; the Sk8-Hi, made to resemble a network for underground tunnels; and finally, the Comfycush Slip-Skool, which sees a network graphic upper under a translucent layer. All three pairs feature a multi-layered Vans “Off the Wall” rubber heel stamp that is meant to signify the rat’s tail.

The collection will launch with an oversized commemorative hoodie on December 31 at Vans retail locations across Asia.

For more footwear news, the Air Jordan 1 High Zoom is dropping in “Racer Blue.

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