Up Close With Ralph Steadman's Trippy Vans Collaboration

Courtesy of Melbourne’s Up There, we’ve received a detailed look at the forthcoming Ralph Steadman x Vans Vault collaboration. Encompassing a variety of familiar silhouttes — and one less common model — the collection is emblazoned with Steadman’s striking artwork.

Best known for his collaborative work alongside Hunter S. Thompson, including the journalist’s Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, Steadman has kept busy through his 80s, even creating the artwork for Travis Scott and Quavo’s Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho in 2017. Though the Vans pack isn’t Steadman’s first foray into footwear, it will presumably be far less limited than his textural Hare Max 180.

Encompassing the Slip-On, Sk8-Hi and Style 138, distinctive Steadman designs appear on each sneaker model. The Slip-On sports stylized Vans branding, paint splatters and bees across the toe cap, with black paneling below the heel. Meanwhile, the Style 138 is realized with a white rubber midsole and tonal blue canvas upper, complete with a gentle-eyed whale.

Finally, the Sk8-Hi is given an understated black-and-white base, with zebra stripes and an illustrative rendering of the animal itself. The graphics are placed asymmetrically on the shoe, with the zebra stripes on the left side and zebra drawing on the right.

The collection hasn’t received an official release date yet, but stay tuned for a look at the entire collection soon and keep an eye on stockists like Up There for the drop.

We recently took a look at COMME des GARÇONS’s latest collaborative Vans release.