Awake NY and Vans' Old Skool Collab Pays Homage to Downtown NYC Skate and Punk Culture

At first glimpse, Awake NY and Vans might not seem like the most obvious bedfellows: the former is a tight-knit crew that’s all about the hustle, bustle and thriving community of New York City, while the latter is a California-based juggernaut that has come to represent laid-back West Coast cool the world over. However, Awake NY and Vans are united by their shared love of skate, music and cultural history — and now they’ve linked up for two special iterations of the Old Skool that encompass those mutual passions.

Following a collection of three takes on the Sk8-Hi that dropped in October 2021, Awake NY and Vans’ duo of Old Skools is a salute to downtown New York City’s skate and punk culture in the ’90s. Hip-hop was a key piece of this golden era in NYC, so its intersection with punk is nodded to with the collection’s signature yellow and black cow print, which appears across the quarter panels and collars of both pairs. One pair offers a more flamboyant look with green suede accents and a purple Jazz Stripe while the other opts for more muted black accents and embellishments, but both are completed by debossed Awake NY hits on the heel, white laces, a white midsole with black foxing and a classic gum outsole. The shoes can be seen in action via the above lookbook, shot by Matthew Yoscary and featuring film director Kevin Lombardo plus stylist/creative consultant Maurice Diallo.

Expect the Awake NY x Vans Old Skool collection to hit the Awake NY webstore on January 6 at 11 AM EST. They’ll also touch down via atmos and Foot Locker Canada. The MSRP is set at $75 USD.

For more news on upcoming sneaker releases, be sure to peep the latest installment of Hypebeast’s Weekly Footwear Drops list.