User:Ccaitlyn006/sandbox

Charitable Works & Philanthropy
Vans Partners with the A.Skate Foundation

In 2014, Vans and A.Skate Foundationdecided to team up on the Era Laceless Pro shoe. The A.Skate Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims to create a safe space for children with autism to express themselves through skateboarding. The A.Skate Foundation’s mission is to “Autism. Skating with Kids through Acceptance, Therapy, and Education "A vision without resources is a hallucination."

The Era Laceless Pro shoe featured Vans Pro Skate performance upgrades plus the added benefit of an easy closure option tailored to children with autism. The custom “Obsessed to Skate” insole artwork by Jay Croft called out autism’s obsessive tendencies and brought awareness to A.Skate’s mission to channel that energy through skateboarding.

In 2017, Vans and A.Skate partnered up again to create the Vans x A.Skate reusable bag. The reusable bag is eco-friendly, and a portion of the proceeds go directly to the A.Skate Foundation. The bags sell for $2.99 and were initially available for a limited time but have been available in stores since.

Vans Autism Awareness Collection

In 2020, Vans released a new and improved Autism Awareness Month Collection. The collection was designed with sensory overload in mind. The shoes are equipped with sensory-inclusive elements such as a calming color palette and features that focus on the senses of touch, sight and sound. The shoes were designed as slip-ons with easy put on and removal in mind. One of the shoes in collection featured a single strap hook-and-loop closure to ensure fit. The company donated at least $100,000 of the proceeds to A.Skate Foundation.

Vans Gives Back Program

In 2012, Vans hosted their first ever Vans Gives Back Day. The Vans Gives Back Day happen annually, and the day is hosted by Vans and either the Surfriders Foundation or Stoked Mentoring.

Since their first Vans Gives Back Day each year Vans allows their employees 20 paid volunteers hours to serve any community organization of their choice through their Vans Gives Back Program.