We’re used to seeing shoe brands collaborate with athletes and celebrities. But this is something different. Vans just released a line of shoes, clothes, and accessories that sport the National Geographic logo or cover designs.
Wild, huh?
The occasion is the 130 years of the publication and its “never-ending quest to explore” that the shoe and apparel brand wish to celebrate with the launch of 51 items for men, women, and children. This includes 27 listed as “new arrivals” and 24 as custom-made.
If you opt for the latter, you can select one of a dozen photos from the National Geographic collection for a unique style. You can apply the pattern of your choice to the style shoe you love the most by playing around with the customizer feature on the site.
What we like about this initiative is the attempt to connect younger audiences to National Geographic, while giving Vans an unexpected twist. It’s a bold initiative, one that can help nurture new customer bases in a time when it’s especially critical.
Not to mention the “explore” connection to a shoe brand, and promoting the vital nature preserving values of NG, through a very urban brand. When the urban environment is going through significant changes due to social distancing instructions, exploring nature perhaps should be getting more attention now, which is what this initiative does.
My favorite custom option is the monarch butterflies as pictured below:
But I could also be happy with the out-of-the-box option of the Vans X National Geographic Era with an all-over National Geographic Magazine print:
Check it out to find your own favorite design and place it on the Vans style you love the most. Let’s celebrate exploration and appreciation of nature.
