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Vans Co-Founder Paul Van Doren Dies Aged 90

Rachel Deeley

10 May 2021

Vans confirmed the news Friday, May 7. Van Doren, along with brother James Van Doren and business partners Gordon Lee and Serge Delia, started the Van Doren Rubber Company in 1966 in Anaheim, California. The brand’s rubber-soled canvas sneakers fast became an enduring part of skate culture and style. Van Doren sold Vans in 1988. The company went public in 1991 and was acquired by VF Corp in 2004.

“Paul was not just an entrepreneur; he was an innovator,” the brand said in a statement. “Paul’s bold experiments in product design, distribution, and marketing, along with his knack for numbers, and a genius for efficiency turned Paul’s family shoe business into an all-American success story.”

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