Now that summer is nearly here it's time to fill your grocery cart full of Popsicles and let the creamsicle-swirl treats inspire your warm-weather adventures, straight down to your fashion sense. Vans' new “Peach Soda” and "Sunset Fade" sneakers look like one of your favorite Swirl Stix flavors dribbled down your hand and plopped down on your shoes, creating an ombre of pink, blue, orange, yellow, and purple. They're going to be the ultimate summer sneakers, so make sure you get them while you can.
First up in the "Peach Soda" shoe, which has a darker colorway and relies on blues and purples. To create this gradient shoe, Vans teamed up with Charlotte Shibuya, an Japanese online boutique, and Aya Kawasaki, a leather craft artist known for her rainbow-inspired clutches and crossbody bags. The kicks will be first showcased at the Charlotte Shibuya booth at the Greenroom Festival, which is an annual music and art culture festival with a beach and ocean theme. Filled with reggae music, surf board art, and an overall Pacific vibe, it's no surprise that these specific kicks channeled the colors of the sunset. Featuring a laidback, island-approved tie-dye style, these purple, pink, and blue shoes have the beach written all over them.
To make them, the collaborators remastered the classic Vans' "Authentic" silhouette, which is the original and now iconic skater shoe style, with the signature rubber waffle outsoles and lace-up fronts. The shoe was hand dyed with its purple and blue swirl, and the bottom sole of the shoe is a peachy orange, making it a fun summer staple. It's released at the festival on May 26, but unfortunately for us, it will only be available in Japan.
To give you an idea how Kawasaki brought her own style to the collection, here is an example of her previous leather work. Look at those dreamy hues!
But don't be disappointed! There is a similar reiteration that has come to the US, and comes in three different styles. Named the “Sunset Fade” pack, it shifts from yellow, to orange, to purple, again mimicking a setting sun colorway.
The three different shoe styles it comes in is the Authentic style, the Slip-On style, which features no laces, and the UltraRange Mesh sneaker, which looks more like a mesh gym shoe with a colorful swoop along its sides.
Check out the details of each of the options below.
So while you can't enjoy the "Peach Soda" shoes unless you visit Japan the next month, the "Sunset Fade" pack are a great alternative, especially if it's that gradeint shift you crave. Take inspiration from the ice cream truck this summer and wear these Creamsicle shoes until it's time to bring booties back again.
