Did Wales Bonner Just Make a Vans Sneaker?
What to know
ClosetKept AI- Vans Authentic 44 Ext features flipped-out tongue and soft quilted upper
- Red colorway with white stitching throughout upper
- Vulcanized outsole with black foxing
- Release date: July 9, 2026
- Not an official Wales Bonner collaboration despite design similarities
A Wales Bonner Vans? Well, not officially. But the flipped-out tongue on Vans' Authentic 44 Ext sneaker does have a certain Bonner-esque quality to it; that much is clear.
The luxe goodness doesn't stop at the tongue. The soft quilted upper adds an air of luxury to the candy apple shredder that wears white stitching throughout.
Elsewhere, Vans follows its usual doctrine with a vulcanized outsole and black foxing.
On the whole, It's been a pretty big year for red Vans. Or red Vans-adjacent sneakers that is. Just recently, Pharrell Williams popped it big time with his Louis Vuitton Combi sneaker that is basically a Vans Authentic in every sense but the literal one.
Honestly, though, Vans and Pharrell both seemed to have a good laugh about the whole thing.
After all, imitation is the highest form of flattery and who better to bite off of Vans' shreddable steez than one of the biggest purveyors of skateboard swag, AKA Mr. Skateboard P himself.
Conversely, Vans is also partial to finding inspo in other brands as well to considerable success, as we've seen with any number of Chanel-inspired Vans we've seen take over the sneaker world as of late. Vans inspires and gets inspired. All in a day's work.
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