Following years of Ian Connor’s infamous Revenge x Storm having its own lane in the streetwear world, Connor moved on to other endeavors and faced plenty of controversy along the way (though the footwear is still offered to this day). Now we see plenty of “bootleggers” filling the space, however, brands often don’t mimic what these independent manufacturers do unless your name is Vans. Previously seen working with Imram Potato who is famous for his knockoff takes on popular footwear designs, the design team at Vans added Connor’s infamous lightning bolt design from the Revenge x Storm sneakers onto the Vans Old Skool and now onto the Vans Sk8-Hi.
Seen here in the classic “Bred” color scheme, the silhouette features standard details for the Sk8-Hi like a suede and canvas upper paired with a vulcanized rubber sole. However, the addition of a lightning bolt riding up from the sole to the midfoot makes the design stand out on its own. Another tweak, albeit relatively small, is the suede eyestays joining in on the bolt design with jagged edges located near the topmost portion of the panel. As for the rest of the sneaker, we see red hits take over the toecap, eyestay, and heel while black canvas makes up the midfoot and collar. Vans’ iconic Jazz Stripe remains and gets covered in white leather while the design comes rounded out by a white vulcanized rubber sole (featuring the previously mentioned bolt design) paired with a gum rubber outsole.
The Vans Sk8-Hi Bolt Bred has already seen a release on March 14th, 2023 through select retailers like Oneness, though a wider release through Vans is expected in the coming weeks. Releasing in unisex sizing, the retail price is set at $75. Keep it locked to our Twitter and the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Vans Sk8-Hi Bolt “Bred”
Images via Oneness
