In the first few years of the 2020s, Gallery Dept. had a stranglehold on street fashion culture. Name dropped by rappers like Babyface Ray, Lil Baby, Young Thug, and more, the LA-based brand run by designer Josué Thomas helped bring back bootcut jeans and turned a paint-splattered logo hoodie into a status symbol. In the past few years, Gallery Dept. has expanded its footprint into the sneaker world, and the latest pair continues a Vans collection that started this spring.
The Gallery Dept. x Vans Authentic 44 Art That Kills Black is a sequel to the cream-colored version of the same shoe that dropped in March of this year. Starting with a classic black canvas Vans Authentic, the collab transforms the white sidewall with an all-over print Art That Kills logo repeating around the base of the shoe. The upper stays standard on the back half, but adds splatters of paint in yellow, black, white, teal, and brown, falling onto the front of the midsole.
Above the paint splatters, the laces and eyelets are done in white, and a blue stripe runs across the foxing tape at the top of the midsole. In addition to the new black Authentic and the matching cream colorway from spring, Gallery Dept. and Vans partnered on pairs of the Rowley XLT and Old Skool in 2023.
The Gallery Dept. x Vans Authentic 44 Art That Kills Black doesn't have a confirmed release date, but EU retailers have the pair listed for a December 11th drop. Available in unisex sizing, the retail price is still TBD. For all the latest Vans collab news, download the Sole Retriever mobile app.
