The first Vans store opened in Anaheim, California, in 1966. Paul Van Doren, James Van Doren, Gordon Lee, and Serge D’Elia opened the Van Doren Rubber Company that year.
Unlike many shoe companies, the original Vans business made shoes and sold them directly from its own store. This model helped the company serve local customers and develop footwear suited to Southern California lifestyles.
Vans later became strongly associated with skateboarding, but its earliest identity was broader than skate shoes. The checkerboard slip-on became especially prominent after appearing in the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High.