Where was the first Vans store located?

Where was the first Vans store located? The first Vans store was located in Anaheim, California.

Paul Van Doren, James Van Doren, and Gordon Lee opened the first store on March 16, 1966, at 704 East Broadway in Anaheim. It operated under the original name Van Doren Rubber Company and combined manufacturing with direct retail sales, allowing customers to buy shoes made by the company itself.

The opening was unusual: the store displayed three styles, but it had not yet stocked finished inventory. Twelve customers selected shoes, took them home, and returned the next day to pay after the store had produced the pairs and obtained change. The company’s direct-to-customer approach became part of its early identity.

Anaheim is sometimes confused with nearby Los Angeles or other Southern California skate hubs. Those cities became important to Vans’ culture and expansion, but Anaheim is the canonical birthplace of the brand and the location of its first shop.