The Vans Old Skool was the first Vans sneaker to feature the brand’s leather side stripe, released in 1977.
The stripe began as a contrasting leather design applied to the shoe’s side panels. Vans founder Paul Van Doren originally called the shape the “jazz stripe,” and it became one of the company’s most recognizable visual marks.
The Old Skool was built for skateboarding and combined canvas with leather reinforcement around areas that received heavy wear. Its low-top profile made it distinct from the high-top Sk8-Hi, which appeared later.
People sometimes call the side stripe a simple logo, but it is an integrated design element rather than a separate printed emblem. The stripe also helps distinguish the Old Skool from the earlier Authentic and Era models.