Many of the recent obituaries for Paul Van Doren, co-founder of Vans, cited the 1982 film as the moment when the brand made a lucrative jump from underground cool to mainstream staple. Then again, Van Doren was cut from different cloth. Photograph: UniversalWhen the Van Doren Rubber Company opened a store in Anaheim in 1966, he didn’t know much about retail. “I had never realised that the mom is really the boss of the family,” wrote Van Doren in his memoir “Authentic”. Paul Van Doren is survived by five children, 10 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, a brother, a sister, and his shoes that still adorn skateparks the world over.

Source: The Irish Times May 26, 2021 15:56 UTC