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Jessica Wilt
Funding Arts Education One Vans Custom Culture Sneaker at a Time
Posted by Apr 11, 2014
![](https://www.americansforthearts.org/sites/default/files/styles/square_150/public/pictures/picture-3203-1440707787.jpg?itok=p_VuGMdb)
Jessica Wilt
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Vans Custom Culture Brand Marketing Manager Scott Byrer on a cold day in New York City to enthusiastically talk about the exciting ways Vans Custom Culture supports arts education in addition to the company’s thriving partnership with Americans for the Arts. I loved the excitement in which Scott spoke about his passion for arts education. Here is an excerpt of our conversation.
JW: I'd like to know more about the history of Vans and how the founders were inspired to launch a sneaker company.
SB: Vans was founded in 1966 by Paul and James Van Doren, Serge Delia and Gordon Lee. The company started small, with one store originally selling shoes directly to the public. In those days, customers were able to walk into a store and select their own custom shoe colors! This originality and creativity has remained an integral part of the Vans brand DNA to this day. The company grew quickly, being the first shoe brand to create a product specifically for skateboarding and as such, we're known today as the original action sports footwear and apparel company, with collections including authentic footwear, apparel, accessories and snowboard boots that are sold globally in more than 170 countries. If you're curious to see a visual story about the history of Vans, you can check out a video our production team created on our Off the Wall TV site.
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