From Our EIC: Is There a New Dad Shoe in Town?

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Because the algorithm is trying to kill me, I keep getting fed this one video, which has racked up over 25,000 likes, where a woman declares that Vans are the new dad shoes. They’ve taken over for the classic chunky New Balance as the lawn-mowing shoe of choice, she argues, and while I do not mow my own lawn (professional landscaping is the best $150 I spend all month), I am in fact a dad and I do in fact have a closet that is literally overflowing with Vans.

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But whatever. I really like them. I like their roots in skateboarding, I like their longstanding association with punk and the counterculture as a whole, and I like that they’re cheap enough that I can have them in a frankly preposterous amount of colors and styles.

So I’m gonna continue to lean into it, and I encourage you to do the same. Dad or otherwise.

Meet your guide

Mike Conklin

Mike Conklin is InsideHook’s Editor-in-Chief. His interests include but are not limited to records, guitars, shoes, beer, whiskey and watches. He previously served as Deputy Editor at Gear Patrol and Digital Director at Men’s Journal.