The Vans Skate x Los Angeles-based artist/illustrator and skateboarder Mike Gigliotti to design a new footwear and apparel collection that applies a gritty, skate-inspired aesthetic to a beloved classic: Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants.
The Vans x SpongeBob x Mike Gigliotti Collection is centered around a black and yellow palette, led by Vans Skate Slip-On, Skate Old Skool and Skate Sk8-Hi. Gigliotti’s legendary drawing style is evident across all three silhouettes. Rather than re-drawing SpongeBob, Gigliotti maintained the original character while adding his own art and doodles to a newly created underwater world of skateboarding.
The collection features Gigliotti’s drawings across the quarter panels of the Skate Sk8-Hi and Skate Old Skool, as well as the toe vamp and heel counter of the Skate Slip-On. Other details include a barbed wire and chain stretch across the Old Skool’s Sidestripe and the Sk8-Hi’s sidewall. Built extra tough, Vans Skate Classics feature Duracap for added flexibility and reduced hot spots, resulting in an essential fit for maximum durability where skaters need it most. Vans’ best-in-class PopCush energy-return footbeds snap back and won’t pack out, keeping legs feeling fresh to skate longer. Two-part foxing features a heavier knurl texture on toe bumpers, increasing durability and grip and nodding to a heritage look.
