Vans Old Skool review

Skater or not, the Vans Old Skool is a perfect match for you if:

• You love that street-inspired old-school vibe that looks good with anything and never goes out of style.
• You're searching for a shoe with insanely good traction and durable upper materials, but you don't want to sell your soul to get it.
• You want a high-quality pair of canvas and suede trainers that are more than a pretty face for the summer.

Forget about this all-time beauty if you need something to comfort your feet when you have to be walking or standing all day long. After all, Vans is all about skate, which requires great groundfeel. And that doesn't go well with protective cushioning features! As an alternative, here you have the walking pairs with a VIP pass to our lab.

One more reason why you shouldn't overwear this pair of trainers is its weaker outsole. If you want a skate-inspired pair of trainers with a durable outsole that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, the Nike SB Force 58 might be a fantastic alternative!

Even though this shoe was many skaters' first love, we all know impact protection is not its best feature. In fact, it keeps it as low as possible so your connection with the skate maximises.

Breaking its sibling's, the Knu Skool (33 SA), record as the trainers with the lowest shock absorption we have ever tested, the Old Skool scored only 31 SA! Even though we can't say it feels uncomfortable on foot, it's definitely not the best option if you're gonna be standing or walking all day long.

You'd better not expect any kind of energy return from this Vans, or you'll be disappointed. At only 42.3%, each step feels dull.

With another score at the very end of our lab table, the Old Skool features a minimal heel stack of 18.7 mm.

And the forefoot is just as low! At only 12,7 mm, our feet always felt pretty close to the ground.

Once we finished our maths homework, we saw these trainers' drop is only 6.0 mm! This translates into a pretty flat ride, as we mentioned before, and makes your ankle and calf muscles work a little bit more than usual.

Coming second only to the Reebok Club C 85, our calliper marked an incredibly high 80.9 AC score when we measured the Old Skool's midsole softness. So, yeah, you can forget about feeling like you're stepping on clouds with these baddies!

Unexpected from a pair designed by Vans, the Old Skool showed off its higher-than-average width of 94.4 mm!

To be honest, during our wear tests, our feet didn't feel bear-hug level squeezed, yet this shoe made sure we felt surefooted in every step.

And it doesn't taper like crazy either! Our calliper confirmed it with a solid and standard 68.7 mm at the big toe.

During our wear tests, we felt how this Vans pair didn't let our toes move up and down freely, keeping them safe and sound right where they belong.

Once we took it to the lab, we put our feelings into numbers. When we measured its toebox height, our calliper returned 24.1 mm, which is way lower than average.

As expected from a skater, this oldie-but-goldie scored an impressive 0.67 in our traction test. In other words, not only is its grip stronger than average, but also trustworthy even if it rains. Talk about versatility!

Featuring the brand's iconic outsole design, the Vans Old Skool rocks a signature waffle pattern that has proved its reliability inside and outside our lab.

Breaking another one of our lab scores, these trainers are the most flexible ones we've tested so far. With a bendy silhouette that would make Simone Biles feel proud, it only needed 4.5N of force to bend all the way up to 30 degrees!

The minimal structure of these trainers makes them way lighter than average, as our scale marked only 12.8 oz (363g). Its feathery and flexible structure, as we confirmed before, translated into an easy and natural ride, as the Old Skool followed every single move of our feet obediently.

With an outstanding breathability score of 90 BR, the Old Skool managed to keep our feet comfortably dry during our wear tests. Easy peasy!

Apart from evaluating every shoe's breathability, our machine also lets us measure its drying potential throughout the same 3-hour test. Surpassing its category's average with a wonderful 41%, this Vans pair lets moisture evaporate much faster than other trainers.

These trainers' low profile improves their ground-feel, but please, if you love your ankles, don't expect their structure to be supportive! Should you need some extra stability, this is the guide you need to look at.

Breaking more records than Armand Duplantis himself, the Old Skool offers the lowest torsional rigidity we've seen in this category. In other words, don't expect some crazy supportive structure that'll guide your feet in every step! This Vans pair is all about freedom.

As it scored a 1/5 on our stiffness scale, the Old Skool's heel counter focuses on being comfortable and pliable.

Sadly, this shoe's stability relies solely on its low profile, as it doesn't feature a wide base. Our calliper returned only 99.2 mm at the forefoot, which is definitely on the narrower end of its category.

And things get even more extreme at the heel. With an incredibly narrow score of 68.1 mm, the Old Skool was scarily close to beating another lab record!

The ageless and iconic signature look of this brand's pairs has proved its quality countless times. Armed with a butane torch, we burned the Old Skool's suede area carefully... and found out this material is authentic! Even though it's a pretty affordable shoe, it keeps the brand's excellent reputation intact.

Skate-inspired shoes have to be able to withstand abrasion, it just runs in their soul! And, in this case, it seems like it runs in the upper as well, as this Vans pair scored a fantastic 4/5 on our toebox durability test.

This shoe's heel padding scored a standard 3/5 on our durability test, proving this shoe won't leave your side sooner than expected.

Unfortunately, our Dremel managed to have 1.7 mm of this waffle-patterned outsole for breakfast. This disappointing result equals low durability, so don't expect this Vans' vulc sole to withstand abrasive surfaces like a champ.

The good thing is that, with its 5.5 mm, this shoe's outsole won't give up after a few wears.

Rivalling the outsole, the Old Skool's insole reaches an average thickness of 5.0 mm.

This shoe's leather and suede upper doesn't have a single reflective element.

A thin tongue helps keep this shoe's weight low. Even though we didn't feel any lace bite, it only has 3.1 mm of padding, so it's barely there!

A heel tab? Please, we're talking about a pair of Vans... and its clean styling is a must!

We couldn't believe this beauty is only £60. Its incredibly good traction, super stylish looks, and otherworldly breathability add a lot of points to its already great value for money.