Vans X Ernest Push Boundaries with World鈥檚 First Skateable Cardboard Shoe
Cardboard Chaos Vans X Ernest: the magic is at your feet
A Tribute to Skateboarding Legacy
Since 1966, Vans has been the go-to shoe for skateboarders. In 1976, legendary skater Tony Alva began working directly with the brand to make shoes tough enough to handle the rigors of skating. In fact, his own skateboarding style inspired the now-iconic 鈥淥ff the Wall鈥� tagline. Nearly five decades later, Alva has returned alongside Steve Van Doren, Vans鈥� Unofficial Ambassador of Fun. Their mission? To build a fully wearable Vans skate shoe made of paper.
Innovation Meets Imagination
Ernest Packaging, known for creating the impossible with paper, engineered a durable and flexible version of Vans鈥� iconic checkerboard pattern using their own cardboard materials. Once completed, Alva, Van Doren and skate legend Christian Hosoi traveled to the Vans factory to oversee the production of the shoes. The cardboard upper withstood every construction challenge, including the vulcanization process (275掳 heat and 20 PSI of pressure). The result? A fully formed skate shoe unlike the world had ever seen.
The Shred Test
Once constructed, the cardboard Vans were ready to hit pavement and the empty pools. Hosoi and Alva slid them on to hit their local skate spots, as did fellow legendary skater Omar Hassan. Then, Olympic skateboarder, X Games champ and all-around phenom Lizzie Armanto tested them on the halfpipe. The cardboard Vans verdict? Totally skateable. Signal鈥檚 Dave Lee, host of Cardboard Chaos, stated, 鈥淚t all came together. We made a custom pair of cardboard Vans shoes with Steve Van Doren, with professional skateboarders, with all these amazing people and, I mean, there are just no words. Because it鈥檚 just too much. It鈥檚 too cool.锟斤拷锟�
Cardboard Chaos Continues
The project joins a growing list of mindblowing cardboard creations from the Ernest series. It started back in 2014 when Ernest partnered with Signal Snowboards to create the first cardboard snowboard. This series went on to include a skateboard for Tony Hawk, a surfboard, a wakeboard and more. The one-of-a-kind Fender guitars, drum kit and Wurlitzer keyboard created for Cardboard Chaos inspired a spinoff. The in-studio music series with over 30 episodes, called , features the paper instruments being played by the likes of The Dandy Warhols, Keanu Reeves with Dogstar and Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, plus many other rock, gospel and jazz musicians.
A Family Legacy of Creativity
This daring project was fueled by the 鈥淲hy can鈥檛 we?鈥� spirit of both companies. Steve Van Doren and Tim Wilson, President of Ernest, continue the legacy of their fathers, who both built their businesses from the ground up. Together, Steve and Tim proudly show that creativity and courage definitely run in the family. 鈥淐ollaborating with Steve was a really special thing for me,鈥� said Wilson. 鈥淎s a
About Ernest
Ernest is a family-owned packaging solutions company that creates wonderful, unconventional experiences for their clients. It鈥檚 been that way since 1946 and it still stands to this day. They partner with their clients to make the impossible, possible. By saying no to the status quo, focusing on bringing smiles to faces and making the world a little more Ernest.
About Vans
Vans庐, a VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC) brand, is the leading skateboarding and original action sports footwear, apparel and accessories brand. Vans authentic collections are sold in more than 100 countries through a network of subsidiaries, distributors, and international offices. Vans has more than 2,000 retail locations globally including owned, concessions and partnership doors. The Vans brand inspires and empowers everyone to live 鈥淥ff the Wall,鈥� embodying the youthful spirit of freedom, non-conformity, and relentless drive to push culture across action sports, music, art and design.
About Signal Snowboards
Signal Snowboards is a rider-owned snowboard brand established in 2005, dedicated to producing high-quality, artful snowboards born from creativity, culture, and community. Known for innovative content like Every Third Thursday and Cardboard Chaos, Signal merges DIY spirit with technical performance across its freestyle, all-mountain, and powder lines. With a two-year warranty, free shipping on orders over
About Liquid
Liquid Agency is a brand consulting and activation company that empowers ambitious organizations to achieve and maintain category leadership. For over 24 years, Liquid Agency has partnered with leading Consumer and B2B brands such as GE, Hitachi, HP, Intel, Nike, Nordstrom and Walmart to build momentum through belief-driven alignment of brand, customer and employee experiences.
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Source: Ernest Packaging Solutions
