YT teams up with Vans for new shoes

What do when you want to add shoes to the long list of bikes and apparel you make, but have never made shoes before? Why not ask one of the best in the business? When YT wanted to expand into footwear, it tagged Skate and BMX icons Van to help out. That collaboration, a set of flat pedal shoes and some post-ride sandals, is out now.

YT x Vans

YT got its start in dirt jumping, with the DirtLove frame. Vans has a storied history in BMX and, of course, skateboarding. If there’s a ground for the two to meet, it makes sense that its the feet. There’s two parts to this “co-branded collection.”

The more functional half, at least on the bike, is this YT-branded BMX 114 shoes. These come in three colours. The most subtle version is a black with red highlights pair. From there, you get red with white highlights. And, if you really want to show off your ability to keep a pair of shoes immaculate while riding dirt, a white pair with bright red highlights.

The shoe is Vans’ 114, made for its BMX team, but adapted for mountain biking. It’ll be good for dirt jumping, pump track sessions, bike park laps. Whatever you want to do on flat pedals, as there definitely isn’t a clipless option. It takes Vans casual look, adds the WaffleCup BMX outsold for toughness, PopCush cushioning for, well, cushioning. DuraCap underlay adds more support and protection.

The other half, or quarter, of the team-up is a pair of La Costa slip ons. Not so subtly branded with YT’s “Live Uncaged” motto (or, in this case “LIVE UNCGD”), these add a post-ride option to get you out of those ride shoes as fast as possible. The Costa’s use a “waffle-inspired” sole to add some grip in the parking lot and “UltraCush Lite” footed for comfort. The La Costa slip ons only come in black, with white letters.

YT x Vans x Trails

The 114 shoes, which we, thankfully, have in the easier-to-keep-clean black and red version, have in for test, are what you might expect from a pair of Vans BMX shoes. They’re not stiff enough and don’t have enough protection built in to be a flat-pedal DH race shoe, They’re not so flexible that they’re just a street shoe. They are a solid option for dirt jumping and park riding, tough, and even trail riding in the right weather.

The padded ankles are more comfortable than some alternatives, though probably not ideal on really hot days. They’re also cut a bit lower above the heel and on the inner ankle than some dedicated bike shoes. While there’s a bit less protection, its also more comfortable pedalling and off the bike. Laces allow you to dial in fit. And, personally, I think Boa dials on flat pedal shoes are silly. YT avoids those in favor of real control over fit via laces.

The La Costa slip ons are, well, slip ons. There’s not a ton to them. They’re not subtle, but they are comfortable. The added bit of grip from what YT calls a “waffle-inspired” pattern on the sole does at least provide some grip compared to some smooth slip on sandal alternatives out there.

Pricing: YT x Vans

Like all YT things, the collaboration with Vans will be available directly through YT. There’s no Canadian pricing yet, but the BMX-inspired 114 shoes are USD 100.00. The La Costa slip ons are USD 45.00.

OFF THE WALL meets LIVE UNCAGED

To launch this collaboration, YT and Vans worked with the German brand’s riders and… Steve Caballero. This is arguably cooler, depending on how deep into skate culture you are, than YT bringing in Christopher Walken to monologue the Jeffsy MKII launch.