In 2021, we teamed up with Vans once again to bring back one of our most meaningful collaborations: the “Carmen.” The original release in 2013 was our first project with Vans, a Vault by Vans Era LFX inspired by the legendary Ohio football player Jack Henderson and his fabled golden cleats. The story still gives us chills: after a 99-yard, game-winning run in October 1963, Henderson disappeared, and a month later his cleats were found 250 miles away near Lake Erie, their unique golden hue said to have come from his run across the state. Those colors eventually influenced Ohio’s license plates, and our first Carmen drop sold out in minutes. Bringing it back felt like honoring both our history and Ohio’s.

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For this 2021 revival, we wanted to elevate every detail while staying true to the legend. We partnered with local designers Sunday Pizza and Dan Dover of Pretty Good Co. to hand-dye each pair, add meticulous leatherwork, and apply a Plasti-Dip rubber coating to create that signature fade. The golden gradients salute Henderson’s journey, the deep blue laces nod to the 1996 Ohio plates, the orange Vans tab mirrors the plate sticker, and the bold red sole stands for our state motto, “The Heart of It All.” Every pair of Sole Classics x Vans Authentic “Carmen” comes with a certificate of authenticity, a piece of Ohio folklore, reimagined by us for today.