One of the best things about Vans footwear is its unisex design. The majority of their classic styles list both men’s and women’s sizing on the box for either gender can enjoy. Sometimes, though, a woman for example might wish for a sleeker silhouette than offered by a standard Old Skool or SK8-Hi. Enter the Boom Boom Collection.

Kicked off by the release of a bomber in 2016, the California skate apparel company released a full capsule late last summer that included a tee, baseball cap, backpacks, more jackets and the slimmed down version of the SK8-Hi featured in today’s blog post.

According to Vans, “The Boom Boom Collection was designed to inspire and celebrate the camaraderie among women. The pieces from this collection can be worn as a symbol that represents the attitude and essence of female strength, beauty and creative self-expression through style.”

The sneaker is instantly recognizable, but has been taken in a bit all over for a more feminine look. The toebox, eyestay, tongue and heel counter are all finished in a soft touch suede, and the rest of the upper is made out of textile except for the leather side stripe and triangular stitched patch above the heel tab logo. One of my favourite parts of the shoe is the addition of a zipper entry at the back making wearing and taking these off so much easier than the standard high tops.

This pair is the pleasingly neutral Silver Sage/True White colourway that pairs great with most outfits and looks especially nice with some darker denim. As a nice finishing touch, the collar lining is a pumpkin orange that really pops. Like all SK8-Hi’s, the collars are padded providing support whether walking or skating, and the signature rubber waffle outsoles give great traction.