From a collaboration with the global Netflix hit “KPop Demon Hunters” to Grammy-winning artist SZA’s custom Vans at Paris Fashion Week, the 60-year-old skate brand is reinserting itself in the pop-culture spotlight.
But the commercial payoff, if there is any, is still forthcoming.
VF Corp., parent company of Vans Inc., reported on Jan. 28 that the skate apparel retailer’s fiscal third-quarter sales fell 8%, as the company had previously predicted (NYSE: VFC).
Vans generated revenue of $558 million in the quarter ended Dec. 27, compared with $608 million a year earlier.
However, the Denver-based operator said it was seeing “green shoots” at the Costa Mesa brand based on recent online traffic.
VFC Chief Executive Bracken Darrell told analysts that the firm’s strategy of refreshing Vans’ product lineup was “starting to deliver” as evidenced by an increase in global digital revenue for the first time in four years.
“I think it’s the first time we saw e-comm growth in something like 19 quarters. We feel really good about that,” Darrell said on the earnings call.
He added that recent growth has been consistently driven by new products such as the Super Lowpro, the Skate Loafer—worn by the CEO himself during the call—and the Crosspath XC.
The CEO’s comments could be considered positive for Vans Brand President Michelle “Sun” Choe, who was hired by Darrell in July 2024.
The KPop Demon Hunters
As for innovating flagship products, which have been considered “a difficult area” for Vans in recent years, Darrell pointed to a December collaboration with the animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” the most popular Netflix film of all time.
Classic Vans sneakers featured the animated film’s characters and “went from idea to store shelf” 10 weeks after the premiere. The retailer is already on its second release of the themed footwear.
Still, the parent company is forecasting further sales decline at Vans in the fiscal fourth quarter of 2026 by “roughly mid-single digits.” Even though that forecast sounds dire, it still would be a big improvement from last year’s fourth quarter when Vans’ revenue dropped 22% to $493 million.
Darrell noted that e-commerce is pulling ahead since it’s faster to get products up online. The company hopes to build off the recent online growth and boost traffic in stores next.
“We’re going to let this thing really play out as it should,” Darrell told analysts. “We’ve learned one thing about turnarounds. You don’t want to force a turnaround early. You want to let it develop, and we are letting it develop.”
VFC reported its total fiscal Q3 revenue was up 2% from a year ago. Excluding Dickies and Vans from total results, VFC said revenue grew 5% in the third quarter versus last year.
Though the parent organization began relocating Dickies to Costa Mesa at the start of last year, VFC later sold the workwear brand to Bluestar Alliance LLC for $600 million in November.
Shares of VF Corp. fell 9.3% to $18.39 apiece the day of the report. At press time, shares were up to $20.11 with a market cap of $8.2 billion.
Vans at Fashion Week
Vans had a pop culture moment in January when artist SZA attended Louis Vuitton and Dior fashion shows wearing customized Vans sneakers during Paris Fashion Week.
She was “wearing bespoke Vans, Old Skool and Authentic, bejeweled with gemstones by New York-based jewelry designer Rachel Goatley,” Darrell told analysts.
The retailer appointed Grammy Award-winning SZA as the brand’s artistic director last August as part of a multi-year partnership.
“We’ll see more of SZA and her artistic vision for the brand in the coming months,” Darrell said on the Jan. 28 earnings call.
