May 21, 2021

"Until the skateboarders came along, Vans had no real direction, no specific purpose as a business..."

"... other than to make the best shoes possible. When skateboarders adopted Vans, ultimately, they gave us an outward culture and an inward purpose

Wrote Paul Van Doren in his memoir, “Authentic,” quoted in "Paul Van Doren, 90, Dies; Built an Empire With Vans Shoes/The sneakers became a hit in the skateboard world and later a multibillion-dollar nationwide sensation thanks in part to a Sean Penn movie."

This is 9 minutes of Sean Penn in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." Scroll to the beginning if you want more, but I've clipped 15 seconds where you'll definitely be able to see the shoes:

1 comment:

Ann Althouse said...

Joe writes:

'm less than a fan of Penn's politics, but I give him his due; he's a hell of an actor.

Oddly given my age, I should have watched that movie in its first run at the theater, but I've only seen bits and pieces on TV over the years.

Jennifer Jason Leigh was played as the 'girl next door' type in this film, but she was at peak hotness : )

'Ridgemont' is the very definition of an '80s movie. A great example of a '90s movie, with Penn and Pacino, is 'Carlito's Way.' Penn completely transforms and cocaine abounds.

And speaking of Pacino, has any other actor transformed as much as he has from the time he was young until now? The look, the voice, the attitude?