Raise your hand if you remember the AVE Classic from Vans and Anthony Van Engelen? It was basically a classic Vans hybrid silhouette—part Era, part Old Skool—that looked as good as it skated.
Well, in a surprise Instagram post (at least for me), AVE hopped on to let everyone know that the shoe will be returning sooner than later, and it sounds like he’s currently working on a project to support the release. Peep the post below and let’s talk more about these classic kicks.
View on Instagram
"Wanted to get back to Everyone who messaged me on insta story’s about the possible return of the AVE Classic. Yes it’s coming back," AVE wrote on Instagram. "Still a ways out but keep an eye out! I’ll keep ya posted!"
It’s 2025 and technical, bulkier skate shoes have officially made their comeback. And that's fine. But I’m not speaking for everyone when I say that, including AVE.
I’ve been skating Eras, Old Skools and Vans Slip-Ons for years. Love the look, love the boardfeel and love how much they’ve all evolved over the years while staying true to their original build. Slight tweaks and updates are necessary sometimes. Totally fair. But in my mind, that’s exactly what the AVE Classic was. An updated version of all my favorite Vans shoes.
I like that these are sort of the exact opposite of what we're typically seeing these days on the majority of skateshop shoe walls, including AVE's current signature model from Vans.
All the big brands have found plenty of success in putting out great skate shoes, don’t get me wrong. But these are just timeless. I don’t know what else to say.
As AVE mentioned, there's no official release date or anthing. And it looks like he's ready to have some fun with that big box of samples, but I'm stoked either way. My eyes are peeled.
