Fashion career profile

Paul Van Doren

Paul Van Doren was an American footwear entrepreneur and a co-founder of Vans. After learning shoe manufacturing at Randy's in Massachusetts, he moved to Southern California and established the Van Doren Rubber Company in Anaheim in 1966 with James Van Doren, Gordon Lee and Serge D'Elia. The company made shoes and sold them directly from its own premises, allowing rapid response to local customers. Van Doren's practical factory and retail model became the base for a brand adopted by skateboarders and later expanded through music and youth culture. His role is recorded as one of four co-founders, not as sole founder or designer of every Vans silhouette.

Role
Co-Founder, Vans
Nationality
American
Age at death
90
Career appointments
1
Fashion houses
1