Vans Custom Culture High School Competition Returns in 2022 With a Grand Prize of $50,000

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Jan 18, 2022, 10:00 ET

COSTA MESA, Calif., Jan. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- To ring in the new year, Vans is excited to announce the launch of Vans Custom Culture High School 2022. Students from public and private high schools are invited to participate in the thirteenth installment of the Vans Custom Culture competition by creating a unique, shoe design that encapsulates two specific themes. In an effort to encourage creativity amongst the participating schools, Vans has brought back one of last year's themes "Hometown Pride" and coupled it with a new theme entitled, "Van D(IY)oren Legacy", as students compete for the opportunity to win $50,000 for their high school's art program.

The passing of Vans Co-Founder, Paul Van Doren, last May inspired this year's newest theme, "Van D(IY)oren Legacy". Paul Van Doren's vision for Vans started in Southern California and over the last five decades he was able to share it with every corner of the globe. By creating and cultivating a brand driven by authenticity and supported by his Off The Wall spirit Paul Van Doren's legacy has had a profound impact on the world at large. To pay homage to the entrepreneur and innovator that Paul Van Doren was, Vans is asking students to showcase their DIY take on the four pillars that make up Vans as a brand. These four pillars, action sports, art, music, and street culture, have been integral parts of Vans identity since its inception in 1966. Students are asked to create an authentic shoe design that illustrates one of these pillars while also highlighting something unique about themselves or their class.

Online registration at the Vans Custom Culture website is open now and will close on February 4th, 2022. After the registration window ends on February 18th, 250 schools will be chosen to submit a physical shoe design that best embodies "Hometown Pride" and "Van D(IY)oren Legacy". As an added bonus, Vans will be offering a $50 gift card for art supplies provided by Yoobi to these 250 schools. The shoes will be shipped out to the schools between February 22nd and March 4th, 2022 and the submission window will open on March 7, 2022. Participating schools will have until April 15th, 2022 to submit their final designed shoes and the top 50 schools will be selected during the week of April 18th.

Once the top 50 designs are selected, the online voting window will determine the top five finalists. Online voting begins on April 25th, and each school has the chance to make it to the finals by rallying their communities to support them throughout the online voting process. The grand-prize winning school will be announced on May 16th, 2022, and they will receive a $50,000 check for their school's art program. Runner ups will receive $15,000, and the top five schools will receive an artist mentorship lesson from one of Vans' art ambassadors: Tony Whlgn, Sydney G. James, Jay Howell, Todd Francis, Mich Miller, Kelly Breez, Camilo Medina, Noah Humes, O.J. Hays, Tony Whlgn, Sara Yukiko Mon, and David Heo. Additionally, Vans and Scholarship America will be providing an opportunity for graduating seniors from the top 250 schools to apply for a $10,000 scholarship. Five seniors will be chosen for a total of $50,000 donated.

To learn more about Vans Custom Culture 2022 and to register your school, head to customculture.vans.com and to watch some how-to lessons from Vans art ambassadors head to Vans' Youtube Channel.

About Vans
Vans^®, a VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC) brand, is the original action sports footwear, apparel and accessories brand. Vans^® authentic collections are sold in 97 countries through a network of subsidiaries, distributors and international offices. Vans^® has over 2,000 retail locations globally including owned, concession and partnership doors. The Vans^® brand promotes creative self-expression in youth culture across action sports, art, music and street culture, and delivers progressive platforms such as the Vans Checkerboard Day, Vans Park Series, Vans Triple Crown of Surfing^®, Vans Custom Culture, and Vans' cultural hub and international music venue, House of Vans.