Fashion · Fashion
SZA’s Vans put bad shoe habits to good use
VANSZA Drop 1 offers a permanently open-backed mule and a sneaker with options. Here’s the difference before October 22.
SZA has turned stepping on the backs of her sneakers into a design feature. Vans’ newly released VANSZA Drop 1 campaign introduces two approaches to the habit: remove the heel section altogether, or make it collapsible, Hypebeast reports.
The inspiration is pleasingly domestic. “My mom has been telling me, ‘Please stop stepping on the back of your shoes’ my whole life. She hates it. So I put the design aspect in my shoes,” SZA says in a press release reproduced by MadameNoire. One way to settle a disagreement: manufacture your side of it.
The Knu Skool Mule is the full commitment, with a permanently open back. The Authentic Kickdown keeps a collapsible heel, switching between a conventional sneaker and a slip-on; it also features distressed canvas and custom artwork by Sage Adams. The useful distinction is how you want to wear them, not an assumed difference in comfort. Construction tells you what folds down—not how either shoe will fit.
India Sleem’s California campaign gives those small, practical adjustments a wide-open setting, with SZA wearing oversized denim across dry grasslands, according to EBONY.
Drop 1 launches October 22 through Vans stores and its website. Before choosing, ask whether you want a backless shoe every time or a sneaker that lets you change your mind. Same habit, two different levels of commitment.