Vans Old Skool 'Cordura Mix - Black'
Colorway: Black · Style code: VN000CT8BM8 · Price: $96 · Availability: Available now
More colorways: Vans Old Skool 'Sporty - Green Gum' (VN000CT817P) · Vans Old Skool 'Phantom' (VN000CT86RJ) · Vans Old Skool 'Sporty - Brown Gum' (VN000CT8B7G) · Vans Old Skool 'In The Shadows' (VN000CT8BKA) · Vans Old Skool 'Harvest Gold' (VN000CT8BL2)
Cordura is a nylon fabric specified for its abrasion resistance, and putting it on a low-top skate shoe targets the single place these wear out first. On this black pair it is mixed rather than used alone, so the tougher fabric shares the upper with the model's familiar overlays and the leather sidestripe still curves across the midfoot. The finish is flatter and slightly more technical-looking than suede, which suits the all-black treatment.
At $90 it sits well above the standard tier, which is the usual cost of a material upgrade on a shoe that normally sells on price. The rest is unchanged: a padded ankle collar, metal eyelets, a foxing strip circling the vulcanised sole and the waffle tread that gives the outsole its grip. Black on black also means the nylon panels read as texture rather than as a contrast block, so the pair works as a plain everyday shoe instead of announcing its own construction.