Vans Takes Sneaker-Shaped Vans (The Sort That Drives) Out On A Spin Around NYC
Image via Vans
Vans are taking to the streets of New York City in a big and unusual way that is, as experts would put it, off the wall.
To mark the launch of the latest MTE (Made for the Elements) footwear, the brand unleashed 10-foot ‘Vans vans’ onto a scenic ride through Upstate New York, Manhattan’s busy Meatpacking District, Williamsburg in Brooklyn, Long Island City, and, finally, the Upper West Side.
The activation, rolled out by independent creative agency GUT Los Angeles, comes hot on the (w)heels of the release of the outdoorsy SK8-Hi MTE-3 designed to weather wet and cold elements. The vehicles are faithfully modeled after the silhouette—always running in a pair, the oversized left-and-right sides flaunt the shoe’s taupe colorway, textured toe box, and, of course, the signature checkerboard print.
The side-by-side pair would also park at local stops to invite onlookers to literally walk around in the shoes, experiencing their cozy and comfy interiors and how they can protect them from rainy and chilly days. Passersby were additionally given their own sneakers to test-drive the footwear’s benefits for themselves.
Bruno Luglio, Creative Director of Vans in the Americas, notes that the brand wanted to show off the appeal of the MTE style in “a bigger way” with a “test drive.”
This larger-than-life attempt will leave a footprint, for sure.
@vans Expect the unexpected. Last weekend, @Nicolas Heller and @LIL ‘MO’ MOzzarella hit the streets of New York with our most unexpected pair yet. Meet the Sk8-Hi MTE-3 Van(sized). vans.com/mte #Vans #VansMTE
♬ original sound - Sped up audios
[via Nice Kicks and Ads of the World, images via various sources]
