Images: Vans

Vans and RHUDE are showing some major love to the city of California with their latest collaboration. The brands have pulled inspiraton from the California License Plate archvives and placed it on the BOLD NI silhouette...and the history behind the design is what makes this collaboration so cool.

The initial delivery of the Vans x RHUDE Bold NI drops October 26 and highlights the plates from the decade of Vans’ birth, 1963. First introduced in 1963, the California black plate originally featured gold numbers and an embossed California logo. RHUDE takes on the design with branding inspired by the Vans flying-V logo, which pops below black suede uppers. The second offering spotlights the blue base plate first introduced in 1969, with blue suede uppers and matching blue RHUDE branding. The final installment of the Vans x RHUDE capsule will hit stores November 26 and features racing red suede above the 1982 California Sun license plate printed on the foxing.

“Growing up surrounded by the skate scene in Los Angeles made collaborating with Vans a surreal moment for all of us at RHUDE,” said RHUDE Design Director Rhuigi Villaseñor. “Vans has a unique history and connection with youth culture which is why I was so excited to push those creative boundaries with this collaboration. From a design standpoint, the colorways I chose are an homage to my love of iconic, classic cars – blue to represent the Mercedes 280 SL, red for the Ferrari 275, and black for the Porsche Carrera.”

The Bold NI features the Sidestripe in white leather with the Ultracush Lite footbed for comfort duh, with a checkerboard printed waffle sole.

The Vans x RHUDE collection will be available to shop in select retail locations and online at rh-ude.com on October 26 and November 23.