The Black Sheep Store

I’ve always loved my foot wear and I’ve always loved my skatewear, but try as I might I don’t think I’ve ever been quite cool enough to pull off the cool understated nerd chic that is Vans. I do try, but my boxer’s shoulders are too big in the frame for the slightly undernourished desires of the Vans wearers, however I can look on in yearning.
All Vans stores across the country tend to have that minimal vibe to it, like they could have quite easily filled the store with twice as much stock and still had enough room to swing a cat but that’s just being picky I guess, although you feel a tad guilty for disturbing the peace that is the tidy displays.
The boys in my life love Vans, and they are hardcore enthusiasts, apparently they do a vegan range of shoes too, which really slots in with one of the boy’s beliefs, he’s fashionable and all eco and stuff too.
Good quality brand, really helpful staff, and there is always a nice selection of the Vans range to be found here.

Now, when I was 15 – 16 years old, I was really, really into my skate and surf wear. I’m talking the occasional flowery pair of long swimming shorts, massively baggy jeans, big thick skating shoes with massive laces and sometimes even different coloured laces on each shoe.
Well, Vans is a store dedicated to one of the most classic skating makes going. Thankfully, the shop is nothing like the kind of thing I’ve described above. The t-​shirts, jackets and jumpers are obviously adorned with the Vans logo but there’s not a flowery print to be found.
This shop really fits in with the Northern Quarter boutiques all around but is a refreshing change to all the retro shops around.
There is a seriously amazing range of Vans shoes in here, and a couple of staff on hand to give you all of their Vans worldly wisdom.

I happen to live with a boy who loves shoes. Not in a gay way. He just really, really likes trainers. He’s flirted with Adidas and Nike, for a more ‘street’ look, but has always defaulted back to the canvas joys of Vans and Cons. So imagine his excitement when this place opened. To say he dragged me there would be entirely true.
The Vans Store is minimal and clean and lined with shoes. From the skatery trainers to the laid-​back canvas pumps, to the iconic chequerboard slip-​ons (which I actually got for Christmas, courtesy of the boyf) this place is alllll about the shoes.
Needless to say, the boyf spent about 45 minutes talking to the Vans boys about some rare Vans model that he has wanted for ages. I think they offered to order them in for him, but I’d already escaped for a sausage roll in the nearby Bread and Butter, where I was not surprised to see the boyf lumbering in with three shoeboxes worth of Vans. Sigh.
A great shop, full of great shoes. Vans are so much cooler than their lame folk history of skaters and slackers, and this store is pretty much the coolest shop in town.

Sorry but I think only my generation is going to grasp this one, but remember when you were 14 – 15 and everyone had those massive sponge shoes that they used for skateboarding. I remember mine, big and squishy and with a nice suede finish yes sir.
But nowadays anyway I don’t think lots of people where them, saying that though I still have a few friends who erm skate (he’s 20). So shops like Vans seems to get along nicely with its big range of shoes and clothes. People know vans and they trust vans hence why they probably buy vans.
When I went in recently they seem to do checker shirts and still have a full range of old skool sponge shoes, for all your kick flippin, 180 needs.

Rollin’ around the Northern Quarter with a bag of new records under my arm, I wandered past Vans and noticed a handful of new Oboe headphones in the window. Available in a variety of colours from cherry red and glistening green to you’ve-been-tangoed orange, they sound just as good as they look according to the staff. What’s more, they perfectly compliment Vans’ awesome range of sneakers, hi-​tops and threads.
Damn shame, my pockets were empty. Shouldn’t have bought so many tunes!