In the rush to pick the hottest shoe of the season, I've found myself joining in this quest multiple times, sometimes with results that I must admit are a bit questionable. However, in the middle of all this excitement, a new player has quietly shown up in the form of Vans slip-ons. The classic checkerboard pattern has been popping up on the streets of London and Paris, worn by famous folks like EmRata, Jennifer Lawrence, Olivia Rodrigo, and Gigi Hadid. Gigi was recently seen casually walking around New York in her own black-and-pewter check slip-ons.

She wore them with a beaded midi-dress from Bode, a Rebalance trucker hat and a charm-strewn Miu Miu Arcadie bag while enjoying a hundreds-and-thousands-strewn ice creamIt’s a style that makes sense for Gigi Hadid, but culture is also primed for a broader Vans resurgence more generally. It's a shoe that screams youth, nostalgia, and subculture, distinct enough to identify skaters, SoundCloud rappers, and indie enthusiasts, yet versatile for anyone to infuse their own coming-of-age dreams. According to Vogue’s Hannah Jackson, a California native, "Having a pair of slip-on Vans is just as significant as wiping out on a surfboard." While I've enjoyed other trendy sneakers and worn them out, none have the enduring appeal of these simple canvas slip-ons.