Vans has unveiled its second collaboration with Travis Barker, continuing a partnership rooted in decades of shared history across skateboarding, punk culture, BMX, and Southern California style. Launching on June 18, the new Vans x Travis Barker capsule blends footwear and apparel with the rebellious DIY spirit that has long connected the drummer to the iconic skate brand.
For Barker, the collaboration is deeply personal. Long before becoming one of the most recognisable musicians in modern rock, Vans was already part of his everyday identity growing up in Fontana, California. From local skateparks and punk shows to years spent on Warped Tour stages, the brand became inseparable from the culture that shaped him.
“My first pair of shoes was a pair of Vans,” Barker said. “Growing up in Fontana, I always connected the brand to skateboarding, BMX, and punk culture. Once I started seeing my idols wearing them too, it really sealed it for me. To me, they were always the coolest shoes.”
At the centre of the collection is a reworked Vans Old Skool silhouette, arriving in a crisp white colourway with custom detailing throughout. The sneaker features Barker’s ‘Dues Paid’ emblem across the vamp, alongside barbed wire graphics on the foxing, canvas uppers, cotton laces, and branded detailing on the tongue and heel. The accompanying apparel expands on the same visual language, incorporating handwritten-style “Dues Paid” and “Self Made” slogans that nod to Barker’s relentless work ethic and decades-long career.
The campaign surrounding the release leans heavily into punk’s DIY ethos, drawing inspiration from zines, underground music culture, and life on the road. Shot by acclaimed photographer and Vans brand curator Atiba Jefferson, the visuals capture musicians and creatives across Los Angeles and at a legendary Chicago music festival. Alongside Barker, the campaign features artists including Tim Armstrong of Rancid and The Transplants, N8NOFACE, Missy of Mannequin Pussy, Dani Miller of Surfbort, and punk duo The Paradox.
The collaboration also reflects Barker’s longstanding relationship with Vans beyond fashion alone. Over the years, he has worn the brand consistently onstage, auctioned off stage-worn pairs tied to music history, and most recently appeared in Vans’ global Off The Wall campaign.
The Vans x Travis Barker collection launches Thursday, June 18 via Vans, select Vans retail stores, and Journeys locations, with early access available for Vans Family members ahead of release.
Photography Atiba Jefferson
