Aaron Hope 
The skateboarding world has come full circle with the popularity of Nike SB’s Stefan Janoski signatures and Vans’ various del Barcos. The recent upscale turn isn’t just the byproduct of the crucible effect of the global financial meltdown — it represents a return to form that captures the original essence of what we’ve come to know from skate sneakers. The Vans Authentic is the original, a ‘deck’ shoe in every sense o the word whose leather-piped burgundy and navy suede makeups look great with brass eyelets and are available from their DQM-partnered NYC flaghip, The General.
