Aaron Hope 
Vans continues its partnership with Metallica, following the Kill Em All commemorative Half Cab with a new quartet mirroring the lineup they’ve trotted out for the past ten years. The Vans x Metallica Signature Collection features one model for each band member, starting with the Vans Sk8-Hi Deconstruct inspired by vocalist James Hetfield’s favorite black boots. Drummer Lars Ulrich brings in fellow Half Cab 20 collaborator Dirty Donny for a character to finish off his diamond-plated Era Laceless lowtop while lead shredder Kirk Hammett opts for a plainer black Slip-On featuring a collapsible heel. The metal gods’ most recent addition Robert Trujillo adds Aztec designs drawn by his wife to the sides of the relatively obscure Escuela lowtop and you can decide for yourself with the aid of more photos below if its blue segments make them the pair you buy from Vans.
Los Angeles (February 4, 2013) – In a continuing creative partnership, Vans and iconic rock band Metallica proudly introduce a four-piece signature collection designed by each band member delivering to stores in February. Each Metallica member – James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo – had free reign to choose any iconic Vans shoe style and make it their own while drawing from their favorite influences in the worlds of music, action sports and art to create Vans shoes reflecting their personal style.
Each shoe release is accompanied by a video capturing the unique shared passions between Kirk, James, Robert and Lars and favorite Vans team riders. The first edition highlights the “Trujillo Trio,” the result of Robert’s introduction to Vans’ skater Tony Trujillo and the musical mayhem that follows. Stay tuned to vans.com/metallica and metallica.com for more details on the signatures shoes and for each new video drop.
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James Hetfield – Inspired by his favorite black boots, James added hex-bolt eyelets and a personal take on the skull and cross-bones, illustrated by Hetfield himself, to “Metallicize” this Vans Sk8-Hi Deconstruct.
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Lars Ulrich – Putting a twist on one of Vans’ original Classics, Lars updated the Era Laceless with brushed twill materials and a print taken from the diamond plate pattern on his snare drum. He finished his shoe with a Dirty Donny character on the inside heel.
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Kirk Hammett – Tying back to a love of surfing and nature, Kirk chose an all-natural upper made of hemp for his collapsible Slip-On. The inside heel is accented with a guitar pick inspired by his Ouija guitar and designed by one of Metallica’s favorite artists, Dirty Donny.
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Robert Trujillo – Robert grew up wearing Vans as a young skater in Venice Beach, California. For his shoe, he took Aztec calendar artwork, designed by his wife Chloe, which is carved in one of his bass guitars and placed it in blue, on the side of this Escuela.
