VANS SURF X MAMI WATA

Founded in 2017, Mami Wata is translated in West African Pidgin English as “Mama Water” or Mother Ocean. Based out of Cape Town, the brand is focused on furthering manufacturing diversity and surf development in Africa and supporting world-leading African surf therapy organizations Waves for Change and Surfers Not Street Children. Mami Wata’s mission is to offer a different narrative of surfing and Africa to the world and to educate and share the positive effects of surfing with everyone. This season, Vans partners with Mami Wata to deliver a collection founded on these principles and inspired by important cultural moments in Africa’s history.

From Zaire’s “Rumble in the Jungle” in 1974 and Nigeria’s “Festac ‘77” to other iconic local music festivals, this new head to toe collection takes the bold and graphic imagery of these cultural events and adds a modern Vans twist, tying back to Vans’ heritage Checkerboard prints. Vans Authentic VR3 in Mami Wata Cream is the hero of the collection and follows Vans’ strict materials guidelines with one or a combination of regenerative, responsibly sourced, renewable, and recycled materials making up at least 30% of the product.

The upper features leather (Vans leather products support responsible manufacturing via the Leather Working Group) and organic cotton on the Style 36 Decon VR3 SF and Sk8-Hi 138 Decon VR3 SF, respectively. The outsole across all footwear features Vans’ all-new VR3Waffle™ rubber compound. All the rubber used to make this outsole (60% of the compound) is regeneratively grown natural rubber sourced from farms utilizing agricultural practices intended to promote biodiversity, enhance water cycles, improve soil health, and/or sequester carbon. The brand-new VR3Cush™ drop-in footbed uses 25 percent biobased EVA foam partially derived from plants. Along with the Mami Wata Authentic VR3 SF, the new collection also features a Style 36 Decon VR3 SF and the Sk8-Hi 138 Decon VR3 SF, both in Mami Wata Cream.