vintage van (quality) style #44 authentic white canvas made in usa circa 1973 new with defects US10/UK9-9.5 (waffle portion outsole measures 28.5cm) pre-van doren, pre-vans #style 44 possibly from the late 60's but more likely early 70's. an incredible museum-worthy unworn relic! sadly the rubber has perished in part over time. in addition to obvious stains on the left toe, the 1st foxing & foxing stripe show hardening throughout & remains brittle. the left shoe is markedly worse than the right which may in fact hold up to normal wear. below the 1st foxing the midsole remains soft & flexible on the whole except at the left toe where a tiny split can been seen in the cured bumper. this is a collector piece and is truly deserving of preservation! vans from this era may surface again but very rarely unworn & in a strong mens size like this, which are far better for display. from my experience however if worn i anticipate the 1st foxing (stripe area) to give way completely on both shoes down to the midsole, similar to how it appears at the left toe. thereafter they may have a long life but for sure these come with the warning to WEAR AT OWN RISK!
