Return of the KNU: Vans brings back the KNU SKOOL

Return of the Knu.

I’ve said time and time again that the ’90s was the true golden age of sneaker design. Whether it was basketball, running or even skate, brands were doing everything to one up the other. Vans, who’s been around for a minute, brought back a silhouette from that golden era – the Knu Skool.

The Knu Skool looks a lot like the Old Skool, but comes in various color contrasts but with one striking design element – the puffy side stripe. The shoe first debuted back in 1998 with those enlarged features, a style that was apparent across different categories during that time, where everything was oversized. The Knu Skool screamed at you right out of the box – from the thickened toe box, tongue, and the aforementioned side stripes.

The 2023 release comes in four colorways. Two shoe styles feature simple black suede material covering the front and back of the shoe, with eye-catching red and purple accents on the sides and white enlarged side stripes, adding color richness and depth; the green-dominant shoe style uses bright yellow to embellish the enlarged side stripes. To balance the overall visual sense of the collection, Vans has also incorporated an off-white color scheme and, for the first time on the Knu Skool, a brown gum sole to enhance its retro feel.

The Vans Knu Skool collection is now available at select Vans stores around the metro (SM Megamall, Glorietta 3, Greenbelt 3, and Ayala Center Cebu), and retails for Php 6,498.