Among the hundreds of colors and materials Vans uses in their shoes, the signature checkered Vans pattern makes any silhouette unmistakable. It speaks louder than any logo or branding ever could. With a pattern as ingrained in the culture as the Vans name itself, it’s important to know where the world-renowned checkerboard pattern originated.

StockX went through the history books and uncovered the real story behind Vans’ checkerboard pattern. While it may seem simple that such an eclectic pattern ended up on a skate shoe, how it became bonded with pop culture is a complex story.

Read the true story behind the origins of the Checkered Vans in the full post here.