what do a hard rocking band like Metallica has in common with skateboard shoes specialist? probably nothing, except probably for James Hetfield who has a thing for skateboarding but that doesn’t stop the iconic band from collaborating with specialist skateboard shoes maker Vans to debut a quartet of skateboard shoes, dubbed as the Vans x Metallica Signature Shoes. unlike some collaboration that has the artistes’ name slapped on them, the members of Metallica actually had says to the shoes. being a hard rocking metal band, you would expect these kicks to be predominately black (you know. it’s a rock thing), except for bassist Robert Trujillo’s work of art, which has some blue accompanied by some pretty intricate artwork. the four band members, namely James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo, each get to ‘work’ on their favorite Vans shoes of their choosing and the results are Vans x Metallica Sk8-Hi Deconstruct (touched by Hetfield), Vans x Metallica Era Laceless (whipped up by Lars), Vans x Metallica Slip-On (worked on by Kirk) and last but not least, the Vans x Metallica Escuela (conjured up by Rob’s imagination). the Vans x Metallica Signature Skateboard Shoes are available now via Vans web store. check a short description after the break.

Vans x Metallica Sk8-Hi Deconstruct – James Hetfield ($85)

Vans x Metallica Sk8-Hi Deconstruct
“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.”
 
Vans x Metallica Era Laceless – Lars Ulrich ($75)
Vans x Metallica Era Laceless
“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.”
 
Vans x Metallica Slip-On – Kirk Hammett ($70)
Vans x Metallica Slip-On
“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.”
 
Vans x Metallica Escuela – Robert Trujillo ($80)
Vans x Metallica Escuela
“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.”

Published by Mike

Avid tech enthusiast, gadget lover, marketing critic and most importantly, love to reason and talk.