I like these Vans OG Style 36s because it's not a shape you see very often—more or less an Old Skool with a chode toe. Like, in the stable of Vans models, the Style 36 is not very popular. I don't know why that is. Maybe it gets overshadowed by the other, more ubiquitous Vans offerings? Maybe they're not as readily available? There could be a whole mess of reasons. But none of them really matter because they're here now. This is the "I'll take six twists of pepper on my caesar salad" dude at the restaurant. Like, that's not that much pepper, but it's still a good amount. Also, that is a very specific number. People at your table would definitely look at you if you were that specific about pepper. Most people would take just a couple twists from the grinder. Meaning, these are just weird enough compared to other Vans, yet not that weird in relative relation to the world at large, which is basically what you need to remind yourself of all the time. You may be strange, but compared to all the other fucking weirdos out there, you're fairly normal. Just like these shoes.
