Undeniably, Vans, with its hundreds of styles, is indeed one of the most popular shoe brands in the city, suitable for men, women, children, and those with a casual style. However, the quality of Vans, which has long abandoned “Made in USA,” has greatly declined in recent years, making alternatives such as Converse, Pro Keds, Excelsior, which previously stormed the sneaker street, or the niche Sperry Top Sider among the public, become substitutes. Since canvas shoes like Vans are so popular, today we will introduce you to 5 canvas shoe brands that are worth your “investment.”
Spring court
Founded in 1936 in France by amateur tennis player Georges Grimmeisen, Spring Court initially focused on creating the iconic G2 sneakers with the concept of “tennis sports shoes” in mind. Georges Grimmeisen paid great attention to durability and breathability, using 12-ounce Egyptian cotton canvas to create the upper, vulcanized rubber for the sole with eight ventilation holes, and Havea rubber insoles. This revolutionary production technology from the inside out is still upheld by Spring Court to this day.
In addition to the calligraphy-style French flag tag on the tongue, the 4 ventilation holes on the sides of the Spring Court shoes are also iconic symbols. Additionally, Spring Court also has the title of “never smelly” because the brand adds peppermint-scented materials to the sole during production, ensuring that the canvas does not easily absorb sweat odors, making it quite popular.
A brand that has been popular for over 80 years, of course, has the support of celebrities. Although Spring Court was deeply loved by trendsetters around the world in the 90s, Spring Court, originally a tennis shoe, was actually worn by The Beatles member John Lennon back in the 1960s when tennis was on the rise. He even wore Spring Court G2 shoes while walking across the zebra crossing for the cover of the iconic album “Abbey Road.” For vintage style enthusiasts like myself, owning a pair of Spring Court shoes is a must.
Bata
When it comes to canvas shoes, you might think of American brands, but compared to them, European brands are more unique, among which the Czech brand Bata cannot be ignored.
Born in the 19th century, founder Tomas Bata, who had a passion for footwear since childhood, established the brand in 1894. During a trip to the United States, he was fascinated by the American-made mechanized production of canvas shoes, which inspired him to return to the former Yugoslavia region to research and produce lightweight footwear. Shortly after the brand was founded, Tomas Bata experienced the invasion of the Nazi German army during World War I and endured economic crises. Bata moved from Czechoslovakia to Canada, but the brand, despite the turbulent times, thrived in Europe and America, leading Bata towards internationalization.
I have never experienced the golden age of Bata. The first Bata I came into contact with was in the 1980s, the Bata Bullets brought to life by “Magic Hand” Magic Johnson. Born in 1964, canvas shoes with rubber soles, the original version was round-toed shoes, until they caught the eye of the famous basketball coach John Wooden at the time, and a high-top style similar to Converse was designed.
However, since we are introducing alternatives to Vans, we cannot fail to mention the earlier appearance of Bata Tennis, with its thin striped rubber toe and sole, adorned with a green rubber edge design, becoming a major iconic shoe for Bata. It wasn’t until 2013 when the brand’s fourth-generation heir, Charles Pignal, brought it to Colette and Dover Street Market, and in 2015, Bata collaborated with COMME des GARÇONS for its 120th anniversary. Personally, I always feel like there is a bit of a “stiff” feeling in the design.
P.F. Flyer
There is no need for a detailed introduction, friends familiar with the “military system” must know. Founded in 1933, it was once the most famous canvas shoe brand in American history, initially named Posture Foundation, and officially registered as P.F. Flyers in 1937.
The most famous production of the brand is undoubtedly when the factory applied rubber vulcanization technology to the insoles of canvas shoes, and applied for exclusive production patents, thereby making a name for itself in the canvas shoe market. In the 1950s and 1960s, it was even adopted by the US military as specialized military footwear.
Although I like the P.F.Flyers Center Hi shoes that I have come into contact with, I prefer the Center Lo low-cut style, especially the white canvas with a gum sole, as the more niche style has always been more appealing to me.
Moonstar
Canvas shoes are not exclusive to Europe and America. As a canvas product, how can we not mention Japan, known as the “artisan country”? Introducing Japanese canvas brands could be a separate topic, but today let’s focus on introducing Moonstar, a brand specializing in canvas shoes.
Moonstar was born in 1873 in the Kurume area of Fukuoka Prefecture, known for producing rubber. Initially registered under the name “Tsuchiya Tabi Shop” by Unpei Kurata, Moonstar is famous for developing its own rubber and using the traditional vulcanization method to make shoes. Handcrafted 100%, ensuring that they are “artisanal” shoes, even used by several generations of emperors and the royal family. Therefore, Moonstar is also known as a national treasure brand.
However, Shoes Like Pottery, a high-end sub-line under Moonstar, is the flagship for authentic canvas shoes. The name Pottery is a metaphor for ceramic production methods, with each pair of shoes being placed in a kiln with a sulfur tank, baked at 120 degrees for 70 minutes, allowing the rubber components to undergo a chemical reaction with sulfur at high temperatures, making them more durable than conventional vulcanization or high-temperature production methods. Additionally, each pair of Shoes Like Pottery canvas shoes is embossed with a rope-knot pattern on the light blue sole and outer sole during production.
Made in Japan has always been a quality reference standard for many accessories, but when it comes to handmade canvas shoes, made in Kurume is the ultimate. After understanding Moonstar’s process, everyone should know the perfect standard of made in Kurume.
Spalwart
Returning to the European region, Spalwart is a brand that was only born in 2012, and compared to the predecessor brands mentioned above, its historical background cannot be compared. Spalwart comes from Sweden, where there should have been another classic brand, Tretorn, but Tretorn’s shoes are harder to come by (and currently not widely available in Sweden), so let’s first introduce Spalwart.
Founded by designer Christoffer Brattin in 2012, with the motto “Every Step is History,” the brand strictly adheres to ancient craftsmanship to create high-end traditional shoes. Speaking of design, compared to Tretorn’s streamlined retro tennis shoe shape, Spalwart takes a retro military style as the main theme. The Special style selects high-density canvas, paired with ergonomic arch insoles that snugly fit the foot to the ground, reducing pressure on the soles of the feet. In terms of canvas shoes, Spalwart excels in comfort.
Comfort may not necessarily be the primary attraction, as the brand’s story is definitely the most interesting part. The founder pays great attention to footwear, growing up in Stockholm, he and his team searched for factories and equipment in Eastern Europe when the brand was first established. They stumbled upon an abandoned factory in Slovakia during their journey, which housed several traditional shoe-making machines and molds from the 1950s. After bringing them back home, they decided to reshape the 19th-century shoe-making technology, restoring the golden age of European shoemaking. While “retro” is typically defined as a style category, for Spalwart, it is more appropriate to call it a spirit.
Although Vans is well-known and versatile, it is indeed a good helper for matching. However, since canvas shoes are considered timeless footwear, quality should be more important than style. As someone with high standards, you may want to step out of the box and get to know brands that are more quality and personality-oriented. When it comes to canvas shoe brands, you have many choices.
