Cocona Hiraki x Vans Old Skool Releases July 17
Cocona Hiraki expands her Old Skool partnership with Vans through a second iteration, arriving July 17 in a nocturnal black-and-white colorway. The Olympic medalist's design philosophy remains rooted in restraint—preserving the silhouette's DNA while experimenting within its margins through textural details and personalized embellishments.
By Jordan Ellis
A Designer's Restraint
While Vans' collaborative landscape has grown crowded with transformative reinterpretations—each pushing the Old Skool's boundaries further—Cocona Hiraki's approach operates on a different principle. Rather than deconstruct, she refines. Her second collection with the brand, launching July 17, demonstrates the power of incremental evolution: the same foundational platform, refined through material choice and surface detail.
Hiraki, a silver medalist whose profile extends across both competition and design, distinguishes herself among her peers by honoring what made the Old Skool iconic in the first place. Where other collaborators like Karina Rozunko and Efron Danzig pursued radical reimagining, Hiraki chose the subtler path—keeping the silhouette constant while introducing textural complexity through corduroy materiality, checkerboard lacing systems, hand-rendered embroidery work, and an array of charm attachments that feel personal rather than decorative.
Design Details
The new black-and-white iteration maintains all signature elements from her initial "New Future" collection, introduced roughly one year prior. That earlier release paired cream and olive tones with the same tactile vocabulary. This nocturnal variant inverts the palette while preserving the hand-applied character—corduroy blocking, embroidered doodle work, and charm details remain intact across both versions.
Brand presence is handled with restraint. Her signature appears on the insoles, while playful, deliberately imperfect "Off The Wall" text curves around the collar, acknowledging both Vans' foundational motto and Hiraki's own creative fingerprint. These touches ground the collaboration in shared authorship rather than sponsorship.
The Collaboration Context
Hiraki's work exists within Vans' broader "New Future" initiative, a program designed to elevate emerging talent within the brand's athlete roster. By centering sponsored skaters and designers rather than external celebrities, Vans reinforces its identity as a skate-first company—a necessary reminder given the volume of lifestyle collaborations that have diluted the brand's core narrative in recent years.
The decision to develop a second season with Hiraki signals confidence in her design language. The Old Skool, despite its ubiquity, remains a canvas sensitive to overworked details. Hiraki's restraint—knowing what not to change—proves the more difficult and ultimately more rewarding approach.
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Release Info
Both the new black-and-white colorway and the original beige iteration from the "New Future" collection release simultaneously on July 17, 2026. The Cocona Hiraki x Vans Old Skool retails for $120 per pair and is available through Vans.com and authorized retailers.
FAQs
When does the Cocona Hiraki Vans Old Skool release?
The collaboration drops July 17, 2026, across Vans.com and select retailers.
How much does the Cocona Hiraki Old Skool cost?
Retail price is set at $120 per pair for both the new black-and-white colorway and the original beige version.
Where can I buy the Cocona Hiraki x Vans Old Skool?
The shoes are available through Vans.com and authorized Vans retailers starting July 17.
Release Info
Product: Cocona Hiraki x Vans Old Skool (Black/White and Beige colorways)
Release Date: July 17, 2026
Retail Price: $120
SKU (Black): VN000EGYCRM
SKU (Beige): VN000EGYBPR
Where to Buy: Vans.com, authorized retailers
