The New Vans Surf Treks are Crocs for People Immune to Ugliness - Stab Mag

SHARK WEEK! The Great Debate is coming... July 26 (PST)

1553 Views

The New Vans Surf Treks are Crocs for People Immune to Ugliness

What is it about rubber that’s so damn appealing?

style // Apr 1, 2021
Words by Alistair Klinkenberg
Reading Time: 2 minutes

There are lots of things that are ugly but comfortable, plenty vice versa, and that’s just fine by us. Part of the great yin yang of life. But it’s ok to leave ugly things lie. Like Crocs. Their hideousness was celebrated when they first arose, but now, for some god forsaken reason, the trendsters that be are trying to reclaim the Croc as the hip summer footwear, fixing bespoke straps to the back and so forth. We say let the Crocs stay ugly and get a pair of Vans Surf Treks.

There’s something indescribably captivating about seeing something familiar re-made in a more tactile material. And like porcelain handguns (if only they were all pin-less and purely decorative), Vans Classics remade in monochrome rubber had us instantly hunting for the best contact to get a box sent to the office pronto. Let’s examine.

The beauty here is that you can wear ’em low key with socks – good for driving, checking the surf, winter lounging around the house etc – and also when you really need them – camping, public spas, scrambling around the rocks to the next bay – without drawing undue attention to your rubber daps. Then just hose them down, leave them outside, slide in the next morning and you’re off. They come in a range of subtle colours, so it’s really a chose your own daily venture deal.

It’s amazing how soft, durable and light you can make rubber compounds in 2021, and the Vans Surf Trek’s are the pinnacle. They’re comfy, practical and guaranteed will become your most highly circulated footwear if you’re brave enough to hit green.

A curious, useful little purchase.

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Rasta’s Shark Theory

Return to your animal, trust your instincts.

Jul 25, 2026

How To Shark-Proof Your Next Surf*

Shark policy aside, what tech, gadgets and gear can actually keep you safe?

Jul 25, 2026

Good Luck Killing The US Open

A preview of the 2026 US Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach.

Jul 24, 2026

Mateus Herdy Heads Home

A profile on the Florianopolin CT rookie, his rich orbit of influences, and Yago Dora’s…

Jul 24, 2026

Response: A Shark Cull Won’t Make Our Beaches Safer

Science over sensationalism.

Jul 23, 2026

Op-ed: Why Australia Needs More Shark Nets

An unapologetic take on the need for safer lineups.

Jul 23, 2026

How Reunion Island Survived Shark Purgatory

With more shark attacks per capita than anywhere else on Earth, it's taken millions to…

Jul 22, 2026

Introducing EAST’s First Goofyfoot Test Pilot: Harry Bryant

“My life’s already a board test.”

Jul 22, 2026

The Trauma Gap: Surviving vs Seeing Shark Attacks

Three witnesses recall the incidents that changed them.

Jul 21, 2026

Are There More Great Whites In California Than Ever Before?

A firsthand shark attack story, a conversation with two researchers, and how to avoid becoming…

Jul 20, 2026

Australian Oil & Gas Co. Wants To Destroy A World-Class Reef

Does that make you mad? Good. Here's how you can save Scott Reef:

Jul 20, 2026

Welcome To Stab’s Shark Week

An editorial week dedicated to the large cartilaginous fish we share lineups with.

Jul 20, 2026

What, You Haven’t Heard Of Weslley ‘King’ Dantas?

The 28-year-old has beaten loan sharks, empty bank accounts, and unmet potential to stage his…

Jul 19, 2026

Kinda Pumping: Cole Houshmand And Teresa Bonvalot Win ‘Plan B’ Ballito Pro

The sorting hat for the 2027 CT season begins its dirty work in South Africa.

Jul 18, 2026

How To A.I.-Proof Your Life With Skip McCullough

“Fences? Laundry? It’s not sexy. But it makes money. That’s the bottom line.”

Jul 17, 2026

How Surfers Spend Their Money

We asked 7,500 surfers where their next paycheck is going.

Jul 16, 2026

How Do You Score Ethan Ewing (Musically)?

The three musicians who soundtracked Ethan Ewing’s SITD drop their playlists and surf-music wisdom.

Jul 16, 2026

Joyride: The AI Exacta Pro ’97 By Lost Surfboards

Are glass-ons back?

Jul 14, 2026
Advertisement