Vans x Sterling Ruby unveiled The Future Clog in their third collaboration.

Vans has once again joined forces with Los Angeles-based artist Sterling Ruby, unveiling their third collaboration with the strikingly avant-garde Future Clog. Merging art and footwear design, the collection debuts globally on August 21st, 2025, available through Vans’ OTW platform and the brand’s official site.

The partnership continues to blur the boundaries between functional footwear and sculptural form. With this drop, Vans x Sterling Ruby explores not just performance and comfort but also the symbolic meaning of footwear as an artistic medium.

Redefining footwear design with The Future Clog

At the heart of the release is The Future Clog, an experimental silhouette Ruby developed through his S.R. STUDIO. LA. CA. practice. The shoe features a two-part system: an inner mule and an outer sculptural shell that can be worn together or separately. The closed shell is built in one unified mold, eliminating the separation between sole and body. A rear cutout allows for easy slip-on wear, while the circular side button connects both layers, highlighting the collaboration.

The clog’s design pulls from Ruby’s Dutch upbringing, where wooden clogs were a staple in daily life. Reimagined for the future, the piece combines sharp angular planes with organic flowing surfaces, resulting in a form that is both architectural and fluid. The Future Clog launches in two colorways—matte off-white and marbled cream—each with a removable liner for versatility.

Footwear design meets classic Vans heritage

Beyond the Future Clog, the Vans x Sterling Ruby collection also reworks two classic silhouettes: the Authentic 44 and the Old Skool 36. Both are reimagined with custom Vibram outsoles and marbled finishes that nod to Ruby’s experimental studio practice. These designs preserve the recognizable DNA of Vans while transforming them into wearable works of art.

With this launch, Vans continues its evolution from a skatewear pioneer into a cultural platform where art and fashion converge. The Vans Sterling Ruby collaboration is not only a footwear release but also an exhibition of ideas—expanding what footwear design can mean in today’s cultural landscape.

We sat down with Sterling Ruby to talk about what freedom means in art, how form can shift meaning, and why his work is always in flux. Discover the full story in our interview.