Vans are celebrating the 20 years anniversary of their infamous Half Cab model, that has done myriads of skaters a great service. And since it’s all about the skaters, they’re throwing a big party for everyone at the Downtown Showdown in Amsterdam on August 2nd 2012! All the info for the event can be found on Facebook and some more deets on the Half Cab Anniversary taken from the press release below.

If one thing is abundantly clear from Vans’ storied 45-year history, it is  this: Vans is at its very best when listening to the needs of skateboarders. Originally released as a mid-top version of the classic Vans Caballero high top, the Half Cab was created in direct response to the demands of a new generation of skateboarders changing the game and taking skateboarding back out into the streets after the vert-riding heyday of the 1980s. “In ’91, I noticed that a lot of street skaters were cutting my shoe halfway down and wearing them that way,” Steve Caballero remembers. 

“So in ’92, I gave Vans the idea to make a lower cut shoe and call it the Half Cab.” Vans listened and a new silhouette was introduced, an icon was born and countless other shoe companies would eventually go on to release their version of this original Vans classic that has remained in Vans’ line-up to this day.