In 1966, brothers Paul and Jim Van Doren, along with partners Gordon Lee and Serge Delia, opened their first shop at 704 East Broadway in Anaheim, California, on 16 March. The Van Doren Rubber Company was unique and pioneering in that it manufactured and sold trainers in the same place, direct to the public. On the morning the first Vans shop opened to the public, 12 customers bought Vans trainers, which were manufactured in the afternoon and delivered the following morning.

In the early 1970s, the South Californian skater community favoured Vans trainers because they appreciated the resistance of their thick rubber soles. The following year, the Vans #95 trainers, now known as the Era, were developed with Tony Alva and Stacy Peralta. This model would become the favourite of a whole generation of skaters. The following year saw the launch of the #36 Old Skool, the first Vans trainers to use leather in their construction. What began as a doodle by Paul Van Doren, originally called the "Jazz Stripe", later became one of Vans' brand icons, the famous Vans sidestripe on the sides. By the end of the decade, Vans had 70 shops in California and marketed its products internationally.

In 2000, Forbes magazine named Vans one of the best small and medium-sized American companies for the new millennium.

The most recent history of Vans includes the launch of the brand on digital platforms with Vans Customs.