Albus@Hogwarts.edu: that's the email address you'll have to substitute for your own if you want updates about the super-secretive Vans x Harry Potter sneakers.
The American footwear company simply promised us "something magical" on its Twitter page this week, a teaser post that was, as expected, inundated with queries and requests. "When will these be available so I can all of them?" asked one fan; "I've been waiting five years for this," said another; while a third requested "some Ravenclaw Vans". The ever-on-it Vans team replied individually to these and other Potterheads, basically asking them to channel magical levels of patience.
"Vans and Harry Potter collaborated to conjure up a magical collection of footwear, apparel, and accessories for witches, wizards, and muggles alike," is all the company said in its official statement. The brand's website, meanwhile, has a Harry Potter placeholder page with the four Hogwarts houses – Gryffindor, Raveclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin – depicted in swirling optical-illusion form, which could be a clue as to the colours and patterns of the sneakers, tees and more, which could be part of the new collection.
The Harry Potter collection was preceded by the limited-edition Vans x David Bowie line, which references the extraordinary musicians "life and legacy".
The Vans Old Skool sneaker, for instance, sports the famous lightening bolt from Bowie's Aladdin Sane (1973), a symbol that we think would be fitting even in its Harry Potter collection.
Taking other cues from the Bowie range, we hope that the Potter shoes will assign a Hogwarts house each to Van's classic Era, 47 V, Old Skool and Sk8-Hi platform shoes, etched with scarlet lion, blue eagle, yellow badger and green snake motifs, and with incantations spelt out on the soles. Accio shoes.
