The Vans Vault lineup is a collection of Vans-inspired by the heritage of Vans footwear mixed with art, music, and fashion. The elite and most well-respected get to work with Vans Vault so when approached, Brooks England knew they had high standards to live up to. With both brands deeply engrained into the fixed-gear cycling culture the excitement for the collaboration was high from the first teaser shots.
For their collaboration Brooks was given the responsibility of making their own version of the popular Era LX 45; the cherry on top was the matching saddle. The Era was kept simple and let the materials and details do all the talking. High grade black leather on the body with Brooks’ signature copper accenting added is seen primarily on the eyelet and heel tab. Finished off with rounded leather laces, the embossed tongue is the standout feature — it flaunts artwork straight from the minds at Vans.
Although the sneaker alone doesn’t seem too extraordinary, the matching saddle really is the standout piece of the collaboration. Made from the same quality leather, the Team Pro saddle’s whole body was embossed with the special Vans artwork. Finishing off the saddle was more of Brooks’ signature copper detailing including hand pressed rivets and special packaging.
Released in late 2010, the collaboration was limited and numbered to only 1000 pairs of the Era LX 45 and 500 saddles. Available at Vans flagship stores and select Brooks dealers, the high quality and detailing meant that these didn’t sit on shelves long. The collaboration quickly grew in value and still fetch a pretty copper penny.
Aaron Nojima
Robbie Falchi