Fashion Fans Go Wild as SZA Drops Surprise 'VANSZA' Line at NYFW Pop-up Featuring Wild Tabi Sneakers

SZA has thrown one of skateboarding's most recognisable brands into a genuine identity crisis, and the split-toe Tabi hikers at its centre are unlike anything Vans has released before. The singer's VANSZA collaboration with Vans opened to the public for a first look at 260 Bowery in New York this week, timed to New York Fashion Week ahead of the 22 October launch.

Vans has spent decades on flat, grippy, board-friendly soles built for skate purists. SZA's new line pushes that legacy into gorpcore territory, with a split-toe silhouette that has almost nothing in common with a classic Vans shoe.

When and Where to Buy Vansza

The pop-up runs Thursday, 10 September, from 2 PM to 8 PM and Friday, 11 September, from noon to 4 PM, giving fans a first look weeks before anything goes on sale.

Drop one lands on 22 October 2026 through Vans.com and select retailers, both online and in-store. Drop two follows on 8 April 2027. Fans hoping to shop the line should mark their calendars and check the website for pricing and retailer details closer to each date.

Pricing for both remains unannounced, and Vans has not confirmed the full retailer list beyond its own channels.

What's in VANSZA Drop 1 and Drop 2?

Drop one reworks two Vans staples. The Knu Skool Mule trades the model's usual bulk for an easy slip-on build in black and white, while the Authentic goes distressed, covered in fish graphics, with a collapsible heel built around SZA's own habit of stepping on the backs of her trainers rather than lacing them properly.

Drop two introduces the LX Tabi Hiker, a new silhouette with a low-top outdoor shape, split toe, cable laces, no traditional tongue and a rugged rubber sole that climbs up the sides. It arrives in three colourways: blue and orange-green, brown and green-purple, and black with red and yellow accents, alongside a RealTree camouflage version of the Knu Skool.

Why Vans's Tabi Split-Toe Is Causing a Stir

Vans built its identity on flat, vulcanised soles designed to feel the board underfoot. The LX Tabi Hiker prioritises outdoor traction and a split-toe build instead, moving the brand into terrain it has rarely touched.

The tabi toe has centuries of history in Japanese footwear and has become a visible sneaker trend, though it still divides opinion. FDMTL applied the same construction to a Vans collaboration earlier this year and drew a loud response, and VANSZA's reveal has split commenters much the same way.

Some are dismissing the Tabi Hiker, with comments suggesting it should be locked away and labelling it torture for dogs. Others argue Vans should revert to skate shoes before losing its identity completely. But plenty disagree just as loudly, with fans praising the rest of the line and crediting SZA for making unconventional design look cool.

The excitement isn't entirely out of nowhere, either. SZA had been dropping hints about a Vans project as far back as September 2025, so the reveal has been a long time coming for anyone who was paying attention.

What Else Is in the Collection

Beyond footwear, the range pulls from SZA's own wardrobe: a Trompe L'Oeil fleece set, graphic hoodies, denim jackets, workwear trousers, socks and flame-print hats, all shown at the Bowery pop-up.

Whether the Tabi hikers turn into a genuine identity crisis for Vans or the smartest move the brand has made in years depends on who you ask. Neither Vans nor SZA has slowed the rollout, with the first drop landing 22 October and the Tabi-led second drop due 8 April 2027.

Read more

Fashion Goes 8-Bit: Kobi Levi's 'Pixelated' Shoe Looks Straight Out of a Video Game

Jeffrey Campbell's 'Barefoot Heels' Leave Feet Exposed as Shoppers Ask: Why Wear Shoes at All?

Is This the End of the Ugly Sandal? Birkenstock Gives Its Classic Arizona a Makeover With Ribbons and Gingham

Kristen Stewart Reloads the Dress-and-Sneakers Rebellion on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'