Vans Shoes Partners With Iconic West Village Magazine Stand

WEST VILLAGE, NY — The iconic Casa Magazines stand in the West Village and the popular skateboarding shoe company Vans have teamed up to make what could be the must-have summer shoe for all Lower Manhattan residents.

Casa Magazines is located on an unassuming block on Eighth Avenue between Jane and West 12 Streets. The newsstand and shop have had a home on the block since 1994 under the management of Mohammed Ahmed, who the New York Times previously dubbed "the last king of print."

The stand opens daily 365 days a year from 6 a.m. to midnight and had been open every day for the past 26 years. The West Village institution's streak ended in May, however, after two police officers told Ahmed he was in violation of the mayor's executive order closing all non-essential businesses.

On the way out, a store employee left a sign on the front door reading, “Taking it day by day. Thinking & missing all of you. Please stay in touch,” according to the New Yorker.

The recently released shoes are part of Vans "Foot The Bill" initiative, which "aims to assist the creative communities of our extended Vans Family across the country during this difficult time."

Vans teamed up with "New York Nico," who calls himself the "unofficial talent scout of New York City," and runs a popular Instagram account that highlights the many wonderful characters and places in the city.

Nico, whose full name is Nicolas Heller, nominated three staples of Manhattan business to collaborate with Vans, the popular dim sum restaurant Nom Wah, the longtime Upper West Side grocery store Zabar's, and the West Village's very own Casa Magazine.

The specially designed Casa Magazine piece of footwear deploys a simple white background with the names of goods sold by the stand, a red heart next to a bolded NYC, and a green and dotted styled back of the shoe.

"The support that we raise will go toward keeping the store alive and being there for the creative and global print community in the West Village," Casa Magazine wrote in the description of its shoe on the Vans website. "All proceeds from this program will help cover our operating expenses and pay our magazine publishers and suppliers."

Casa Magazine released a "Small-Business Story" along with its shoe debut.

You can check out the Casa Magazines and Vans collaboration shoe for yourself here, and the shirt (Yes there is a shirt!) here.