Vans Era vs Vans Authentic: Similarities & Differences

You must have seen or heard a lot about the Vans shoes. Vans shoes are a very popular brand because they are widely used mostly by skaters.

Vans is an American-based shoe company that makes shoes majorly for skating, casual wearing, and also for beach skateboarding.

I like the fact that Vans are built in such a way that it is not just restricted to skating alone, non-skaters can also go ahead to wear Vans shoes for their casual outing.

In this article, I am going to be comparing two types of Vans shoes, that is the Vans Era and the Vans Authentic, I will be focusing on the major similarities and differences between the two shoes.

The two shoes have some similarities when you look at them from the outside, however, there are some differences you will notice when you look closely at the design, layout, style, and construction.

If I do not explain it this way, you may not find it easy to differentiate the two.

Why this is so is because they are so similar, and if you do not look closely, or if you read this article in-depth, you are not going to find it easy to differentiate the two shoes.

Take a look at the similarities between these two shoes

Table of Contents

Both are good for skating
Both are good for casual outings
Both have soles with excellent grip
Both are affordable shoes

Both are good for skating

This is one of the major similarities between the two Vans. They are usually good for skating.

Vans are originally built for Skating and because of that, they have been widely spread around the world, even though they are also good for casual outings.

Despite the fact that the Vans Era and Authentic are good for skating, one is usually the major choice for skaters, and that is the Vans Era.

There is a reason for this, this is because of the build of the sole, the sole is softer than that of the Vans Authentic.

I am going to talk more about this when I get to the major differences between these two shoes.

Both are good for casual outings

When you buy the Vans Era and the Vans Authentic, you will see that they are both shoes that you can wear to casual outings.

This is another major similarity between the two shoes. No one is really a better choice for casual outings than that other.

If you wear a Vans Era for your casual outing, it will look good, the same thing is applicable when you wear your Vans Authentic for casual outings, they will also look good as long as you wear it with the right outfit.

The only thing there is that the Vans Authentic is a more classic shoe with simple material, while the Vans Era is usually made mostly with Leather and suede.

So, if you want to make a choice, you can go ahead to choose the perfect outfit for your Vans based on the material of the shoe.

Both have vulcanized soles with excellent grip

I am pretty sure you will agree with me that Vans shoes have soles with an excellent grip. Whether it is the Vans Era or the Vans Authentic, they both have excellent grip.

This is one of, if not the major reasons why Vans are perfect shoes for skateboarding.

You cannot go skateboarding with shoes that have a very smooth sole, you will end up getting yourself injured because you are likely going to skip off. How will you have a firm grip on the skateboard? It would be very difficult.

When you bring a Vans Era and the Vans Authentic side by side, you will notice this excellent grip on the sole. You will even notice better how excellent the grip of the sole is when you put on the shoes.

For you to be able to take the shoes skating, it has to have a very excellent grip on the sole that will keep you standing firm on your skateboard without falling off.

Both are affordable shoes

It is no doubt that Vans are really affordable shoes, however, they can get expensive on some occasions.

But this is not all the time. One of the similarities between the Vans Era and Authentic is that they are both affordable shoes.

You can get a very decent Vans Era or Authentic for about $50. This is affordable enough if you cannot get those that are usually priced above $100.

The majority may not be able to afford the really expensive Vans, but the fact that the Vans Era and Vans Authentic are affordable is really a good thing. This adds to the reason why it is widely spread.

Now that we have looked at the similarities between the Vans Authentic and Vans Era, let us dive deeper into the differences, the things that set the shoes different from each other.

Differences between Vans Era and Vans Authentic

Features	Vans Era	Vans Authentic
Sole texture	Vans Era is known to have softer sole than the Vans Authentic	The sole is not usually as soft as that of the Vans Era
Padding	Vans Era has extra padding at the inside of the heel	Vans Authentic does not have extra padding and the inside of the heel
Protection	Vans Era is usually more protected	Vans Authentic is not as protected and secured as the vans Era
Styling	Vans Era features a leather and suede option	Vans Authentic features a more classic and simple material
Upper build	Vans Era has a durable canvas upper	Vans Authentic has skinner profile
Choice for skaters	Vans Era is a preferred choice for skaters	Vans Authentic is good for skating, but not as preferred by skaters as Vans Era

Sole texture

This is one of the most obvious differences between the Vans Era and the Vans Authentic. The two are usually different when it comes to the texture of the sole.

Vans Era are usually known to have softer soles than that of the Vans Authentic. This makes it a good choice for skateboarders who want their feet protected at all times.

Despite how soft the sole of the Vans Era, it is still very secure and also protected. This is a very different situation for Vans Authentic.

The Vans Authentic has a more vulcanized sole. This makes the sole psychically harder than that of the Vans Era.

They are still a good choice for skateboarders though, but not as compared to the sole of the Vans Era which is soft and has a waffle sole. A softer sole leads to a more cushioned experience while you are skateboarding.

You can notice this difference when you try the shoes on. It would be a bit difficult if you have not tried the shoes on and you want to try to differentiate how soft the sole is, does it even work that way? I doubt.

Padding

Padding is another thing that you will notice is the difference between the Vans Era and the Vans Authentic. These two shoes have different padding.

If you take a look at the inside heel of your Van Era, there is something you will notice. You are going to notice that the inner heel is more padded than that of the Vans Authentic.

This added padding works to make you more comfortable, since Vans Era is usually selected by a lot of skateboarders as their favorite shoes for skateboarding, the padding at the inside heel of the shoe will help to reduce the risk of blisters and also provide more comfort for your heel.

However, this is quite different when it comes to the Vans Authentic. The Vans Authentic has less padding than the Vans Era at the inner heel.

This does not make it a bad shoe though, neither does it make it a bad choice for those who skate.

In fact, skaters still use this Vans Authentic to skate, but it is not as widely selected by skateboarders as the Vans Era.

Protection

Vans Era are usually known the be the shoes with more protection. Even more than the Vans Authentic. When your skate shoes have more protection, you are more confident to make use of them for skateboarding.

You can see why this shoe is widely used and preferred by skateboarders. It is not like skateboarders do not make use of Vans Authentic, they are used, but it cannot be compared to that of the Vans Era.

This is because Vans Era offers more all-round protection. You cannot go skating with shoes that have no protection at all, you are putting your feet at risk.

Styling

Styling is another feature that differentiates the Vans Era from the Vans Authentic. You will notice that the Vans Era is usually built mostly in leather and suede.

What this means is that you cannot see Vans Era built with a casual material, if it is not leather, it is suede. This build material influences the type of outfit that you can wear with it.

However, for Vans Authentic, it is usually built mostly with classic and simple material. This makes it a very good choice for those who just want to have a simple outfit.

The build material of these different Vans affects how you can style it. When you have simple material on your Vans Authentic, you will be influenced to go for a more simple outfit.

In this way, your styling has been greatly influenced.

The upper build

The upper build of the Vans Era and the Vans Authentic are usually two different things. The upper build of the Vans Era is usually built with a durable canvas upper.

When you are using this type of shoes to skate, you rest assured that your shoes are protected and will definitely last long for you.

As for the Vans Authentic, the upper build is usually Skinner than that of the Vans Era. This is one major difference between the Vans Era and the Vans Authentic. This is not usually noticeable unless you come closer to the Vans.

That is when you will notice this difference. You also need to have some knowledge about Vans for you to immediately spot this difference.

Choice for skaters

I have already explained above that the Vans Era is usually the favorite for skateboarders who are interested in their feet being more protected while they are skateboarding.

The waffle sole is also a good reason why the Vans Era is preferred by skateboarders.

The waffle sole is a type of rubber sole that was released back then in 1972 which is much lighter and also provides better traction than the usual rubber soles.

This is another good reason why the Vans Era is a preferred choice for skateboarders.

The fact that Vans Era is widely used and preferred by skateboarders does not mean that Vans Authentic is not used by skateboarders at all.

They are also used, but not as widely used as the Vans Era.

Conclusion

Vans Era and Vans Authentic are simply very good shoes that serve you excellently well.

As good as they are, they have their own unique pros and cons, that is what I have shared in this article.

If you are on the verge of making your decision on which of the Vans to go for, you will find it easier to make your own decision now that you know the similarities and differences between the two shoes.

Despite being from the same company, one is better at something than the other. There are very few similarities but more differences between the two shoes.

It is left to you to decide which you would love to get. I like that these two shoes are affordable, you can get a very good Vans Era or Vans Authentic without breaking the bank. For me, I’d go for the Vans era any day anytime.

If not for style, then as a skateboarding enthusiast, the Vans Era is preferable for me.

Apart from just making use of it for skateboarding, they are also good for casual outings.