In the tradition of bestsellers such as Shoe Dog, Authentic is a surprisingly candid, compelling Memoir by a high school dropout who went on to establish one of the world\'s most iconic brands.
Now in this refreshingly.
You may not know their creator, but you certainly know the shoes: for more than a generation, Vans shoes have been synonymous with cool.
In the tradition of bestsellers such as Shoe Dog, Authentic is a surprisingly candid, compelling Memoir by a high school dropout who went on to establish one of the world\'s most iconic brands.
Bracingly forthright and totally entertaining, Authentic is a business Memoir by an American original.
Authentic details Van Doren\'s personal life, but also hard-won business lessons learned over six turbulent decades in the shoe trade: the importance of deep-rooted values, of improvisation, of vision (and revision), and above all, of valuing people over profits.
But there was also back-breaking work, a shocking bankruptcy, family turmoil, and a profound shift in how customers think about athletic shoes.
Paul\'s bold experiments in product design, distribution, and marketing (Why not sell custom shoes? Single shoes?), aided by legions of fans--skateboarders, surfers, even Sean Penn wearing Vans\' famous checkerboard slip-on shoe in the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High--made Vans a household name.
In 1966, when the first House of Vans store opened, there were no stand-alone retail stores just for sneakers.
Van Doren is not just an entrepreneur, he\'s an innovator.
What began as a family shoe business has today evolved into a globally recognized brand with annual revenue of more than four billion dollars.
Over the next few decades, he leveraged a knack for numbers, a genius for efficiency, and the know-how to make a great canvas tennis shoe into an all-American success story.
A blue-collar kid with no higher education and zero retail experience, Van Doren started out as a 16-year-old service boy at a local rubber factory.
In Authentic, he shares his unlikely journey from high-school dropout to sneaker-industry legend.
Now in this refreshingly candid memoir, meet Paul Van Doren, the charismatic Founder of Vans--the shoe company beloved by skateboarders, creatives, and fans everywhere for its laid-back, colorful SoCal vibe, and famous for its people-oriented company culture.
You may not know their creator, but you certainly know the shoes: for more than a generation, Vans shoes have been synonymous with cool.
In the tradition of bestsellers such as Shoe Dog, Authentic is a surprisingly candid, compelling Memoir by a high school dropout who went on to establish one of the world\'s most iconic brands
