Vans reunites with photographer and cultural documentarian Atiba Jefferson for the second chapter of United Through Skateboarding, a collection built around the relationships he has formed through skateboarding, photography, music, art and sport. The new release brings footwear, apparel and accessories together with images from Jefferson’s archive, custom artwork and personal references to Los Angeles.
SNEAKERS
Jefferson has photographed some of skateboarding’s best-known images while extending his work far beyond the scene that first shaped his career. He holds the record for the most covers photographed in SLAM Magazine history and co-directed Monochrome, ESPN’s Emmy-nominated and Clio Award-winning documentary about the Black experience in skateboarding.
For United Through Skateboarding Collection 2.0, Jefferson brings that wider cultural network into the product itself. Longtime friend and Los Angeles artist Lauren Halsey created original custom logo artwork, while archival photography and previously unseen images appear throughout the collection. Jefferson also art-directed the campaign, which features Halsey alongside musician Flea and Vans Skate Team Rider Rowan Zorilla.
Footwear provides some of the most personal references. The AVE Rapid LX arrives in “Atiba Gold,” a color inspired by the Los Angeles Lakers, a team Jefferson still photographs today. The Authentic 44 comes in “Atiba Pink,” a shade Jefferson selected himself, with an image of Arisa Trew landing a 540 at the final Vans Pool Party printed on the insole.
The Sk8-Hi continues an idea introduced through the Authentic released in 2025, placing a photograph of Geoff Rowley over the exterior of the shoe. The Rowan Z3 reflects Jefferson’s longtime friendship with Zorilla. Each pair includes Rowan’s portrait on the shoebox and swing tag, while its blue color takes inspiration from their shared support for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Jefferson also shaped the apparel around practical details for skating and photography. The Cargo Hoodie comes in pink and black, while the matching Pant arrives in Bay Leaf and black. A custom pocket sized for a point-and-shoot camera connects the garments directly to his work behind the lens.
Additional clothing and accessories draw from Jefferson’s personal selections, combining skate-ready construction with functional elements, archive imagery and photographs from his extensive body of work. Together, the pieces connect several parts of his career through objects tied to specific people, places and memories.
United Through Skateboarding Collection 2.0 reflects the relationships Jefferson has built through years spent photographing skating and the culture surrounding it. Friendship, pavement, film grain and shared experiences provide the foundation for a collection that treats skateboarding as a social link as much as a sport.
The ATIBA x VANS: United Through Skateboarding Collection 2.0 is available globally starting today through select Vans retailers, skate shops and Vans.com.
