If a Vans’ slip-on mule was not on your 2024 style bingo card, you are not alone. That is to say, the Vans Mountain Mule shoe is, at first glance, quite the switch-up for the skatewear brand.
A shred-wear pioneer, Vans’ thrasher footwear designs have shaped large pockets of what skate fashion looks like today.
Experts in durable soles and chunky compositions? Sure, I’ll give it to Vans. But what on earth does it know about mules?! Apparently, a lot.
The Vans Mountain Mule, first released in late 2023, is a post-adventure slip-on meant to carry you through the more mundane moments of cabin ski trips and snowy galavants. A buttery leather upper and footbed sit atop an ultra-thin sole, but don’t let its sleek build fool you.
Equipped with Vansguard moisture management, water-resistant leather, 100-gram weight insulation and Standard Snow MTE outsole for traction, this shoe works overtime to keep feet warm and stable as you aprés ski (or shovel snow.)
Vans’ contributions to the mule sector, though not as visible as some of its bulkier works, like the Speed LS or Knu Skool, extend beyond the deceptively thin Mountain Mule, currently on sale at Vans’ site for $49.95.
The Vans MTE Harbor Mule VR3 and its beach-ready cousin, the MTE TRK Sandal, are similarly perplexing yet alluring Vans sandals (Vans-dals?) that expand existing expectations of what Vans can turn out.
So, no, traditional mules are not first of mind when I think of Vans, but the effortless ethos of a good slip-on has been an unignorable aid in Vans’ brand identity.
Think of Vans’ classic checkerboard slip-ons, a staple in “It”shoe history, or the all-white version that (for better or worse) made internet meme history.
The only thing Vans may show more favor to than skating is convenience, so the ease of access that comes with a good ole mule is actually a match made in easy-going heaven for Vans.
Because truly, who better to offer the combination of an entirely exposed Achilles with studied durability than Vans?
Fingers crossed for more iterations of the Mountain Mule in less seasonal iterations.