As we previously reported, Vans has officially collaborated with streetwear company Fugazi and not the hardcore punk band.
Hence, there was so much confusion, and this is why Steve Van Doren had to speak out and apologize following the collab confusion.
The collab connected to the Fugazi name quickly became a headache for everyone involved. Once fans realized what was happening, the reaction came fast, especially from people who have followed Fugazi for years and understand what the band has stood for throughout its history.
Fugazi has always had a very different relationship with the music industry compared with many other bands.
READ MORE: Steve Van Doren Speaks Out Following The Vans x Fugazi Collaboration Confusion
The crew built its reputation around keeping things independent, avoiding the usual corporate machine and refusing to turn its name into a simple product for companies to sell.
That is why the Vans collaboration caused so much confusion.
Seeing the Fugazi name connected to a large footwear company did not sit well with all the core skate punks.
The band has spent decades building an identity around independence and keeping its principles intact, so the idea of a corporate collaboration was always going to get people talking.
Things became even more confusing because there is also a Fugazi streetwear brand. That added to the situation and left many people trying to figure out exactly what was connected to the punk band and what was not.
Now things have gotten even crazier.
The shoes connected to the Fugazi name are reportedly being sold for only $5.
Yes, five dollars.
Fugazi posted the announcement on social media, noting that the shoes would be available for cash only, with limited supplies at locations in Los Angeles and New York.
The post read:
"$5 Shoes. Cash only. No change.
Available outside Fugazi Los Angeles tomorrow 8/15 at 2PM PST and outside Fugazi New York Sunday 8/16 at 2PM EST.
First come, first served. Supplies are limited. It’s all we got.
Online Quickdraw is now live on fugazi.net."
That is quite the ending for a collaboration that created so much confusion in the first place.
The $5 price also makes the whole situation feel completely different from the usual way a Vans collaboration is presented.
Instead of being treated like some exclusive release that fans need to rush out and pay a premium for, the skate shoes are now being sold for the price of a cheap meal.
And given the reaction from Fugazi fans, there is a certain irony to the whole thing.
Fugazi has never been a band that needed a huge corporate campaign to maintain its reputation.
Its music and influence have been around for decades, and the band's approach to the business side of music has always been a huge part of why people respect it.
That is also why the reaction to the Vans collaboration was so insane.
For a lot of skate punk rockers, this was never really about a pair of shoes.
It was about what the Fugazi name represents and how that name ended up being associated with a corporate collaboration that many people did not understand.
The fact that the shoes are now being sold for $5 only makes the story even stranger.
There is also the question of how many people actually knew what was happening before the backlash started.
The confusion surrounding the collaboration became such a big part of the story that even Steve felt the need to address it publicly.
For anyone who has been following the situation, this is certainly not how anyone expected the Fugazi x Vans story to end.
From collab confusion to backlash, to an apology from Steve, and now $5 shoes, this release has managed to become one of the strangest skateboarding footwear stories of the year.
And somehow, the $5 price might be the most punk thing about the entire situation.