It’s been a rough stretch for Vans and Dickies. Both brands long connected to skateboarding, workwear, and everyday style are still seeing sales slide, and their parent company, VF Corp, isn’t sugarcoating it.
According to reports, Vans took the bigger hit, with revenue falling 22% in the fourth quarter and 16% for the full year. That’s a drop of over $400 million compared to last year. Dickies didn’t do much better, with a 14% dip in Q4 and a 12% drop for the year.
So what’s going on?
VF Corp’s CEO Bracken Darrell says part of Vans’ decline was actually intentional. According to him, about 60% of the drop in Q4 came from cutting out parts of the business that weren’t profitable — like getting rid of weak retail spots or phasing out products that weren’t moving. Basically, they’re trying to clean things up to make the brand stronger in the long run.
Still, that’s a big chunk of lost revenue for one of VF’s biggest names. Vans, which was once riding high on its skate heritage and broad appeal, has been slowly losing steam. Darrell says the brand can bounce back and that some of the things they’re doing with other brands like The North Face and Timberland could help get Vans back on track. But he also admitted that these kinds of turnarounds are rarely smooth or quick.
Dickies is in a similar spot. Even with a solid rep in workwear and streetwear circles, the brand just isn’t bringing in the numbers. It ended the year with $542 million in revenue - a sharp decline that VF will need to address if they want Dickies to keep its place in the lineup.
While all this was happening, Timberland actually grew 10% in Q4 and The North Face ticked up 2%. In fact, VF’s CEO pointed out that if you remove Vans from the equation, the company’s revenue would’ve been up 4%. But with big names like Vans and Dickies dragging things down, the overall numbers aren’t looking great. Total revenue for the quarter dropped 5%, and the outlook for the next quarter isn’t exactly encouraging either - VF expects another decline of 3% to 5%.
There are some signs of hope. VF thinks profit margins will improve next quarter, mostly because they’re cutting back on discounts and trying to run a tighter operation. But they’re still expecting to lose up to $125 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2026.
So where does this leave Vans and Dickies? Both brands are trying to find their footing again - not just financially, but in terms of how they fit into today’s market. They’ve got history, loyal followings, and name recognition. But right now, that’s not enough. They need real wins, and fast.
VF says they’re committed to turning things around, but until the numbers start climbing again, it’s clear that both Vans and Dickies have some serious work to do.