GRAND RAPIDS, MI — The scene at Van Hoecks Shoes on Thursday was surreal. Customers, most of them older, waited in line in the morning to enter the venerable sit-and-fit shoe store, one of the last ...

A lot can change in 50 years. Since Vans was founded 50 years ago on March 16, 1966, they’ve gone from skateboarding staple to J. Crew collaborators. One thing that hasn’t changed much: the shoes. The ...