Vans Original Waffle Outsole – Back in '66, Paul Van Doren made the first soles of his new shoes twice as thick so they would wear longer and, unlike other shoe manufacturers, he used pure crepe rubber with no filler. That decision ended up defining Vans' legacy when the world's first skateboarders discovered how Vans' now legendary Original Waffle outsole gum rubber compound provided superior board control and let them feel their board while staying firmly connected to it.