Vans has done just about everything possible to its classic Authentic sneaker. Why not make it indestructible?

Vans' elevated sub-label, OTW, is elevating its penchant for high-end fabrics with the strongest fiber in the world, Dyneema. That's not luxury. That's word-class toughness.

The Vans OTW Authentic 44 HT Vibram sneaker isn't just an elevated reiteration — it's a mechanical rebirth.

Where many other OTW endeavours make classic Vans sneakers more aesthetically luxe, the Authentic 44 HT Vibram shoe is enhanced on a structural level. This is thanks to Dyneema, a fiber often used in bulletproof vests.

Yeah, this sneaker protects against more than just under-rotated ollies.

The upper is made with high-tenacity Dyneema, a super-light and suspiciously strong material that is tougher than Kevlar, making this sneaker virtually indestructible.

At least from the top-down. On a weight-to-weight basis, Dyneema is stronger than steel but far lighter, making the Authentic 44 HT, available on the Vans website for $130, as wearable as it is rugged. As if having an impermeable upper wasn't enough, the Vans OTW Authentic 44 HT also has custom Vibram outsoles, meaning this sneaker is built to take on the world, from top to bottom.

Now, Vans has dabbled in the world of tougher-than-tough sneakers many a time, like the waterproof GORE-TEX Old Skool and the similarly rugged MTE Mountain Mid. But the OTW Authentic 44 HT Vibram sneaker is by far the most technologically advanced shoe to enter the Vans footwear arsenal.

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