Following the release of a Black Album-sonically seasoned whiskey, Metallica continues to celebrate 30 years of the classic album with a pair of limited-edition Vans.
Longtime Metallica album and merch artist Pushead, who’s rendered numerous gnarly designs for the band since the late 1980s, contributed the duplicitous cranium design originally inspired by the chugging Black Album single “Sad But True.”
The pair of weathered skulls are featuring prominently on the the inner and outer quarter panels of the Vans Sk8-Hi. For the Vans Classic Slip-On, the skulls are split between the left and right shoes’ toeboxes.
Both silhouettes set the hardcore illustration against a graphic blue shatter design alongside silver Metallica lettering and a printed Metallica logo on the heel stay, as Hypebeast notes.
The Vans x Metallica collaboration follows a string of Black Album 30th anniversary celebrations. Along with the aforementioned whiskey, 53 artists including Miley Cyrus, Jon Pardi, Weezer, Corey Taylor and Portugal. The Man. are recording covers of all 12 Black Album songs for The Metallica Blacklist.
The collaborative release streams September 10 and arrives on CD and vinyl October 1. All proceeds will be donated to charity.
Until then, Vans Family members can cop the Metallica-themed Sk8-Hi and Classic Slip-On on July 25 before the collection hits the band’s webstore a day later.
