[Update 22 Mar 2023] Following yesterday’s news of the Nicole McLaughlin x Vault by Vans Slip-Ons, a release date, alongside an additional colorway, has been confirmed.

The nm x Vans will come in the original gardencore “White/Green” and a “Brown/Grey” that takes its cues from workwear bucket bags. The shoes will drop on 31 March at Vans and selected retailers.

The upcycling artist also shared the rationale behind her design. “The Vault by Vans NM Gardening Tote is a vision I’ve had for a while”, said McLaughlin. “I’ve always loved the Slip-Ons and the traditional canvas upper. The idea of canvas made me think about vintage gardening bags and it inspired me to make my own version, a functional gardening tote Slip-On.”

Artistic upcyclist Nicole McLaughlin is at it again—this time, the Colorado-based creative is bringing her gardencore vision to a pair of Vans sneakers.

We once commented that “to Nicole, everything can become anything”, in reference to her shoe-bag hybrid crossover with high-end performance footwear brand Diemme. For her next collaboration, Nicole has channeled her utility design aesthetic and eye for the mundane into her first Vans Slip-ons.

Named “Gardening Tote”, the nm x Vault by Vans Slip-ons features a natural canvas construction and consists of a series of design details that nods towards a regular “boat and tote” bag. Across the toe box are tiny compartments for you to store miniature gardening tools; a strap in a forest green shade is attached to the heel, alluding to the shoulder straps on a regular tote bag.

On the tongue, a Nicole McLaughlin x Vans co-branded label appears, below which the name of the sneaker “Gardening Tote” also makes an appearance.

After posting a few teaser images onto her Instagram account with the caption “nm x vans coming soon”, the American creative attracted considerable attention online, including an excitable comment from Sean Wotherspoon the man himself proclaiming that she’s “killllllllllllllled it”.

According to Vault by Vans, the drop date of this pair of Nicole McLaughlin x Vans Slip-ons will be announced today. Stay tuned for more release details of nm’s latest foray into the sneakesphere.

In other sneaker-related news, a new colorway of the Drake x Nike NOCTA Air Terra Humara has been spotted.