Costa Mesa-based skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans is inviting public and private high school students to submit a unique digital shoe design that illustrates the themes of “Hometown Pride” or “Head in the Clouds,” with a grand prize of $50,000 awarded to the arts program at the winner’s school.

Runner-ups in the 12th Vans Custom Culture contest will receive $15,000, and the top five schools will receive an artist mentorship lesson from one of Vans’ 10 “art ambassadors.”

Online registration at the Vans Custom Culture website will close on Jan. 29.

After the digital submission window ends on Feb. 19, 250 schools will be asked to submit a physical shoe design that best embodies “Hometown Pride” and “Head in the Clouds.” The themes “look to highlight the special qualities of where each school is located as well as student’s visions for the future and their communities,” according to Vans.

As an added bonus to challenge and encourage students to think critically about the environment, Vans will be offering a $500 gift card for art supplies to the best designs that can be made out of sustainable materials. The company will also donate $500 per school to an environmental organization to help promote and encourage investment in sustainability.

Once the top 50 designs are selected, the online voting window will determine the top five finalists. Online voting begins on April 26, and each school has the opportunity to make it to the finals by encouraging their communities to support them through online voting.

The grand prize-winning school will be announced in May via an online livestream event.

“The variety of submissions we received in the past continues to reveal the pool of talented artists we have and the need for well-funded art education programs across the country,” said Carly Gomez, vice president of marketing for Vans the Americas.

To learn more about Vans Custom Culture 2021, head to customculture.vans.com and watch how-to lessons from Vans art ambassadors on Vans’ YouTube channel.

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