Paul Van Doren has died at age 90. Born in Depression-era Randolph, Mass., he moved to sunny Southern California in the 1960s, where he built a checkerboard shoe empire that harnessed the power of skate and surf culture to become a global streetwear player with a little help from the cult Hollywood film “Fast Times at Ridgemont High and actor Sean Penn, who wore the classic Vans checkerboard slip-on sneaker on-screen and sent its popularity soaring. Continue reading →