Vans Goes Footloose in New Designs : Manufacturing: Facing a drop in sales, the Orange maker of canvas casual footwear is introducing style and color choices--even paisley.

For Vans Inc., fashion used to mean sticking close to the company’s proven design for its casual athletic footwear.

Colors sometimes changed, but Orange-based Vans rarely tinkered with the style of the canvas sneakers that are a staple among young males ages 12 through 17.

But with shoe sales stalled and profit margins being eroded by intense competition from off-shore manufacturers, Vans has given its designers room to roam.

The new styles and colors are designed to “get the company back on track,” said Walter E. Schoenfeld, a Vans board member who on Thursday was elected president and chief executive officer. “Our biggest problem has been a lack of new styles over the past 18 months.”

Profit for the company’s fiscal year ended May 31 fell to $2.7 million from $6.5 million for the previous 12 months. Revenue was off, too, dropping to $86.6 million from $91.2 million, partly because of the company’s reliance on sales in economically depressed Southern California.

But Schoenfeld thinks that an increased emphasis on fashion will remain important even after the local economy rebounds.

Change is evident in the spring, 1994, sneaker line that will make its debut Wednesday at the National Sporting Goods Assn. show in Chicago.

Some of the changes are minimal: Vans’ factory used to use only white rubber for one woman’s shoe line, said Sherri Noel, who joined Vans earlier this year as a senior designer. But the fashion-conscious Vans now offers ecru, an off-white shade designed specifically to complement today’s fashions.

Long known for its distinctive “waffle sole,” Vans also joined--albeit a bit late--the shoe industry trend toward “lug soles,” which make shoes look less like sneakers and more like work or hiking boots.

Vans also changed how it views color: Shoes used to be one color or another. But the company now uses different hues for shoe bodies, tongues and bindings. It produces a paisley pattern for a women’s shoe line and canvas shoes that are a perfect match for the denim work jackets and bib overalls favored by some younger males.

Schoenfeld has directed his fashion designers to take chances, said Sari Ratsula, Vans’ director of product development: “We know that fashion is important. You have to take risks and make investments.”

Designer Noel said: “There’s still a strong demand for the traditional sneaker . . . but in fashion, things change so fast. You have to be willing and capable of taking the risks. And I feel that (with the new looks), we’ve really departed from our classic, traditional shoe.”

“We have to concentrate on the details, because that’s what fashion is,” Noel said. “Our competition overseas is going to concentrate on details, so we can’t afford not to. . . . With our factory right here in Orange, we can make changes amazingly fast.”

Vans’ Sales Drop

Faced with decreasing sales in 1993, Vans has introduced a new line of products designed to bolster its image in the highly competitive casual shoe market.

Net sales (in millions), fiscal years

1993: $86.6

1992: $91.2

1991: $70.2

1990: $54.4

Company at a Glance

Business: Makes and sells casual shoes

Headquarters: Orange

CEO, president: Walter Schoenfeld

Distribution: 78 company-owned retail outlets, 6,100 independent stores; sold in 36 countries

Manufacturing: All shoes made domestically

Plant locations: Orange and Vista, Calif.

Employees: 2,300 in retail and manufacturing

Earnings, fiscal 1993: $2.7 million, down 58.4%

Source: Vans Inc.; Researched by JANICE L. JONES / Los Angeles Times