Taka Hayashi, Designer, TH and Vault Line

Walk us through a typical day in your work shoes.
"I start out by driving 45 minutes to work, get coffee, check emails, work on new footwear and apparel sketches and concepts, get lunch, scan drawings into the computer, pick out materials and color for footwear, go over the designs with my product line manager, and turn in cads to get samples made."

Tell us the story behind your first pair of Vans.
"I was about 9 years old back in the mid '80s. My mom took me to the Vans store in Santa Monica, and I ordered my first customized Sk8-Hi’s in an all-over multi-colored checkerboard pattern. It was a cool experience!"

What's one sneaker trend you'd never be caught dead wearing?
"The puffy, glowing, high-tech style sneakers."