Breaking news! The Vans New Future collection just dropped, starring some of our favorite people from today: Tania Cruz, Cocona Hiraki, Efron Danzig and Karina Rozunko. Besides putting out a clothing line inspired by each of them, they’re launching not one, but four different takes on the classic Old Skool silhouette.

Aiming to translate who they are, they’ve managed to put their own twists on an iconic shoe and create something new. One shoe, four visions; four badass, inspiring women leading the way into the future, with their unique, unapologetic style.

Tania Cruz is 28 and started skating when she was 15 in her hometown of La Rioja, Argentina. She moved to Barcelona in 2019, where she stashed clips, sponsors and opportunities, and got welcomed into the Vans Europe team years later. With her life story, her skating, and the future she’s building for herself, she’s a true icon for resilience and strength. 

Her take on the Old Skool is dark and cool, just like her; made out of black leather clad that rubs off when you skate it to reveal red underneath, just like a person who has scars from the past, as she explained in the official campaign - scars that we must wear with pride, because, after all, they make us who we are today.

Words: Letícia Nogueira

Photos: Raisa Abal

A badass woman leading the way into the New Future.

Tania! First off, how are you? Can you set the scene, and tell our readers where we are right now? We’ve also just been on our Blood Moon tour for almost two weeks, so how was that for you?

I’m very happy! We’re watching the sun set at the beach in Biarritz in the Queens Classic Surf Festival as we speak. We’ve been to Perpignan, Toulouse, and now here. I’m very tired, but happy, because it was super fun. I love this crew.

Me too, it’s been awesome. Congrats on the New Future collection, by the way, can we talk about that? What inspired you when helping design it?

My friends were my main inspiration, I wanted to do something that they’d like. I was also inspired by some of my favorite artists… I really like Aleksandra Waliszewska, Leonora Carrington and Francis Bacon, and I’ve been listening to a lot of Bathory, Nick Cave, and a  bunch of Argentinian Rock lately. So I was inspired by art, music and my friends. I’m really happy with how it came out.

"I was inspired by art, music, and my friends. I wanted to do something that they would like."

The Tania Cruz Old Skools.

Why did you want the wear-away leather? I like that every skate session is kinda immortalized in the shoes.

There was already this Vans Era model with wear-away leather I always wanted, but could never find them in my size. So I said: this is my chance! I knew that this wasn’t going to be a skate collection, but, after all, I skate, so I wanted it to be as simple as possible, so you can skate these shoes just the same. After all, my own style is quite simple as well. I wanted the clothes to look a little bit worn out and reflect what I usually wear.

What was it like to share the studio in LA with these other amazing girls that star in the collection?

I’d just been granted my visa and was super nervous to fly over to the States for the first time. I took that chance to stay for a while and skate around. It was fun - got to meet a lot of people, make new friends and travel a lot. I already knew Efron, but meeting the other girls was awesome. But Efron, she’s a model, she’d done this before, and did it so well - and I had no idea what I was doing! But it was super fun.

A collection inspired by Tania Cruz, because who wouldn't be inspired by her?

Can we talk about the family and friends pack you guys prepared?

Yes, I really loved the fact that they told me to prepare that kit and choose something more personal to add to my shoes and clothes. I’ve been obsessed with silversmithing, so I made some jewerly - necklaces and rings with the moon and skulls, similar to the ones I’ve made for myself and that I always wear. I was really happy to make something with my own hands for the people I love. It was probably my favorite part of the process.

The collection is called New Future - so, what does the future look like to you?

I just want things to go on as they are. I have a lot of projects at the moment, related to skateboarding but also to art and jewerly… I just wish I had more time to do everything I want to do! 

"Things always work out in the end."

This woman loves banks! Fakie crooks.

Crazy that you feel you don’t have enough time for everything, and you barely even sleep! Wanna tell us a bit about your daily routine as an insomniac?

I love everything that I do and don’t have a schedule I need to adapt to, so I never stop. I wake up at any given time, have two mates, head to the jewerly workshop, then go skating all night. It’s great, because I have the park all to myself. After skating, I like painting. When I can’t sleep, I always start doing something - which makes it worse, actually! But I’m happy, even if I don’t get much sleep, because I’m always doing things I enjoy.

And what’s it like, traveling and hanging out with the Vans Europe team?

It’s so good. It’s been a huge contrast in my life, because I’d just spent like three years without traveling until I got my Spanish papers, but this year I’ve been traveling non-stop. The team is super nice, and I’m stoked on the girls’ team. We were friends before, but now we’re also on the same team. I'm so proud of them and happy to see they’re getting the opportunities and recognition they deserve. And being able to skate and travel all the time with your friends… I love it. 

Tania at the workshop: flow state activated!

You moved to Spain from Córdoba, Argentina back in 2019. You started from scratch in Europe, then went on to take every opportunity you were given. How did those first years of living in Barcelona define you and your skating?

It hasn’t even been that long, only six years… but I feel like a lot of things happened in such a short time. Back then, I just wanted to skate, it was the only thing I thought about. I had to make a lot of decisions at a young age, but I feel like things always work out in the end. I feel like I got along with people who helped me a lot, which made a big difference for me - more than the spots, the city, the level of skating… Of course, Barcelona is one of the best cities for skating. I skated all day, every day, so I naturally learned and progressed a lot. So I guess the intensity of those first years living in Barcelona shaped me not only as a skater but as a person.

You’re a very special part of the Dolores family. Many people may not know that you got the cover for Dolores #2 back in the day… I feel like we saw you grow a lot throughout the years, we’re very proud and we love you!

I feel the same, but from the other side! Seeing Dolores grow so much over the years, I have the same feeling, I’m super proud of you guys. It’s still the same vibe as in the beginning, there’s no pressure, just motivation, we’re just having fun and sharing skateboarding with our friends, which has always been the most important thing. And I love you guys too! I think what you do is so important for skateboarding in general, I just want to keep watching you grow.

You have a bunch of hobbies - plants, painting, playing the drums, and now you even make jewelry! How did you get into that?

I started making silver jewerly a few years after I started painting. Now I mostly use my paintings as an inspiration for it, or the other way around. It’s something I always wanted to learn because I’ve been making jewelry out of different materials since I was a kid, but I wanted to create something more lasting. I asked my friend Vitoko, who’s a jewerly maker, if he wanted to teach me. I started learning the techniques from him, and then followed my own path. I absolutely love it.

"I found it to be quite therapeutic to do creative things. At the end of the day, painting, art, music… they’re all ways of expressing oneself, just like skateboarding."

Silversmithing, Tania's newfound obsession.

What do these things bring you? Why do you think it’s important to do other things besides skateboarding?

There was a time when I felt like I needed to retreat from skating a bit, because I didn’t feel quite safe, so I found refuge in these other things. I found out I loved painting, because it’s something I can do by myself. With skating, you don’t really have that. I found it to be quite healing, quite therapeutic, to do creative things. It really helped me. Of course, sometimes painting and being alone all the time isn’t that sane either! But, now that I feel good, I feel like I can combine everything really well. I used to only ever think about skateboarding, but enjoying other things has opened my mind a lot. At the end of the day, painting, art, music… they’re all ways of expressing oneself, just like skateboarding.

You’ve talked quite a bit about your mental health. What would you say to anyone reading this who also needs to heal their scars? How do you go back to yourself after going down a black hole?

For me, it was all about learning how to communicate and talk about it. I was always so independent, thinking I could do everything by myself, but, at some point, I realized I needed to talk about it, talk to my friends, go to therapy and find new ways to express myself. Those are the things that helped me. Starting to make art, which I sucked at, at first, because I hadn't painted since I was little, but it helped me so much. In a way, I’m even grateful for the bad times. They made me less selfish and more empathetic with other people who suffer. I can be a better friend now, because I understand.

Frontside lipslide full speed!