The dope Andy Kessler tribute pack by Vans has just hit select shops this week, including KCDC in Brooklyn. Peep some more looks at the Andy Kessler Old Skool and Sk8 Hi including the AK x NYC Skateboarding packaging after the jump. RIP to the legend.

Vans and Crooks & Castles are finally dropping their long awaited Classic Chukka in Epi Leather with Crooks accents. The all black colorway will obviously be a hot commodity. The shoe will be released on Feb 12th in limited quantities only at the Crooks stores on Melrose and Sunset, so east coast heads are slightly out of luck on this one. More looks after the jump.

Last night Home studios in Manhattan played host to the Vans x Hellz collection release party. The place was filled with sneakerheads and dime pieces alike peepin the new women’s footwear, having drinks and then having some more. Music for the night was provided by sets from DJ Elle and Roxy Cottontail. After the party? You guessed it, was the after party. It went down at Greenhouse with QuestLove on the tables till who knows when. Peep a gang of pics after the jump.

The Vans Crew is in NYC for the Vans x Hellz Collection release party and to showcase the 2010 Spring and Fall collections. In the midst of all the craze they invited Rad Collector to the showroom to get a sneak peek at all the goods. Chris Overholser walked us through all the newest updates to the Vans Classics, Vault, and California Collections as well as all the new the artist and brand collabos.To put it lightly it was dope. Stay tuned for updates as well as some snaps from the event tomorrow.

Vans and Jack’s Surfboards have linked for a collab on Van’s new model the Rata Vulc. Available exclusively through Jack’s retail and online stores, the Rata Vulc Pier Classic edition is being released in conjunction with the upcoming 2010 Van’s Pier Classic (Presented by Jack’s Surfboards) in Huntington Beach. Featuring anchor embroidery and a limited edition insole, the Rata Vulc is a follow up to last year’s Rata sandal. The Pier Classic goes down March 24 through 28. More looks after the jump.

In more news out of Germany, legendary Vans personalities Steve Van Doren, Tony Alva, and Ray Barbee will be jetting over to Deutschland for a meet and greet at the Mantis Lifestore in Hamburg. The skate jam slash x chill session and signing goes down September 10 at fifteen o’clock. Full info after the jump.

The TNT is a love/hate shoe for some Vans purists due to it’s bulky size but for those who skate it, it’s a favorite kick for sure. True to that, not everyone will love this Antihero TNT 4 collabo. Coming in both grey/white and chocolate/black and featuring Antihero branding, it looks pretty buttery to us. Via Bee Magazine.

There was a bit of a stir a little while back when the pics surfaced of these sick, sick Western Edition Sk8 Hi’s. A lot of people, including some of those close to the brand, didn’t know how they came to be. Turns out they were done by RAW skater Nate Keegan’s homie Hush, who took apart a pair of Sk8-Hi’s and meticulously reconstructed them into the WE 10th anniversary tribute joints you see above. Check out some more of Nate’s pair after the jump. These are 1 of 2 – the only other pair went to WE’s Ian Johnson, who created the graphic. Via Re1000.

The Starter comeback is about to get crazy. Vans just showed off their two upcoming collections of Starter hats at Agenda and they are bananas. So bananas in fact, that the samples were kept in a locked display and were screwed into the case! That’s right, they weren’t taking any chances on these. Peep bangers like the naval flip and two canvas models along with classic logo applications in the perfect Starter sports steez that can’t help but to bring you back to 7th grade. The first pack of seven will hit as a quickstrike on August 15 and will only be available at top tier US accounts with each retailer getting access to just one pack. For Spring 2010, the next seven designs will be available globally. More looks after the jump.

The Hype BR, Brasil’s leading lifestyle blog featured Brooklyn’s Boundless in their news section today. The Hype BR’s founder Lucas Penido stopped through on a recent visit to NY and chopped it up with Boundless CEO Nick Langella about what’s poppin at the shop. A full service skateshop and lifestyle boutique at one of the dopest locations in BK, it’s no wonder that Boundless is catching that international love. Brands called out in the pictorial include Shut, King Stampede, Deathwish, Baker, Manik, Girl, Vans, Huf and more. Check out the entire piece here.