Side Kicks Streetwear • Global Release Guide
Updated: 9 October 2026
About the release
The first proper footwear from SZA's multi-year Artistic Director partnership with Vans arrives as the Vans Knu Skool Mule 'Black / White' (style code VN00119WBA2). This is one of two openers for the VANSZA collection, dropping alongside the Vans Authentic Knockdown as part of the first collaborative drop under the VANSZA line. Rather than a standard skin-tone colourway reskin, SZA has gone the construction-change route — the Knu Skool here loses its traditional heel section and is reimagined as a slip-on mule, built around SZA's own love of easy-on, easy-off styles.
The build keeps the Knu Skool's classic oversized 90s-inspired look intact — the oversized tongue, padded construction and the large 3D Sidestripe all stay. A black suede upper handles the surface, with the headline modification sitting at the back: the heel section is reworked into a sculpted heel cup that keeps the foot comfortably in place while still allowing the slip-on functionality. On the footbed, custom watercolour artwork by artist Sage Adams handles the collab's visual signature detail — the same artist responsible for the fish graphics on the companion Authentic Knockdown. Finished with custom VANSZA hang tag and packaging.
Vans Knu Skool Black / White
The traditional full-heel Knu Skool execution
Shop Now →TL;DR – SZA x Vans VANSZA Knu Skool Mule 'Black / White' Release Date, Price & Where to Buy
- UK release date: Wednesday 21 October 2026
- Global release: Thursday 22 October 2026
- Model: Vans Knu Skool Mule (new mule construction)
- Colourway: Black / White
- Style code: VN00119WBA2
- UK retail price: £75
- Sizing: Unisex
- Where to buy: Vans online and select retailers
- Collection: VANSZA Drop 1 (also includes the Authentic Knockdown, style code VN00115AWHT); VANSZA Drop 2 scheduled for 8 April 2027 with the LX Tabi Hiker and Camo Knu Skool
- Key details: Mule construction removing the traditional heel section, sculpted heel cup for secure fit, oversized padded 90s-inspired Knu Skool proportions retained, oversized tongue, large 3D Sidestripe, black suede upper, custom Sage Adams watercolour artwork on the footbed, custom VANSZA hang tag and branded packaging
- Partnership: SZA's first full footwear collection as Vans' Artistic Director (partnership first announced 2025)
Release date and price
The VANSZA Knu Skool Mule 'Black / White' releases in the UK on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (per TSS listing), with the global rollout on Thursday 22 October 2026 via Vans online and select retailers. UK retail is £75. Unisex sizing.
The release lands at the end of a strong Vans year on the fashion side. The Pearlized Pack, Mattias Gollin collabs, the Chanel-inspired Souvenir Old Skool and various retailer link-ups have all signalled Vans' shift from retro basketball-market share towards designer-aesthetic territory. Launching a full Artistic Director-led collection with SZA as the first flagship project of that direction is a proper statement, and expect strong move-through — both the Knu Skool Mule and the Authentic Knockdown should perform particularly well with the SZA fanbase that has grown around her broader fashion presence over the past few years.
Design and details
What makes the VANSZA debut interesting beyond the names involved is the design approach. SZA hasn't simply applied new colours to existing silhouettes — she's reworked the construction of two separate models for her opening drop. The Knu Skool becomes a mule; the Authentic adds a collapsible heel and distressed canvas. Both reflect SZA's personal wearing habits — specifically her lifelong habit of stepping on the backs of her shoes. The VANSZA line reads as a proper designer-led partnership rather than a celebrity sign-off job.
The mule reinvention
The headline design story. The Knu Skool is one of Vans' most recognisable modern silhouettes — oversized, padded, 90s-inspired, with the chunkiest 3D Sidestripe in the Vans lineup. Turning it into a mule by removing the traditional heel section seems minor on paper but genuinely changes how the shoe wears. The sculpted heel cup replaces the full heel, keeping the foot in place and preventing the slip-off risk you'd otherwise get from a loose back. The result is a Knu Skool that functions as a true slip-on — easy-on, easy-off, sitting closer to a backless clog than a traditional sneaker — while keeping the oversized 90s skate shoe energy fully intact above the ankle.
Black suede build with the classics kept intact
The black suede upper gives the pair a quietly premium material feel compared to the standard canvas Knu Skool. Material aside, SZA has kept the model's defining visual elements fully intact. The oversized tongue, padded collar construction and the large 3D Sidestripe all stay — meaning this still reads unambiguously as a Knu Skool at a glance despite the mule reconstruction. Clean, functional, wearable. The white Vans sole unit handles the base, keeping the pair in line with Vans' signature profile.
Sage Adams footbed artwork
The collab's signature art detail. Artist Sage Adams handles the custom watercolour artwork on the footbed / insole — the same artist responsible for the fish graphics on the Authentic Knockdown's distressed canvas upper. On the mule, Adams's work appears specifically on the insole rather than across the full upper, meaning the exterior stays stealth-black while a hidden burst of colour lives underfoot. The pair finishes with custom VANSZA hang tag and branded packaging, carrying the collab's identity through to the end-to-end experience.
SZA x Vans VANSZA Knu Skool Mule 'Black / White' images
Credit: Vans
Vans Knu Skool BAPE Camo Green
Another standout Knu Skool collab in the current archive
Shop Now →VANSZA — SZA's full Artistic Director arc
SZA and Vans first announced their multi-year partnership in 2025, with the TDE artist taking on the role of Artistic Director of the SoCal brand. The role is a proper creative leadership position rather than a sign-off ambassador deal, and SZA spent the intervening period developing 1-of-1 custom pairs for herself before stepping into public-facing collaborative output. VANSZA is the resulting line — the public-facing banner under which her full creative output with Vans arrives.
The VANSZA debut is split across two sequential drops. Drop 1 (22 October 2026) covers the Knu Skool Mule and the Authentic Knockdown — both all-black-and-white builds that use construction modifications rather than colourway swaps. Drop 2 (8 April 2027) gets more experimental, introducing a brand-new silhouette called the LX Tabi Hiker — a low-top outdoor model with split-toe construction, cable laces, a rugged partially-wrapping outsole and no traditional tongue. The LX Tabi Hiker lands in three colourways (Blue / Orange / Green, Brown / Green, Black / Red), accompanied by a RealTree-style camo-covered Knu Skool. Alongside both drops sits a full apparel capsule — the Trompe L'Oeil fleece set, graphic hoodies, flame-adorned caps, denim jackets, pants and more. The whole project reads as a proper fashion-house-level build-out rather than a traditional sneaker collab, and should establish Vans' fashion-forward direction for the next 24 months.
Where to buy
The SZA x Vans VANSZA Knu Skool Mule 'Black / White' releases on Wednesday 21 October 2026 in the UK (global release Thursday 22 October) for £75 via Vans online and select retailers. Unisex sizing. Browse the full Vans Knu Skool collection, the wider Vans archive and other SZA drops on Side Kicks.
FAQ
When is the SZA x Vans Knu Skool Mule release date?
The UK release date is Wednesday 21 October 2026 per TSS listing, with the global rollout on Thursday 22 October 2026 via Vans online and select retailers. Unisex sizing.
How much does the VANSZA Knu Skool Mule cost?
UK retail is £75.
What's the difference between the VANSZA Mule and a standard Knu Skool?
The main change is construction. The VANSZA version removes the traditional heel section entirely and replaces it with a sculpted heel cup, turning the Knu Skool into a slip-on mule designed around SZA's own love of easy-on, easy-off styles. The oversized tongue, padded construction, 3D Sidestripe and overall 90s-inspired Knu Skool silhouette all stay intact above the ankle — this is a Knu Skool with a mule back end rather than a different shoe entirely. Also features Sage Adams custom watercolour footbed artwork, a black suede upper and custom VANSZA packaging.
What is VANSZA?
VANSZA is the collaborative banner between SZA and Vans, operating under SZA's role as Vans' Artistic Director (a partnership first announced in 2025). The debut drops across two phases — Drop 1 on 22 October 2026 (Knu Skool Mule + Authentic Knockdown) and Drop 2 on 8 April 2027 (new LX Tabi Hiker silhouette + RealTree camo Knu Skool). Both drops are accompanied by a full VANSZA apparel capsule.
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