In the mid-1960s Randy's dispatched Van Doren, his brother and Lee to right the ship at an underperforming factory in Gardon Grove, California, said Paul Van Doren's son, Steve, in the book "Sneaker Freaker: The Ultimate Sneaker Book.".
Paul Van Doren came out of semi-retirement to save the company, eventually taking over from brother Jim in 1987, Steve Van Doren said.In 1988, Paul Van Doren sold the company for $75 million.The company eventually added a factory in San Diego, but it outsourced all its production to Asia in the 19990s, Steve Van Doren said.
In April, Paul Van Doren published, "Authentic: A Memoir by the Founder of Vans." He said he was more of a problem solver than a visionary