The Vans Classic Slip-On 'Checkerboard' was originally designed by Steve Van Doren during the late 1970s. He was inspired by teenage skaters who would add checkerboard patterns to the white rubber midsoles of their shoes using black pens. However, it was the 1982 movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High that propelled this shoe to fame. In the movie, Sean Penn's character, Jeff Spicoli, wore the iconic checkerboard design and it gained significant attention. A memorable scene in the movie's trailer showed Jeff hitting himself with his new pair of checkerboard shoes after taking a hit from a bong. This further cemented the shoe's popularity and made it a beloved symbol of the stoner subculture.