Vans Unveils Harry Potter Sneaker Collection
(CNN) -- Skateboarding brand Vans has just dropped its Harry Potter collection, proving that even 12 years after the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," J.K. Rowling's final novel in the series, the magical franchise still has legs.
The collection, released on Friday, includes footwear, clothing and accessories inspired by and named after the four houses from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and is available to buy in Europe and the US.
The shoe company teased that the collaboration was coming in April, tweeting "Something magical coming soon," along with a branded Harry Potter video.
"The footwear, named and styled after each house from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, will feature four exclusive colorways in Vans' classic silhouettes -- a Sk8-Hi for Gryffindor, an Era for Slytherin, Authentic for Ravenclaw and the Classic Slip-On for Hufflepuff," Vans said in a press release.
The collection also includes a shoe covered in newsprint inspired by the wizarding newspaper, The Daily Prophet, and a "Dark Arts"-themed backpack.
Since the first book in the series was released in 1997, half a billion Harry Potter books have been sold and the series has been translated into 80 languages, according to the series' official site.
The books have inspired movies, theme parks and a Broadway musical. Rowling launched Pottermore.com in 2011 as Harry Potter's official web home and a digital interactive site for fans. The publishing arm produces Potter-related e-books and audiobooks.
The Harry Potter collection is just the latest of Vans' pop culture collaborations.
In April, the brand paid tribute to musician David Bowie with the launch of a capsule collection, and in February it launched a collaboration with Led Zeppelin, marking the 50th anniversary of the brand's self-titled debut album.
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