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                                                                    EXHIBIT 10.1

                                   VANS, INC.
                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

        THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT ("Agreement" herein) is entered into as of
January 8, 2002, by and between VANS, INC., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), and JOSEPH D. GILES ("Employee").

        1. Employment and Duties. Subject to appointment by the Board of
Directors, the Company hereby employs Employee as Vice President and Chief
Information Officer of the Company on the terms and subject to the conditions
contained in this Agreement. Employee shall be responsible for managing all
aspects of the Company's Management Information Systems Department. Employee
hereby accepts such employment and agrees to perform in good faith and to the
best of Employee's ability all services which may be required of Employee
hereunder, to do what is asked of him, and to be available to render services at
all times and places in accordance with such directions, requests, rules and
regulations made by the Company in connection with Employee's employment.
Employee hereby acknowledges and understands the duties and services that are
expected of him hereunder, and he hereby represents that he has the experience
and knowledge to perform such duties and services. Employee shall, during the
term hereof, devote Employee's full time and energy to performing his duties.
Employee shall report to the Senior Vice President -- Global Operations of the
Company, or such other executive officer or individual as may be designated by
the Company. Employee shall be based at the Company's corporate offices.
Employee understands, however, that Employee may be required to travel within
and out of the State of California to discharge his duties hereunder.

        2. Term of Employment. The term of this Agreement shall commence as of
the date hereof and shall terminate on July 7, 2005, unless sooner terminated as
provided herein. This Agreement does not give Employee any enforceable right to
employment beyond this term, and Employee agrees that he shall have no rights
hereunder thereafter. AS PROVIDED FURTHER IN PARAGRAPH 11.1 BELOW, THIS
AGREEMENT CONSTITUTES AN EMPLOYMENT AT-WILL THAT MAY BE TERMINATED AT ANY TIME
BY COMPANY OR EMPLOYEE, WITH OR WITHOUT CAUSE, NOTWITHSTANDING THE THREE-YEAR
AND SIX MONTH TERM OF THIS AGREEMENT. IF EMPLOYEE IS TERMINATED WITHOUT CAUSE
DURING THE TERM HEREOF, OR AFTER A "CHANGE IN MANAGEMENT OR CONTROL," AS DEFINED
IN PARAGRAPH 11.5 BELOW, OR TERMINATES THIS AGREEMENT FOR "GOOD REASON," AS
DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH 11.3 BELOW, EMPLOYEE'S SOLE REMEDY SHALL BE THE
COMPENSATION SET FORTH IN PARAGRAPH 11.4 BELOW.

Initial CEG                                                  Initial JDG
   Representative                                                    Employee
   of the Company


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        3. Salary Compensation. As salary compensation for Employee's services
hereunder and all the rights granted hereunder by Employee to the Company, the
Company shall pay Employee a gross salary of not less than $200,450 during the
term of this Agreement. Employee's salary shall be payable in bi-weekly
increments in accordance with the Company's payroll practices for salaried
employees, upon the condition that Employee fully and faithfully performs
Employee's services hereunder in accordance with the terms and conditions of
this Agreement. The Company shall deduct and withhold from the compensation
payable to Employee hereunder any and all amounts required to be deducted or
withheld by the Company under the provisions of any statute, regulation,
ordinance, or order and any and all amendments hereinafter enacted requiring the
withholding or deducting from compensation payable to employees.

        4. Expense Reimbursement. Employee shall be reimbursed by the Company
for all traveling, hotel, entertainment and other expenses that are properly and
necessarily incurred by Employee, pursuant to the Company's policies on the
same.

        5. Death or Disability of Employee.

            5.1 General. In the event of Employee's death or "disability" (as
such term is defined in Paragraph 5.2 hereof) while in the employ of the
Company, this Agreement, and the compensation due to Employee pursuant to
Paragraph 3 hereof, shall terminate upon the date of death or disability and the
Company shall thereafter be required to make payments only to Employee, as
provided in Paragraph 11.2 hereof. If Employee shall recover from such
disability prior to the expiration date of the Agreement, this Agreement and
Employee's employment hereunder shall be reinstated for the balance of the term
of this Agreement.

            5.2 Definition of Disability. Employee shall be deemed disabled if,
in the sole opinion of the Company, Employee is unable to substantially perform
the services required of Employee hereunder for a period in excess of 60
consecutive work days or 60 work days during any 90 work day period. In such
event, Employee shall be deemed disabled as of such 60th workday.

        6. Restrictive Covenant. During the term of this Agreement, Employee
shall (i) devote his full time and energy solely and exclusively to the
performance of his duties described herein; (ii) not directly or indirectly
provide services to or through any company or firm except the Company unless
otherwise instructed by the Company; (iii) not directly or indirectly own,
manage, operate, join, control, contribute to, or participate in the ownership,
management, operation or control of or be employed by or connected in any manner
with any enterprise which is engaged in any business competitive with or similar
to that of the Company; and (iv) not render any services of any kind or
character for Employee's own account of for any other person, firm or
corporation without first obtaining the Company's consent in writing; provided,
however, Employee


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shall have the right to perform such incidental services as are necessary in
connection with Employee's (a) private passive investments where he is not
obligated or required to, and shall not in fact, devote any managerial efforts,
as long as such investments are not in companies which are in competition in any
way with the Company; or (b) charitable or community activities, or in trade or
professional organizations, provided that such incidental services do not
interfere with the performance of Employee's services hereunder.

        7. Non-Solicitation. Employee shall not, during the full term of this
Agreement and for a period of one (1) year thereafter, for himself or on behalf
of any other person, partnership, corporation or entity, directly or indirectly,
or by action in concert with others, solicit, induce, suggest or encourage any
person known to him to be an employee of the Company or any affiliate of the
Company to terminate his or her employment or other contractual relationship
with the Company or any of its affiliates.

        8. Trade Secrets and Related Matters

            8.1 Definitions. For purpose of this Section 8:

                (a) "Records" means files, accounts, records, log books,
documents, drawings, sketches, designs, diagrams, models, plans, blueprints,
specifications, manuals, books, forms, notes, reports, memoranda, studies,
surveys, software, flow charts, data, computer programs, listing of source code,
calculations, recordings, catalogues, compilations of information,
correspondence, confidential data of customers and all copies, abstracts or
summaries of the foregoing in any storage medium, as well as instruments, tools,
storage devices, disks, equipment and all other physical items related to the
business of the Company (other than merely personal items of a general
professional nature), whether of a public nature or not, and whether prepared by
Employee or not.

                (b) "Trade Secrets" means confidential business or technical
information or trade secrets of the Company which Employee acquires while
employed by the Company, whether or not conceived of, developed or prepared by
Employee or at his direction and includes:

                        (i) Any information or compilation of information
concerning the Company's financial position, financing, purchasing, accounting,
marketing, merchandising, sales, salaries, pricing, investments, costs, profits,
plans for future development, employees, prospective employees, research,
development, formulae, patterns, inventions, plans, specifications, devices,
products, procedures, processes, operations, techniques, software, computer
programs or data;

                        (ii) Any information or compilation of information
concerning the identity, plans, requirements, preferences, practices and methods
of


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doing business on specific customers, suppliers, prospective customers and
prospective suppliers of the Company;

                        (iii) Any other information or "know how" which is
related to any product, process, service, business or research of the Company;
and

                        (iv) Any information which the Company acquires from
another party and treats as its proprietary information or designates as
"Confidential," whether or not owned or developed by the Company.

        Notwithstanding the foregoing, "Trade Secrets" do not include any of the
following:

                        (i) Information which is publicly known or which is
generally employed by the trade, whether on or after the date that Employee
first acquires the information;

                        (ii) General information or knowledge which Employee
would have learned in the course of similar work elsewhere in the trade; or

                        (iii) Information which Employee can prove was known by
Employee before the commencement of Employee's engagement by the Company;

            8.2 Acknowledgments. Employee acknowledges that:

                (a) Employee's relationship with the Company will be a
confidential relationship in which Employee will have access to and may create
Trade Secrets.

                (b) The Company uses the Trade Secrets in its business to obtain
a competitive advantage over its competitors who do not know or use that
information.

                (c) The protection of the Trade Secrets against unauthorized
disclosure or use is of critical importance in maintaining the competitive
position of the Company.

            8.3 Protection of Trade Secrets. Employee shall not at any time,
without the prior written consent of the Company, which may be withheld by it in
its sole and absolute discretion, disclose any Trade Secret in any way except to
employees of the Company, and shall not use any Trade Secret in any way except
in connection with his or her duties to the Company.


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            8.4 Records.

                (a) Ownership. All Records are and shall remain the exclusive
property of the Company.

                (b) Return of Records. At the termination of this Agreement,
Employee shall promptly return to the Company all records in Employee's
possession or over which Employee has control.

            8.5 Prohibited Use of Trade Secrets. During the term of this
Agreement and for 12 months following termination of this Agreement, Employee
shall not undertake any employment or consulting relationship (the "New
Activity") if the loyal and complete fulfillment of his duties in the New
Activity would inherently call upon Employee to reveal any Trade Secret.

        9. Ownership of Material and Ideas. Employee agrees that all material,
ideas, and inventions pertaining to the business of the Company or of any client
of the Company, including but not limited to, all patents and copyrights thereon
and renewals and extensions thereof, trademarks and trade names, and the names,
addresses and telephone numbers of customers, distributors and sales
representatives of the Company, belong solely to the Company. Employee hereby
assigns any rights he may have to any such property to the Company, and agrees
to execute and deliver any documents which evidence such assignment.

        10. Employee Plans, etc. Employee shall be entitled to participate, to
the same extent as most other officers of the Company, in any bonus compensation
plan, stock purchase or stock option plan, group life insurance plan, group
medical insurance plan and other compensation or employee benefit plans
(collectively, "Plans") which are generally available to a majority of the other
officers of the Company during the term hereof and for which Employee shall
qualify, including specifically (i) the Company's annual bonus plan for
executive officers pursuant to which Employee shall have the opportunity to earn
an annual bonus equal to thirty percent (30%) of his salary compensation,
subject to the terms and conditions of the plan, (ii) the Company's Long-Term
Executive Bonus Plan, and (iii) the Company's 2000 Long-Term Incentive Plan
pursuant to which it shall be recommended to the Compensation Committee of the
Board of Directors that Employee receive annual stock option grants of no less
than 4,000 shares per year. Employee further understands, however, that the
Board of Directors, or such committee or person or persons designated by the
Board of Directors, shall determine in its sole discretion (i) whether any Plans
are made available to a majority of the officers of the Company; (ii) whether
one or more Plans are adopted solely for the Chief Executive Officer and/or one
or more (but not a majority) of the officers of the Company; (iii) whether one
or more Plans are made available to a majority of the officers; and (iv) the
amounts payable or the benefits provided thereunder to each participant in whole
or in part. Employee agrees and acknowledges that he has no vested interest in
the continuance of any Plan, and that


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no Plan in existence on the date of the Agreement has acted as a material
inducement to Employee in entering into this Agreement.

        11. Termination.

            11.1 "At Will" Employment. This Agreement, and Employee's
employment, is at will, and the Company may, with or without notice, terminate
this Agreement and all of the Company's obligations hereunder with or without
"Cause." Employee may also terminate this Agreement at any time, for any reason,
upon the giving of thirty (30) days' written notice to the Company; provided,
however, the Company may waive all or any portion of such notice period in its
sole and absolute discretion. Termination by the Company for "Cause" means
termination due to (i) Employee's conviction of a felony ( which, through the
lapse of time or otherwise is not subject to appeal); (ii) Employee's material
refusal, failure or neglect without proper cause to perform adequately his
obligations under this Agreement or follow the instructions of his
supervisor(s); (iii) any negligence or willful misconduct by Employee; (iv)
Employee's material breach of any of his fiduciary obligations as an executive
officer of the Company; (v) Employee's material failure to adhere to the code of
conduct and rules set forth in the Company's Employee Handbook, as amended or in
existence from time to time; (vi) the death or disability of Employee; or (vii)
the voluntary termination by Employee of his employment, except for "Good
Reason" (as defined in Paragraph 11.3 hereof).

            11.2 Termination for Cause. Upon termination for Cause, the Company
shall only be required to pay Employee (i) accrued salary compensation due to
Employee as compensation for services rendered hereunder and not previously
paid; (ii) accrued vacation pay; and (iii) any appropriate business expenses
incurred by Employee in connection with his duties hereunder and approved
pursuant to Section 4 hereof, all through the date of termination. Employee
shall not be entitled to any severance compensation; bonus compensation, whether
"vested" or unvested; or any other compensation, benefits or reimbursement of
any kind.

            11.3 Termination for "Good Reason." Employee may terminate this
Agreement for "Good Reason" (as hereinafter defined) upon thirty (30) days
written notice to the Company. The term "Good Reason" means (i) Employee is not
appointed or is removed from the position of Vice President and Chief
Information Officer without Cause during the term of this Agreement; or (ii)
without Employee's consent, a majority of the duties defined in Section 1 hereof
are removed from Employee's responsibilities. The term Good Reason does not
include a situation where certain of the duties defined in Section 1 hereof are
removed from Employee's responsibilities and are replaced with duties which have
greater responsibility and/or authority than the duties which are removed.
Unless Employee terminates this Agreement within thirty (30) days of learning
from any source that the Company has acted so as to provide Good Reason for
Employee to terminate this Agreement, and gives thirty (30) days' written notice
of


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such termination, Employee's right to receive severance compensation pursuant to
Paragraph 11.4 for such event shall be forever lost.

            11.4 Severance Compensation. In the event (i) Employee terminates
this Agreement for Good Reason in accordance with Paragraph 11.3 hereof; (ii)
Employee is terminated for any reason (except death or disability) upon, or
within six months following, a "Change in Management or Control (as such term is
defined in Paragraph 11.5 hereof);" (iii) Employee is terminated without Cause;
or (iv) the Company does not extend the term of this Agreement for a reason
other than for Cause, the Company shall be obligated to pay severance
compensation to Employee in an amount equal to his salary compensation (at the
rate payable at the time of such termination) for a period of six (6) months
from the date of termination or expiration of this Agreement, as the case may
be. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Employee is employed by a new employer, or
as a consultant after the termination of this Agreement, the severance
compensation payable to Employee hereunder shall be reduced by the amount of
compensation that Employee actually receives from the new employer, or as a
consultant. However, Employee shall have a duty to inform the Company that he
has obtained such new employment, and the failure to do so is a material breach
of this Agreement. In such event, the Company shall be entitled to (i) cease all
payments to Employee under this Paragraph 11.4; and (ii) recover any
unauthorized payments to Employee in an action for breach of contract.
Notwithstanding anything else in this Agreement to the contrary, solely in the
event of a termination upon or following a Change in Management or Control, the
amount of severance compensation paid to Employee hereunder shall not include
any amount that the Company is prohibited from deducting for federal income tax
purposes by virtue of Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended, or any successor provision. In addition to the foregoing severance
compensation, the Company shall pay Employee (i) all compensation for services
rendered hereunder and not previously paid; (ii) accrued vacation pay; and (iii)
any appropriate business expenses incurred by Employee in connection with his
duties hereunder and approved pursuant to Section 4 hereof, all through the date
of termination. Employee shall not be entitled to any bonus compensation,
whether vested or unvested; or any other compensation, benefits or reimbursement
of any kind.

            11.5 Definition of "Change in Management or Control." The term
"Change in Management or Control" means (i) the time that the Company first
determines that any person and all other persons who constitute a group (within
the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
("Exchange Act")) have acquired direct or indirect beneficial ownership (within
the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of twenty percent (20%) or
more of the Company's outstanding securities, unless a majority of the
"Continuing Directors" (as such term is hereinafter defined) approves the
acquisition not later than ten (10) business days after the Company makes that
determination, or (ii) the first day on which a majority of the members of the
Company's Board of Directors are not "Continuing Directors." The term
"Continuing Directors" means, as of any date of determination, any member of the


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Board of Directors of the Company who (i) was a member of that Board of
Directors on the date of this Agreement, (iii) has been a member of that Board
of Directors for the two years immediately preceding such date of determination,
or (iv) was nominated for election or elected to the Board of Directors with the
affirmative vote of the greater of (x) a majority of the Continuing Directors
who were members of the Board at the time of such nomination or election, or (y)
at least four Continuing Directors.

            11.6 Exclusive Remedy. The payments referred to in this Section 11
shall be exclusive and shall be the only remedy available to Employee for
termination of his employment with the Company, regardless of the circumstances,
reasons or motivation for any such termination. If Employee gives notice of
termination of this Agreement, or if it becomes known that this Agreement will
otherwise terminate in accordance with its provisions, the Company may, in its
sole discretion, relieve Employee of his duties under this Agreement or assign
Employee other duties and responsibilities to be performed until the termination
becomes effective.

        12. Services Unique. It is agreed that the services to be rendered by
Employee hereunder are of a special, unique, unusual, extraordinary and
intellectual character which gives them a peculiar value, the loss of which
cannot be reasonably or adequately compensated in damages in an action at law
and that a breach by Employee of any of the provisions contained herein will
cause the Company irreparable injury and damage. Employee expressly agrees that
the Company shall be entitled to injunctive or other equitable relief to prevent
a breach hereof. Resort to any such equitable relief shall not be construed as a
waiver of any of the rights or remedies which the Company may have against
Employee for damages or otherwise.

        13. Key Man Life Insurance. During the term of this Agreement, the
Company may at any time effect insurance on Employee's life and/or health in
such amounts and in such form as the Company may in its sole discretion decide.
Employee shall not have any interest in such insurance, but shall, if the
Company requests, submit to such medical examinations, supply such information
and execute such documents as may be required in connection with, or so as to
enable the Company to effect, such insurance.

        14. Vacation. Employee shall have the right during each one year period
of the term of this Agreement to take an aggregate of three weeks of vacation,
with pay, at such times as are mutually convenient to Employee and to the
Company.

        15. Education Benefits. The Company shall pay the reasonable cost of up
to five (5) days of educational seminars for Employee each year, subject to the
reasonable approval of his supervisor.

        16. Notices. Any and all notices, demands or other communications
required or desired to be given hereunder by any party shall be in writing and
shall be validly given or made to another party if given by personal delivery,
telex, facsimile,


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telegram or if deposited in the United States mail, certified or registered,
postage prepaid, return receipt requested. If such notice, demand or other
communication is given by personal delivery, telex, facsimile or telegram,
service shall be conclusively deemed made at the time of such personal service.
If such notice, demand or other communication is given by mail, such notice
shall be conclusively deemed given forty-eight (48) hours after the deposit
thereof in the United States mail addressed to the party to whom such notice,
demand or other communication is to be given as hereinafter set forth:

        To the Company:    VANS, INC.
                           15700 Shoemaker Avenue
                           Santa Fe Springs, California 90670
                           Attn: General Counsel
                           562/565-8413 - facsimile

        To Employee:       Joseph D. Giles
                           (at the address set forth below his signature)

Any party hereto may change his or its address for the purpose of receiving
notices, demands and other communications as herein provided by a written notice
given in the manner aforesaid to the other party or parties hereto.

        17. Applicable Law and Severability. This Agreement shall, in all
respects, be governed by the laws of the State of California applicable to
agreements executed and to be wholly performed within the State of California.
Nothing contained herein shall be construed so as to require the commission of
any act contrary to law, and wherever there is any conflict between any
provision contained herein and any present or future statute, law, ordinance or
regulation contrary to which the parties have no legal right to contract, the
latter shall prevail but the provision of this Agreement which is affected shall
be curtailed and limited only to the extent necessary to bring it within the
requirements of the law.

        18. Attorneys' Fees. In the event any action is instituted by a party to
enforce any of the terms and provisions contained herein, the prevailing party
in such action shall be entitled to such reasonable attorneys' fees, costs and
expenses as may be fixed by the Court.

        19. Modifications or Amendments. No amendment, change or modification of
this Agreement shall be valid unless in writing and signed by all of the parties
hereto. Further, any amendment, change or modification of this Agreement
(including but not limited to the at-will nature of this Agreement as set forth
in Section 2 and Paragraph 11.1 hereof) must be approved in advance by the Board
of Directors of Company and reflected in the minutes of such Board's meetings or
in an action by unanimous written consent.


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        20. Successors and Assigns. All of the terms and provisions contained
herein shall inure to the benefit of and shall be binding upon the parties
hereto and their respective heirs, personal representatives, successors and
assigns.

        21. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire
understanding and agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter of
this Agreement, and any and all prior agreements, understandings or
representations are hereby terminated and canceled in their entirety and are of
no further force or effect, including, without limitation, that certain Vans,
Inc. Employment Agreement dated as of March 15, 1999, between the parties.

        22. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts.

        23. Arbitration of Employment Disputes. All disputes or controversies
arising out of the employment relationship between Employee and the Company,
including claims by the Company against Employee, and claims by Employee against
the Company, including but not limited to claims for wrongful termination;
violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; violations
of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; or claims for violations of any
State law, rule or regulation regarding discrimination, harassment or other
wrongful conduct, shall be decided by a single arbitrator in a final and binding
arbitration administered by either the American Arbitration Association or the
Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Service ("JAMS") to be conducted in Los
Angeles, California, in accordance with their rules, guidelines and standards
for employment arbitration. Notwithstanding anything in the rules of the body
administering the arbitration, or applicable law to the contrary, each party to
the arbitration shall be entitled to conduct sufficient discovery to adequately
prepare its claims or defenses for arbitration, including access to essential
documents and witnesses, to be determined by the arbitrator, subject to judicial
review as allowed by law. The arbitrator shall have jurisdiction to decide
his/her jurisdiction, any questions as to the arbitrability of such claims,
whether an agreement to arbitrate exists, or whether an agreement to arbitrate
covers the claims in question. The arbitrator shall have the authority to grant
any and all rights, remedies and relief that would otherwise be available to the
parties if the claims were brought in a court of law including punitive damages
and shall have the authority to award the prevailing party reasonable attorneys'
fees. The arbitrator shall issue a written award and arbitration decision that
sets forth the arbitrator's findings of fact and conclusions of law upon which
the award is based. Judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator may be
entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. The cost of arbitration (other
than Employee's attorneys' fees and costs) shall be borne by the Company.

        24. Survival of Certain Provisions. Sections 7,8,9, and 23 of this
Agreement shall survive the termination hereof.


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        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed this Agreement
as of the day and year first above written.

EMPLOYEE:                                THE COMPANY:

                                         VANS, INC.,
                                         a Delaware corporation

JOSEPH D. GILES                          By:  CRAIG E. GOSSELIN
----------------------------------           -----------------------------------
Joseph D. Giles

                                              Vice President and General Counsel
----------------------------------            ----------------------------------
Address                                       Title


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