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                                                                    EXHIBIT 10.3


                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT



               THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT ( "Agreement" herein) is entered into
as of November 1, 1997, by and between VANS, INC., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), and SCOTT BRABSON ("Employee").

               1. Employment and Duties. The Company hereby employs Employee as
Vice President - Sourcing of the Company on the terms and subject to the
conditions contained in this Agreement. Employee shall be responsible for
managing and supervising all aspects of the Company's product - sourcing
operations. 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 President and Chief
Executive Officer. 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 October 31, 2000, 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 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 /s/                                                Initial /s/ 
        -----------                                                ----------- 
   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 $170,000 per annum.
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


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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 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;

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                                (ii) Any information or compilation of
information concerning the identity, plans, requirements, preferences, practices
and methods of 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 or her 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. 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 no Plan in existence on the date of the
Agreement has acted as a material inducement to Employee in entering into this
Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section10:
(i) Employee shall be entitled to receive yearly bonus under the Company's Bonus
Plan, up to thirty percent (30%) of his gross salary on the date each such Plan
commences; (ii) One-half of Employee's bonus for fiscal year ending May 31, 1998
shall be guaranteed; and (iii) the Company shall recommend to the Compensation
Committee of the Board of Directors 


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that Employee receive a grant of an incentive stock option for 25,000 shares,
vesting over a five-year period.

        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 - Sourcing 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);" or (iii) Employee is terminated without
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 the lesser of (i) the remaining portion of
the term of this Agreement, or (ii) six (6) months from the date of termination;
provided, however, if Employee is employed by a new employer, or as a consultant
during such period, 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
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 


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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. 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, 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 

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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
                            562/565-8402 - facsimile


        To Employee:         SCOTT BRABSON
                             (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.

               16. 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.

               17. 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.

               18. 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.

               19. 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.

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               20. 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.

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

               22. Arbitration of Employment Disputes. Any dispute or
controversy arising out of this Agreement or the employment relationship between
Employee and the Company shall, at any time following the termination of
Employee's employment, be submitted to final and binding arbitration that shall
comply with the applicable arbitration rules of Judicial Arbitration and
Mediation Service ("JAMS")/Endispute, and judgment upon the award rendered by
the arbitrator may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.
Provided, however, that this agreement to arbitrate does not effect any action
by the Company to enforce its rights to protect trade secrets or confidential
information through an action for injunctive relief. The cost of arbitration
(including reasonable attorneys' fees) shall be borne by the losing party. The
arbitration shall occur in Orange, California and the parties hereby consent to
the jurisdiction of the arbitrator and to service of process. EMPLOYEE HEREBY
UNDERSTANDS THAT, BY SIGNING THIS AGREEMENT, HE IS AGREEING TO HAVE ANY CLAIM
HEREUNDER DECIDED BY NEUTRAL ARBITRATION AND IS GIVING UP THE RIGHT TO A JURY OR
COURT TRIAL.

               23. Survival of Certain Provisions. Sections 7,8,9, and 22 of
this Agreement shall survive the termination hereof.

               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

/s/  SCOTT BRABSON                          By: /s/ GARY SCHOENFELD
---------------------------                    ------------------------- 
     Scott Brabson                             Gary Schoenfeld
                                               President and CEO
---------------------------                    -------------------------
        Address                                           Title

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