High school art classes are invited to participate in a national shoe customization contest.

Starting February 1st, art teachers can register their school for participation here at www.vans.com/customculture. If your school is one of the first 1,000 to sign up successfully, you'll be sent four pairs of Vans shoes to customize.

Design submissions will be accepted in March. Vans staff will narrow the national field of entries to 50 (selecting 10 schools from each of the five regions), after which the public will vote online to find the top five finalists. Those five finalists will be brought to Los Angeles for an exclusive event in May where a panel of judges will choose a winner. The winning school will be awarded a $50k prize for their art program.

Registration, design submission and public voting will all occur here at vans.com/customculture so check back periodically for details and updates. Questions? Visit our FAQ above or check out facebook.com/vanscustomculture. If you're still wondering about something, send us an e-mail at customculture@vans.com.

Registration Begins: February 1st, 2012