Sydney Footwear Candids 3

Stuck Together; Sydney

The top pair of shoes are not the only thing bound together here, as so are these 2 friends by their mutual love of sneakers.

Spotted at a local skate bowl, the skater in the top pics is a mad collector and owns both pairs of shoes on show here.

The 1st shoes are a special pair of Nike SB Dunk Hi Premium boots, called Shoe Goo.  Admittedly they have been patched up with some gaffer tape, but these are considered the most interesting shoe from the SB range.  Shoe Goo was actually a polyurethane-based adhesive that back in the day was used to strengthen skating shoes, and Nike have used the look and feel of the substance for the design of this rare shoe.  

The bottom pair of black Dunk Hi boots are actually women's shoes from the Nike Stiletto pack which were released in 2007.

Gone Fishing; Sydney

As you will have seen Bondi has given me some interesting sightings lately, and finding Lee was another great catch (please excuse the pun) as he returned from a fishing trip with his son Oscar.
Lee is a big sneaker fan and collector who always buys 2 pairs of any shoes that he likes, and he picked up these interesting boots from the Puma store on Oxford St in Sydney's Paddington.
Well worn and well loved, these are great boots that would look great on the high street or (in Lee's case) add a stylish highlight to any fishing trip.

* I havent' been able to find out the style name of this Puma shoe, so if anyone knows please feel free to get in touch and I will post it on the site.

Watch out for the rift; Sydney

At Bondi Beach you're most likely to find Havianas as the footwear of choice, so I was very pleased to see this avid shoe collector's limited edition Nike Air Rift's.

Originally designed for the Kenyan Running team, the Rift was designed to offer a barefoot feel, which allows the foot to work more naturally, and in turn enhance balance, control, and power.  Lightweight and functional Rift's can also be stylish as you can see from this special edition 10 year anniversary pair.

Ola Bondi; Sydney

Sydney is awash with visitor's at this time of year, each bringing their own look and feel to this unique city.  Originally from Northern Spain, this sneaker lover now lives in China where he works as a DJ, and his interesting background could be the influence behind his eclectic image which is punctuated by his cool old-school New Balance kicks.

The Write Stuff; Sydney

Bondi has a very distinct style within the Sydney fashion scene, and this combination of urban cool/meets beach chic is a perfect example.

By night Tyson is the owner of Thru the Grapevine, a hip Bondi bar, but by day he shows a more artistic side as he heads down to Bondi Beach to spend time writing short stories.  His new 2 week old Vans Era shoes in a great new color combination caught my eye as a focal point of his stylish image.

Neighbours; Sydney

I was stopped in my tracks in my own neighbourhood this week when I spotted these great, and rare Adidas ZX 700 Sport shoes.  The owner Jim is a Designer and Art Director and he imported the shoes from a sneaker store in Missouri in the US as this colouring is very hard to find in Australia.  Top marks for going to such lengths to get the shoes which work perfectly as part of Jim's urban summer style.

Not enough sole; Sydney

Nothing really to say here other than this odd sight caught my eye.

Blisters?, perhaps.  Old shoes?, possibly.  Very odd?, definitely.
I hope that the fashion police were called and a strict sentence was imposed.

Originally Original; Sydney

When The Satorialist came to Sydney and said that he couldn't find any well dressed men, it was a shame that he didn't run into my latest subject.  This eye-catching sneaker lover is a buyer for the very cool contemporary designer clothing store Incu, and his Adidas Full Back boots were a key part of his look.  These boots were only purchased a week ago, and are new exclusive releases from the A.039 range, a concept line within the Adidas Originals collection which has some great shoes and apparel in it's new 2010 collections.

Comments, Bo Jackson and my mate Steve

Just a quick note regarding comments.  A few people have emailed to say that they would like to make comments to the site but haven't been able to.  We had some technical problems but these have been resolved so please feel free to start leaving your thoughts, comments and musings.

As for my comments - top marks to my mate Steve in Hong Kong for his recent acquisition, some Nike Air Max Light Bo Jackson's, some very nice new shoes with some great detailing.  I hope I can get up to Hong Kong soon so that we can take some shots of you and the shoes to put up on the site.  For now, these will have to do...

 

Struck by the Max; Sydney

Long hours and being on your feet all day means that working in retail can be hard work.  That doesn't mean to say that it can't be done with some fun though.

Spotted on a Sales Assistant in the SP1 store at The Galeries Victoria in Sydney were these Air Max 1 Atmos shoes.  The owner told me that the shoes were released in 2007 as part of a 'Quickstruck release', which means that Nike only sold the shoes through selected stores for a limited time.  Needless to say these are rare shoes which in turn are rarely worn by their owner.

So it goes to show you, if you shop around, you can find some interesting shoes out there.

Episode II, The Empire Stripes Back; Sydney

Bouyed by Ben's enthusiasm I visited Sydney's Adidas store to check out the Star Wars releases in person.  The store had been awash with customers early on with key shoes selling out inside 20 minutes. I was lucky enough to find this sales assistant though who had stumped up $250 to get his own pair of themed Imperial Stormtrooper kicks which he couldn't resist wearing.
The look and feel of the range was pretty impressive with the shoes sold in merchandising style packaging similar to that used for Star Wars toys.  The shoes themselves turned out to be more modest and functional than I was expecting, but they had some great detailing as you can see from the back of the Stormtrooper shoes.
Star Wars fans and sneaker lovers look set to go to war as these could all become collectors items.

Epilogue
I should add that I don't know if Ben ever got a pair of the Star Wars shoes, whether he could be lured to join the 'Adidas' side, or whether he decided to stay true and remain a Puma-ite.

Episode 1, The Empire Stripes Back; Sydney

When I spotted this sneaker lover in Surry Hills he was about to embark on a journey to a galaxy far far away.  Well not that far to be honest, but he was on his way into the centre of Sydney to check out the launch of the Empire themed shoes and apparel from the new Adidas Star Wars range.  As part sneaker enthusiast and part Star Wars collector this was a special day for Ben, however he is a huge Puma fan and it meant that he was considering entering the rival world of 'Adidas' (cue dramatic drumroll).
His existing Puma 917 Mid-Manga shoes are from the brand's cult classic Manga range that offer a unique 'hand-drawn' look on some creative contemporary footwear that show real out of the box thinking.  As for Ben and his quest;  May the force be with you!

Anyone for Lust?; Sydney

Are you an aspiring bass player looking for the chance to rock out on a national tour of Australia?, if so then the band Lust are looking for you.

The band's bass player left the band 3 weeks ago, and with a tour starting in February supporting Kiss' Ace Frehley the search is on to find a new recruit.

I spotted the band's lead guitarist 'Ronnie Rocker' in the middle of Sydney while handing out flyers and like any true rock star he takes his appearance very seriously.  These classic Converse All Stars play a key role in his iconic image, and I'm told that they're worn 24/7 on stage and off so I assume that they're worn for driving Rolls Royce's into swimming pools, biting heads off bats and throwing TVs out of hotel windows.

C: Tiger Smart Casual V.2; Sydney

This programmer was spotted enjoying the summer tranquility of Sydney's Hype Park as he ate his lunch.  He wears these classic Onitsuka Tiger Budokan shoes everyday as they give him the perfect mix of style and comfort to achieve the smart/casual look that is perfect for his city job.
The Budokan shoe was initially designed for fencing, but is now very hard to find in the stores, so if you see a pair program yourself to pick them up.

Top of the Class; Sydney

Spotted in Sydney's Hype Park were these high school students during their lunch break.  The owner of the classic All Stars was a really interesting character, and she had a very distinct look which combined both edginess and innocence.  She has had her shoes for 3 years and purchased them from a sale rail for $50, and says that they have been worth every cent.

Sydney Footwear Candids 2

Spring in Summer; Sydney

Spring Court shoes are becoming increasingly popular and offer a great contemporary look as seen here on this owner whose shoes make a great centerpiece to his quintessential 'Sydney' summer style.  Made famous on the cover of Abbey Road when John Lennon wore the companies first white shoes, Spring Court's plimsoll style boots and shoes have become an increasingly popular choice for the trendy and style conscious.  French made, Spring Court have varying styles and colours, but these classic black B2 mid tops are among the brand's most iconic.

Very Well Read: Sydney

They say that buses all come along at once, and it seems that Vans are pretty much the same.  These 1 month old red Vans were spotted not long after I met Andreas on Oxford St.  The classic shoes belong to a Sydney Graphic Design student who I saw on Queen St in Woollahra, a lovely leafy St the sort of which I didn't expect to find before moving to Sydney.  I really like the lighting in this shot which was made by the lovely mid-afternoon soon,  which works perfectly to catch the shoes, and the owner's girlfriend's scribbling which you can see on his feet.  Bean and Partridge anyone?