Pumped Up: Sydney

Welcome to retro week!  The Puma competition is now CLOSED, and as I work my way through the fantastic entries that have come from far and wide I will treat you with some shots of my own before I reveal the winners on Thursday and Friday.

Originally from Adelaide this sneaker lover is a huge fan of all things retro.  He has a few pairs of Reebok Pumps, and to feed his retro habit further he doesn't only go through Australia's retro stores, he will go further, much further to get the kicks he likes.  Last year he went to the UK to get these Reebok Dual Pump Runners in this very rare colourway!

His Master's Voice: Sydney

By day Erin works as a Barista trainer for the coffee retailer Allpress, and usually wears black All Stars to work to help hide the spillages and stains that come her way.

Wanting to put some colour into her weekends she picked up these Nike SB Blazer Mid kicks off eBay recently and wore them with pride as she took her lovely dog for a walk around Bondi.

Thanks for all of your entries, but the Puma competition is NOW CLOSED.  The 2 lucky winners will be revealed next week as we go through some retro loveliness, so have a great weekend and we'll see you next week.

Sydney Candid 15

A great community of sneaker lovers can always be found at the Bondi Skate Park in Sydney.  I was firing off a few shots over the weekend and this was my favourite, I hope you like it.

The Puma comp IS STILL ON!!!  Check out the competition tab on the right for more info as you have a chance to win some great sneakers a clothes.

If Shoes Could Talk: Sydney

Only purchased a week ago, these shoes look in pristine condition...is something that I couldn't possibly say about these kicks.
3 years old, these classic All Stars are pretty well worn, but after all the owner has been through with them, he can't bear to throw them out.
Festivals, parties, bars, clubs, gigs: these sneakers have been through, and seen a lot, and in the owner's own words, 'if shoes could talk!'.

Thanks for all of he retro pics and stories you sent in over the weekend - keep the coming if you want to win some really great Puma Clyde kicks and a retro t-shirt or track dress - click on the competition tab for more info.

Sydney Footwear Candids 14

Due to the overwhelming popularity of our fantastic Puma comp we are going to extend the date for entries to Friday 27th August.  Please keep your great pics and fantastic stories coming in and we will pick the 2 winners (1 x Australian, 1 x International the following week on Thurs 2nd/Fri 3rd September).

Have a great weekend and here are some sneaker related candid shots for you to enjoy.

Sole Digger

Puma Comp - Of Course!

The following scene portrays 2 actual characters who are probably having a conversation somewhere right now.

Sneaker Lover 1: So, do you like free stuff?
Sneaker Lover 2: Of course.
Sneaker Lover 1: Do you like retro Puma gear?
Sneaker Lover 2: Of course.
Sneaker Lover 1: So have you heard about the I Dig Your Sole Man competition?
Sneaker Lover 2: Of course.
Sneaker Lover 1: So you know that all you need to do is take a pic of your fave retro kicks and in 50 words explain why you love them so much and you can win a great pair of Clyde's and a free retro t-shirt/track dress.  1 winner will be picked from Australia, and 1 other Internationally.  Oh, and entries have to be in by Friday 27th August.
Sneaker Lover 2: Of course.
Sneaker Lover 1: You're a bit of a know all arn't you?

Sneaker Lover 2: No comment.

Good luck

Just Ignore The Crazy Lady: Sydney

Stopping people on the street and asking to photograph their shoes can get some funny looks, and this shoot got a crazier reaction than any other I have shot yet.
Ryan (the subject in these pics) is a fashion photographer (you can check out his site here) was very happy to talk about his brand new Nike SB Tre ADs which he had spent a great deal of time researching, sourcing and importing from overseas.
Off camera however was a very distracting, and very crazy lady, and when I say crazy, I mean CRAZY.  She was shouting, swearing, ripping off her own clothes and wasn't happy with something.  Maybe she was more of an Adidas fan?

Master Threads: Sydney

Sydney's Paddington markets are a great spot for finding sneaker lovers, and it was here that I recently met Daniel whose unique outfit caught my attention.
A wannabe designer, he currently works in retail for the Sydney fashion store Monsterthreads.
He wears sneakers as often as he can and particularly likes lo-fi plimsoll style shoes - especially Vans and Cons.
With such a colourful/unusual look he needed some plain shoes to complete his outfit and these Vans Authentics in black were the perfect choice.

By the way, don't forget out great Puma comp.  Click on the Puma logo below for more info:

Breaking Them In: Sydney

This weekend shopper was out and about in Sydney's Paddington partaking in some retail therapy while breaking in these new kicks.  Only purchased a week before the shoes are a classic and timeless pair of All Stars that work well with his urban chic style.

Let's Go Retro - Puma Competition

We're teaming up with Puma to celebrate some retro sneaker loveliness, and you can win some fantastic prizes courtesy of the brand's 'Retro Archive'.

2 lucky winners will each stand of winning 1x pair of retro Puma Clyde's* plus you can also choose 1x tshirt, or retro track dress (as seen below).

 

 

To win, it couldn't be easier - simply send in a shot of you wearing your favourite retro kicks and in 50 words tell us why they have such a special place in your heart/wardrobe.

We will pick 2 winners: 1 from Australia, and 1 from overseas, and each will get 1 pair of kicks and 1 tshirt and/or track dress.

Get snapping and hit the contact button on the right to send your entries.  The closing date is Friday 27th August.

* The Clyde's will not necessarily come in the 'Baby Blue' colouring shown above.

To Be, Or Not To Be: Sydney

Shot late in the afternoon, this sneaker lover's monochrome style caught my eye as he chilled out watching the sun come down over the ocean.
A big kicks lover, his signature look sees him as a big fan of plimsoll style shoes, so Vans, Cons, Spring Courts have all been staples, but for now these Macbeth 'The Eliot' shoes are his sneakers of choice.
Primarily designed with skaters in mind, the brand's kicks make a great transition into urban casual style and he is already planning ahead for his next kicks to be another pair of Macbeths.

For Charity: Sydney

The Sydney City to Surf race saw Bondi awash with people yesterday, and among the crowds these kicks caught my attention.

Their owner is the founder of Half Star clothing who was on the streets selling candy to raise money for his mate's 21st, who had coincidentally been robbed while doing charity work!

These colourful All Stars were picked up about 4 years ago when released as Limited Edition shoes, and have been sitting in a cupboard for a few years.  After recently moving house the shoes were found and brought back to life and helped to inject some colour to their owner's monochrome oufit, and also his friends plight (I hope).

Puma Competition: Lets Go Retro!

This is something of a first for I Dig Your Sole Man as we are teaming up with Puma to celebrate some retro sneaker loveliness.

To commemorate the brand opening up their 'Retro Archives' where the brand pay tribute to their roots with inspired reinterpretations of classic designs from the last decades, we've some fantastic Puma retro goodies up for grabs.

2 lucky winners will each stand a chance of winning 1 pair of retro Puma Clyde's plus a tshirt, or retro track dress.

   

 

To win, we're asking you to send in your shots of your favourite retro kicks with the story of why they have such a special place in your heart/wardrobe.

We will pick 2 winners: 1 from Australia, and 1 from overseas, and each will get a pair of kicks and a tshirt.

A week of retro magnificence will begin on the site on Mon 30th August when we will post the best entries on the site before revealing the 2 lucky winners, so get your entries in quickly to stand a chance of winning these great prizes.

Get snapping and hit the contact button on the right to send your entries and we look forward to hearing from you.

Good luck, Sole Digger.

A Safe Bet; Sydney

Joe is a fellow TV Producer mate of mine who I have worked with on a few shows since moving to Sydney.  When we recently met up to watch the Argentina vs. Germany World Cup Quarter Final he wore these poignant Onitsuka Tiger Tai Chi's: a pair of shoes that mark his own victory in an England vs. Australia sports institution.

To commemorate each Cricket Ashes series Joe places a bet with a mutual friend Digby, with the prize for the winner being a pair of sneakers.
These shoes commemorate the first bet made between the pair, and when England romped the series Joe purchased what he found to be the most eye-catching shoes he could to rub in his/England's victory.
The Ashes will be taking place again this December/January and Joe has extra reason to hope for another England win as Digby is 6ft 8" tall and has a size 14 shoe, so finding some kicks to fit him could be a difficult and expensive form of revenge.

Double Whammy DIY; Sydney

This sneaker spot proved to be a double-the-value find as not only was their owner wearing a great pair of Nike Dunk High's, but he is also involved with designing sneakers of his own.

You can see that the sneaker lover has a great look that combines street with skate style, and this filters through into his fantastic store King of Nothing. 

The company have found success by using talents from youth subcultures to design and make apparel, and are now designing shoes through the initiative Canvas to Cotton.  They are using plain white Vans Sk8-Hi's as a blank canvas and through some incredible designs are transforming each shoe into a one-of-a-kind original work of art.