Ricardo; Sydney

Ricardo is originally from the West coast of Ireland and moved to Australia 4 years ago.  Since moving to Oz he has tried to embrace the country's laid back lifestyle and has relied heavily on Australia's most iconic sneaker to do so as it's not until he finishes work and slips into his beloved Volleys that he feels fully relaxed.

He has had a few pairs, and always goes for the Volley in it's trademark colouring of white with greeen/yellow detail and I have a feeling that Ricardo won't be alone in wearing the Aussie sneaker over the coming months as with a new promotional campaign and reports that the little shoe from Oz is making big noises in NY, it's very much a style to look out for this season.

Bondi United; Sydney

  

Bondi's skate scene is always a source of interesting sights, people and shoes.  It seems that my work is getting more and more interest from the skate community who like my unique take on their sport, culture and fashion so here are some recent shots from my local Bondi skate park.

Clean Your Teeth After Eating; Sydney

Dan is a highly recognisable Sydney chef who runs the fantastic Ms Gs Restaurant/Bar.  However, it wasn't his prowess in the kitchen that caught my attention, but instead, his appetising taste in sneakers.

Dan is a huge New Balance fan, and has an array of shoes that he rotates between keeping on ice and wearing, with a keen eye for the iconic classic 1500 model (including some Crooked Tongues x Solebox 1500s).

These are another Solebox collab, the Cool Mint colourway 'Toothpaste' shoe which is a great fusion of a conceptual design with a very wearable shoe which is super fresh and gives Dan's feet a look as tasty as the food he serves.

Anti Heroes; Sydney

 

 

Atsushi (left) is from Japan, and Chenxing (right) is from China, and since moving to Sydney as students they have been brought together by a mutual love of skating.

They both love the activity of skating, and the fashion that goes with their favourite past-time.  However, while they both love apparel from the brand Anti Hero, they each have a different taste in skating footwear.

Atsushi used to be a big Vans fan but now has a soft spot for Etnies and has a few pairs of the brand's footwear.  Chenxing on the other hand is a huge Vans fan with a number of brands in numerous colours.

It was great to meet the guys, and with me being from the UK, it was a good example of how the universal language of sneakers can bring people from all around the world together.

On The Move; Sydney

Sometimes spotting sneaker wearers requires quick action.  These pics are not my best, but I like them, they act as a sign of the vibrant Sydney summer that's on the way which means more light, more time outdoors and more spots!  I can't wait!

Blinding Shoes; Sydney

This sneaker find has a globe-trotting International flavour to it; I met Frederico in Sydney at Bondi Beach but he was born in Mozambique, raised in Portugal, before moving to Brisbane, then settling in Bondi. Phew!
Frederico seems to love drawing on his travels for inspiration; he's a musician about to launch a site on Cargo Collective called 'Maputo' which is an experimental type of music named after the town he was born in Mozambique.  And his sneakers also draw on his travels, as they were purchased in the city he first arrived at in Australia; Brisbane at the fantastic sneaker store Laced (see more here).
Fred has a cool look that brings some well co-ordinated colour together with a great summery vibe, which is all the more amazing as he told me that he's colour blind.

On The Job; Brisbane

The observant among you will know that my background is in the TV industry, and over the past few months I have been travelling around Australia making a new show about a sport I know little about; cricket.

Above are some candid shots that I took on set, which was an interesting experience from IDYSM's perspective as being around sports people it allowed me to find out more about how footwear for athletes is a practical choice, rather than a mere style choice.  The demands of playing at the highest level mean support and stability are often more important than aesthetics.

Normal service is resumed on the site now though as shooting is over, but with my current interest in circles, the set was an interesting place to shoot.

New News

I Dig Your Sole Man is reaching out to more and more people.  In the UK our collabs with the likes of RWD mag and the guys at Sole Heaven are ongoing, as are our Australian links with Vice, and style guide Mecho.

It's great to add to the roll call though, and below are a couple of new places that you can see some I Dig Your Sole Man love.

The Camera Club - 'Meet The Locals' Exhibition
I've been honoured to be invited to exhibit a couple of images at an upcoming exhibition in Sydney run by a group called The Camera Club.  They recently interviewed me which you can see here.

G-Street 
G Shock's roll call of Australian street snappers and writers has been added to with the addition of...me!  You can check out great content from contributors all over Sydney and I will be giving my weekly picks from I Dig Your Sole Man, as well as coverage of Sydney related G Shock news and events on the site here.

Everguide
and coming soon...I've teamed up with the music, arts and entertainment bible that is everguide to offer some style tips for those planning to make the most of the upcoming festival season so keep an eye out for it.

And obviously don't forget to stay tuned for more great collabs, comps, link ups and shoots coming up on the site and if I've not put enough on your plate there is one more thing...don't forget to spread the word!!!

Rolando; Sydney

Rolando is a HUGE Vans lover, and I had the pleasure of meeting him at the Sydney Outpost Art Project recently (see more here).

He has 7 pairs of Vans in different colours, and as soon as one pair gets consigned to the scrap heap another pair is purchased to take their place.

In addition to getting his 'shoe story' it was also great to meet Rolando as he's a fan of the site - so be prepared, if you're a fan and you're out there in your kicks this weekend our paths may soon cross!

Converse is Calling

If you're in Melbourne and love all things Converse then you can get up close and personal with the brand like never before.

Not only is a brand opening a new Flagship Store this week (at the Melbourne Central Shopping Centre), but they're also offering you the chance to appear in their new campaign.
Check out the video below and if you feel like becoming a new 'All-Star' I wish you the best of luck.

SD

Samantha; Sydney

 

After $arsha brought some colour to IDYSM on Monday, Samantha is joining us today to crank things up further and serve up another Technicolor treat.

To be short, Samantha loves sneakers.  She is a big collector and loves to share her love of kicks by injecting some colour and style into passers by on the street, especially on a bright and sunny day when it would be a crime to not wear colourful shoes.

She loves all brands, but as a dancer has developed a taste for shoes with strength and support and in the Nike 6.0 Mogan has found the perfect shoe to cater for all occasions.  She owns a few pairs of the shoes in a variety of colourways with this pair possibly being the most colourful pair in her collection (which doesn't look out of place with her eclectic look of that also features some animal print leggings and her beloved Louis Vuitton jungle themed bag).

Shot against this monochrome backdrop her look is radiant and perfect for the Sydney summer.

Walk On The Wild Side/Circles Pt III

  

I took some recent time out to getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life with the family, and found that the delights of nature generated some interesting sights that really caught my attention.
While walking along some surf friendly coastline I spotted some interesting circular designs that generate the latest shots from my circle inspired shots (see here and here for some examples).
Don't worry - more sneaker and street shots tomorrow but just wanted to share these with you!

Vanguard; The Video

You will remember that a few weeks ago we went behind the scenes with Australian menswear brand Vanguard (see here).
It's now time to go even further behind the scenes of this colourful brand with a video from an interview I did with the brand's founders Sam and Jono Cottee.

Video content is something I hope to add more of in the future, but for now check out the I Dig Your Sole Man video archive here on Vimeo.

On The Road/Reflections Pt II

It's great to be back in Sydney and on the lookout for great street style again.  I am constantly looking for people and sights to shoot, and it dawned on me that when driving some interesting sights whizz past.  I decided to shoot a few frames from the car (while stationary and pulled over of course) with shots leading on from some reflection based images you may remember from a while ago (see here).

This is something a bit different to what I'm used to posting so I hope you like it.

$arsha; Sydney

$arsha is a Sydney based soul singer who prides herself on using fashion as a form of self-expression.
Her eye-catching look combines raw femininity with bold colour and textures that from what I am told constantly evolves, and she is currently going through a metallic phase that in this outfit is tied together with gold nails, a bejewelled phone and of most interest, her shoes.
These 2009 Nike Wmns Dunk High 'Metallic Silver' kicks hit the right notes by punctuating her look with some serious bling.  The $ in her name must also come from some financial smarts, as she saved some serious $$$ by picking up these shoes from a Sydney Nike retail outlet which I like many of you out there am always keen to browse for bargains.
$arsha has a great look that certainly doesn't conform to anything other than a love of being individual, and a love of sneakers - good work $arsha.