Dylan; Sydney

Longterm IDYSM followers may recognise Dylan, he has grown with the project and always been a willing and able model for footwear for kids.  It also helps that he's my son.
I picked up these Puma Cabana Racer Si V's while in Hong Kong a few months ago and although too big at the time of purchase he's now grown into them and was happy to pose for their first wearing.
The shoes offer a mini-homage to the classic Cabana Racer and while looking sharp straight out the bag, I had to act quick as he was keen to put them to the test and give them a good workout (which in parenting terms means getting them filthy).
Dylan was kind enough to stand still long enough for the above shots in what are already his favourite kicks.

Hypebeast x Puma 'Dim Sum' Project

Our good friends at Hypebeast and Puma have teamed up on a new collab that takes the Puma Blaze of Glory shoe and reworks it, giving it a uniquely Hong Kong inspired twist.

Named 'The Dim Sum Project the shoe has been given 2 looks inspired by the infamous HK food, with the Har Gao (shrimp dumpling) and siu mai (pork dumpling) each inspiring a different design of the Blaze of Glory LTWT silhouette.

I was lucky enough to be sent a pair of the Har Gao shoes, which much like it's namesake dumpling, has a translucent upper over a camp pattern below and offers a great reworking of the shoe.

If you get the chance to check the shoes out please do - they're great, and a conceptual design that works with great detailing (aside from the shoe itself each pair also includes bamboo dustbags and chopsticks).

If this has got you pining for a taste of HK (sorry, bad pun), then I'm happy to share the below vid I made at the start of the year after my first trip there.  

Hong Kong was always a great city for many reasons, but now with the addition of 'shoe inspirer' on it's resume it got even better!

Say Hello To; EGPR

It's ladies day here on IDYSM as I was invited to check out what footwear trends are brightening up the office at EGPR in Sydney.

The fashion conscious crew had an array of footwear on show that varied greatly, but always made a clear statement about their style.

Tahnee's premium label on-trend Jeffrey Campbell wedges transform her classic monochrome outfit into a fashion forward look.  Carly likes to dress to impress with her Alexander Wang heels, while Sonja's urban chic is enhanced by the burst of colour and simple style from her Billie kicks, proving once again that shoes always speak volumes about their owner and their approach to style.

Me x Neuw Denim

As I've often said here on IDYSM; right behind great shoes, a good street look needs equally great denim.  Finding the right fusion of cut, wash and style can be hard to find, but since being introduced to the Melbourne brand Neuw a few years ago I've found it hard to stray from their gear.
I've shot a few things for them too so would like to think of the brand as very much a friend of IDYSM
so was honoured to be asked to interview the brand's creative powerhouses Par and Rich to preview their great new 'Goldmine' collection and unearth the fascinating story behind the range.
The above vid made by the very talented Luke at MadPantry films see's me chatting about the collection with the guys, in what is my first appearance on the other side of the camera for quite some time so excuse the 'rabbit in car headlights' look I seem to have perfected!

Simon; Sydney

Simon's a chef with a healthy appetite for kicks.  All brands appeal to his refined palate, but he does have one stipulation; only Hi Tops.
He picked up these adidas Originals Hardcourt Hi 2 from Foot Locker, a store he should be on commission for as he could not have spoken any more passionately about their stock, especially in their Melbourne store which he claims drops the best kicks around (and he wasn't happy that their drops are better than Sydney's - Foot Locker I hope you're listening!!).
Something Sydney does have though is a thriving sneaker scene among the chef community, I can't quite explain why, but it's out there, and is something I hope to 'serve up' more evidence of in the coming weeks for you to 'tuck into'.  I think 2 puns is enough.

Roadtest; Puma ACTV

Something a little different today, as rather than the sole's of shoes I've something barefoot to showcase, literally, as inspired by my current love/obsession with sand running shoes don't have much of a place...but premium athletic apparel does.
I was excited to be asked to put something a little bit different to the test in the form of the new Puma ACTV Apparel range.
ACTV is compression clothing designed to be worn during workouts, and combines science with style/comfort in the running tights that have made a huge difference to my own running.  On the science side - elasticized silicone tape is strategically placed on the inside of the garments to provide micro-massage in specific areas to the skin.
And on the comfort and style side they literally fit like a glove, and combine reflective logos for visibility, mesh panels for breathability, zippered side pockets for convenience, and dryCELL for wicking and comfort.
In terms of showing them off for this short fashion film I needed some help, and enlisted Kyle to wear the tights, and also Bondi Beach, my stomping ground for sand running.  The location is pretty epic and formidable first thing in the morning, and these tights are perfect to get you through it.

For more info on the ACTV range check here.

In Their Shoes; Chris 'Chicken' Chapman

Through IDYSM I've been lucky to meet some amazing people, and in some cases some good friends.  Chris aka 'Chicken' (more about that later) falls into that category, and his story makes for great reading in my latest 'In Their Shoes' interview.  

Chris' area of shoe expertise is in the world of 'running',  He has worked for some huge sneaker companies but has given that up to set up his own boutique running shoe company called 'The Running Company' in Australia.

I can speak first hand for Chris' knowledgable and personal service, after all, it was he that got me running again after 9 years of leg problems and operations that seemed at the time incurable.  His remedy - The Nike Free, a shoe he helped launch.  The rest is history as the shoe did more for my recovery than years of physio, and as such the friendship was made.

Chris has a top reputation in the shoe game and I thought it would be of interest to sit down and chat shoes with him.  A huge thanks to Chris for taking the time to speak about his background, the industry and that elusive nickname.

IDYSM: Hey Chris, you’re a man with quite a reputation in the sneaker game, tell us a bit about your background and your latest venture ‘The Running Company’.

Chris: I’ve been really fortunate in life, I love sneakers and I started off my addiction playing basketball when I was growing up in Adelaide. I remember my mum bought a pair of Air Revolutions, I was so in love with those shoes! When I was starting uni I got a job at Bailetti Sports in Adelaide, then Rowe and Jarman. It was from there that I met Paul Crough who was a footwear product line manager at the time at Nike, I told him I was going to travel Europe and he knew the HR manager at Niketown London. I ended up working almost a year there which then took me onto the Product Line Co-ordinator job with Nike in Melbourne, then EKIN* for NSW, SA and ACT (medical and technical rep, you should know the product back to front) and my final role at Nike was the National account exec looking after all Athlete’s Foot stores for Aus and NZ. I was really on the cusp of taking my next step in life and as life does, everyone comes to a fork in the road at one stage or another, mine was, do I move Overseas and work for Nike in Oregon in footwear development (what a dream job!) or I saw an opening in the Australian marketplace for what a good running store should be which wasn’t currently seen here. I seriously had been sick of travelling so much for work and really wanted to build something for myself, my closest friends and family whereby they can employ their passion and impart this and their knowledge to help runners achieve their goals here in Australia. I took the latter and here I am, about to make the next big move in my life…

IDYSM: I don’t think I’ve spoken to many people more knowledgeable or passionate about shoes in their field.  Where does this passion and knowledge come from?

Chris: I don’t know to be honest with you, I just love shoes, people and the rawness no bullsh*t that running is. It doesn’t matter what your surname is, how much money you have, running really brings everyone together with a common bond. The knowledge is just built up over time, I’ve been so very fortunate to work with people like Rob Flick, Scott Nicholas and everyone at Nike who all have amazing history with the brand and experience but are also amazing people, I’m very fortunate to be able to call them great friends, for me, it’s all about the people and the product.

IDYSM: You’ve previously worked for Nike and been involved with some iconic shoes such as the Free (you were in fact responsible for getting me into my first pair!), how great is it to be able to be involved with the design of a shoe, then actually see first hand the benefit it can have on people?

Chris: The FREE project really changed and challenged everything for me and a lot of other people too, I was just lucky to be upping my running and challenging pre existing thoughts around my time as I got the Ekin role, I actually think that I was the first person to do a marathon in a pair of FREE’s, it also happened to be my first marathon as well! It feels great to have been able to help people learn more about their running etc through the FREE as a training tool, I know of a lot of people who have foot issues due to either brain trauma or old age who have benefited from wearing them. The problem is that the pendulum has almost swung too far the other way and a lot of people who are wearing them don’t understand the concept as a lot of the retailers don’t care about their clients and just want to take as much cash as possible. In store we do a lot around Natural Motion and progressive adaptation and to be able to help people improve and stay injury free is the biggest thing for us, we love talking to and running with a lot of our customers who are doing this.

IDYSM: Running shoe sales are up year on year (increasing 6% in each of the past 2 years in North America alone), what do you think this boom is down to?

Chris: The GFC has really challenged a lot of peoples economic, family and social values, health and fitness has really become a focus and all you really need to do is get a good pair of wheels and you’re off. A lot of people have had that gym membership which cost them so much money but now have canned that, bought a good pair of shoes and they’re off.

Also marathon running, cycling and Ironman is now the new golf so more and more people are getting amongst it.

IDYSM: Running shoes seem to offer more choice than ever before – what’s going on?

Chris: 7 years ago, 1/3 of our current footwear selection didn’t exist, natural motion was something that only Nike had just ventured into. The other brands have seen this and have taken their own spin on natural motion, which I feel is a good thing as not just one brand can cater to every runner. Brooks have done well, Andre K who used to work on the Bowerman range at Nike now heads up Brooks and has brought their natural motion range of shoes called the “Pure Project” to life, this has seen Brooks really expand their product range and capture more sales and new runners. It’s like a tradies tool box, they won’t do all their work with just 1 pair of pliers, runners if they can afford it won’t do all their running in just 1 pair of shoes.

IDYSM: With brands each striving to offer shoes that are lighter, more flexible, and more colourful than anyone else’s, are we in a phase of seeing gimmicks sneaking into the running game?

Chris: Potentially and that’s our job to help sort the wheat from the chaff and keep them honest so that the consumer only gets genuine products which will help benefit them as a runner. There’s more connectivity than ever with digital now merging with the real world in every part of our lives, just look at Garmin connect, strava and Nike plus, so long as it’s motivating people to move, then I’m all for it, if it’s not, then it’s a gimmick.

IDYSM: How much of an influence have lifestyle trends started to effect running shoes?

Chris: Plenty! Brands are now starting to hone in on and cater to very specific demographics and their products show this. On top of this, the colour palate options now becoming available to the Australian consumer is being driven by the consumers hunger for more colour as opposed to the Seinfeld plain safe colours of black/white and blue. If people can have a functional running shoe which looks like more of a casual shoe as opposed to Jerry Seinfeld, we’re seeing them gravitate towards it.

IDYSM: What does the future hold for you, and the store?

Chris: Plenty! We’re really fortunate, we’ve seen rapid expansion from day dot but this is all based on people, it’s the key point of difference from the net.  I’m in the throws of developing the next store, put it this way, my house is 5km’s from one of Australia’s premier wine regions, runners need to hydrate right?

IDYSM: I have to ask - why are you known as 'Chicken'?
Chris: It's my famously skinny runners legs!  Before I started running, they were even skinnier than what they are now - that's bad!!!

IDYSM: And, last question…what’s on your feet right now?

Chris:  Flyknit Lunar one+.  The upper is amazing, I’ve dropped ½ size as the fit is like a glove and growing up playing football, I love my shoes to fit like a snug soccer boot, it’s ridiculously comfortable!

* EKIN is someone who knows NIKE backwards.
For more info on The Running Company click here.

Me x Platypus; Our Sneakers Your Story

Telling the story of people's shoes is something I probably know more about than most as for the past few years IDYSM has done just that on a daily basis with me unearthing the stories of sneaker wearers in cities around the world.
It seems that the Australian store Platypus is using a similar idea for their new 'Our Sneakers Your Story' campaign, so I guess it seemed apt that they asked me reveal my own story by picking a shoe from their store and telling you a bit about why I chose it.
Picking a single pair isn't easy as the vast array of stock on offer in any Platypus store is likely to give anyone a headache, but I finally decided to choose a shoe that combines an interesting story with a great look; the Nike Air Waffle.
The shoe of course tips a firm nod to Nike's history by using the same waffle name that Bill Bowerman started it all with, but with a modern twist and great colourways on offer (I went for the Sport Grey/Anthracite/Black/Metallic/Silver) 'the Waffle' is destined to be as much of a part of Nike's future as it is it's past.
I hate having shots taken of me, so the image above is pretty rare, but shows me wearing the shoe with Neuw Iggy Skinny jeans, a Undercover x Nike Gyakusou Tracksuit top and Saturdays NYC tee.

Palladium Party

 

Palladium are a brand we love here at IDYSM and have always had fun shooting (remember this and this?).

The brand are doing a big push to get their name out there and I was delighted to be invited to their Sydney party earlier this week to showcase the brand's new collection.

As always the brand are putting forward their classic silhouettes, but also in the mix are some new styles and colourways that will brighten the greyest of days over the coming Autumn/Winter months.

A great crowd was there to celebrate all things Palladium and if you're looking for a shoe to cope with anything including stage dives (ask Channel V's Danny Clayton) check out Palladium!

Jef: Sydney

OK, this spot excited me a lot.  I sometimes like to try and piece people together from their shoes and go all Columbo on them by working out their backstory from just their shoes, and in this guy I hit the jackpot.
So, the first thing that got my attention were this guys shoes; adidas Campus.  This classic shoe had me instantly thinking he was from the UK.  Why?  Well it's a popular British shoe, and coupled with the hair was something of a giveaway.  The feathercut is usually found on guys from the UK of around this age - usually ex-mod's, Paul Weller fans, Oasis/Britpop lovers who coincidentally all wore adidas religiously.
So, that was my snapshot judgement, and I'm pleased to say I was pretty near bang on.
Originally from Newcastle in the UK,Jef is, and always has been an adidas die hard but with a passion for one shoe and one shoe alone; the Campus.
This is an iconic 3 stripe silhouette and Jef is so passionate about it that he goes to great lengths to find them.  He struggles to find them in Oz (his new home) so often heads up to Hong Kong for the weekend to stock up on the shoe.  He's not too bothered whether he's picking up bootlegs or the real deal as he loves the shoe so much he's happy to rock them.
Personally, I have always favoured the Gazelle over the Campus, but I love this guys commitment and passion for a shoe that is part of his look and dare I say his life, and will go to any lengths to get.

Michelle; Sydney

One of the quickest meet's I've ever had, this was something of a speed interview as Michelle didn't have much time to chat.
What I did learn is that she seeks colour, and always wears bright and colourful outfits and in these Vans found a shoe that represents her colourful outlook on life.
Originally from Ireland she picked the shoes up in Sydney, and feels they represent something of Sydney in their bright, cheery appearance.
That is all she could add, but I found the colour co-ordination interesting.  Seems like a lot of effort went into finding, then wearing this top/shoe combo, so am guessing Michelle spends more time shopping than she does chatting.

Onitsuka Tiger Store Opening

This week saw Sydney proudly open the doors to an all new Flagship Onitsuka Tiger Sydney store and I was lucky enough to be invited to check out the store, the product and a few familiar faces in the crowd.
The store of course feature an array of great product from the iconic Japanese brand, featuring everything from classic shoe silhouettes such as the Mexico 66, all the way up to newer contemporary styles, and even a few asics big hitters like the Gel Lyte.
To mark the occasion a few familiar faces rocked up to support the store in the form of some of the brand's ambassadors (including Jesinta Campbell, Shannon Ponton from the Biggest Loser, as well as some of the brand's Sydney based sports ambassadors such as AFL star Kurt Tippet and NRL star Greg Inglis).
Graphic artists were on hand to customise shoes and each ambassador led the way showcasing their own take on the classic all white Mexico 66.
Check out the store now location on the Lower Ground Floor of the Sydney QVB.

Roadtest; Saucony Shadow Original

Ah, the classics, getting better with age and offering timeless style for the ages, and I think the Saucony Shadow Classic definitely falls into that category.
I was given the chance to give the show the Roadtest treatment and thought it was only fitting to give the shoe the true classic's treatment with this black and white homage.
The shoe rates well - style, well come on look at it, it's great, as is comfort, the only downside is price which is probably a little pricier than other shoes in it's field (I'm thinking the New Balance 574) but don't let that put you off as if you can afford a few extra dollars adding a pair of classic Saucony will definitely have you stepping out of the shadows.
For more info go to www.saucony.com

Tomasz; Sydney

After meeting Tomasz it didn't take long to realise we have a few things in common.  We're both photographers (him a successful fashion shooter whose work you can check here), and we both love Spring Court kicks. 

The French Brand seems to nurture a passionate following who become repeat customers once they have tried Spring Court shoes, and like myself, Tomasz found the combination of cost, comfort and style hard to beat after trying the brand for the first time.

These G2 Lo Cut White Canvas shoes are something of a signature shoe for the brand (as worn by John Lennon on the Abbey Road album cover) and were gifted to Tomasz after a shoot.  They're his first foray into canvas shoes from the brand (after like myself finding the black leather G2 as his first foray into Spring Courts) abut regardless of the model, finds all the brand's shoe capable of surviving anything he throws at them.

I'm delighted to add Tomasz to the I Dig Your Sole Man Spring Court fan club.  Let me know if you want to join, we're currently peaking at 2 members.  

Check out more from the brand here.

Tiger/Puma Street Football; Sydney

 

Football, despite your team, your nationality, your style, there are few things that can bring people together in quite the same way.  And last weekend saw football disciples from around the world descend on Sydney's Circular Quay for the Street Football tournament.

Backed by Tiger Beer and Puma the event was a non stop cavalcade of entertainment both on and off the pitch with plenty of sport, but also art, music, giveaways and even celebrities in the form of World Cup winning Italian Captain Fabio Cannavaro, a true legend of the game.

My eyes were on the football but also the sneaker and behind the scenes action, and it only seems right to share the key moments from on and off the pitch around the brand Puma who should be commended for backing such a great event - good work guys!