Nike Australia World Cup Kit Launch: Sydney

World Cup fever is hitting the globe, and when Nike today revealed Australia's World Cup 2014 kit, excitement levels Down Under reached Fever Pitch.

Although Australia have been drawn in a group of death with Chile, Spain and the Netherlands, the excitement to see The Socceroos on the world stage is something that unites the nation, and although they may face a battle to qualify from their group one thing is for certain, with their new retro styled Nike kit, they will certainly be one of the best dressed teams in Brasil.

The new kit embraces new and old...firm retro styling as nod to the Australian 1974 team, fused with modern tech allowing for a breathable kit to optimise performance.

Echo'ing this embrace of new and old the start studded event saw an array of contemporary stars including current Socceroos Mark Bresciano and Michael Zullo modelling the strip, with Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou also in attendance.

The crowd included some iconic figures ranging from pundit Les Murray, to John Aloisi, Brett Emerton all at hand to see the new kit, and some flywire action of a model suspended in the air wearing the kit.

It may sound bizarre, but maybe it's a precursor to Australia running rings around the opposition in Brasil!

Arsenal vs Cardiff City; London

I get some pretty cool invites to things, but this one possibly tops the lot as I was invited to shoot at the Premier League match between Arsenal and Cardiff City on New Years Day.
As a huge football fan this was something of a dream as I've never been to the Emirates stadium before, and with exclusive access I was able to capture to game in my own way, focusing on the match, the atmosphere, and of course, some of the product on display.
I decided to document the events of the match in the above photo showcasing what happened on and off the pitch from kick off through to the relief of a hard fought win at the final whistle.
Nike and Arsenal have been synonymous together for a long time (I believe Arsenal were the first team to ever be sponsored by Nike) so I decided to shoot the action with a specific interest in Nike, and their flagship player Theo Walcott - who I was fortunate enough to be front on to shoot up close and personal in his green Nike Mercurial Victory GS boots.
The action, the passion of the fans (who were cold and wet from the pouring rain) and the sense of occasion when Arsenal scraped a late win was euphoric, and could play a huge part in the team wearing Nike when they possibly lift the Premier League trophy in May.
90 minutes, one game, one rollercoaster, one of the greatest dramas your eyes can ever witness.

Yohji Yamamoto x adidas adizero f50

The striking special edition Yohji Yamamoto x adidas adizero f50 football boot has become one of the most talked about sports shoe designs of recent times.
The eye-catching design is based on strong Japanese-centric imagery including imperial lion-dogs who once guarded the emperors of Japan. However, through a modern update they have now been placed in the context of Japan’s sci-fi culture to unite the past and present.
With only 2000 pairs released Internationally I was honoured to be sent a pair, and the following is my take on an ad for this unique footwear.
If you're lucky enough to check these boots out then I urge you to do so - while the design will polarise many, respect must surely be shown for trying something so bold, bright and dare I say...brilliant!

Local FC 2013

Local FC is the brainchild of Chad Gibson, a hugely passionate soccer fan who feels the beautiful game has the power to bring us all together.
Chad's had a lifelong relationship with the game, and knows more about it than most having been born into the sport and reaching dizzying heights as a player, but by his own admission he's never loved the game more than he does now, and in Local FC he's sharing his passion with Sydney in the 2nd Local FC Tournament.
Huw Bennett (of Vanishing Elephant) and Gabe Knowles have teamed up with Chad in an epic 0-0-3 formation to make this year's even bigger and better than last years, in a Cup day that celebrates sport and bringing people together in the best possible way, by bringing people together regardless of the team's they support or boots they wear.
This weekend see's the tournament return, so check out this little ad I put together for Chad, Huw and Gabe who have put the event together and show your love for Local FC right now by heading to the project's site here, and if you're heading to the tournament I hope to see you there.

Keep an eye out for Local FC, in addition to the Cup, and ongoing work on Chad's website the boys are also putting together some great podcasts too (check it out 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!

Local FC; Sydney

As a a HUGE football fan, I was very excited to see the world game become local recently with the inaugural Sydney 'Local FC' tournament.  The football loving collective shares an appreciation of the core values of the beautiful game, and last weekend they took to the pitch to show their skills with the first ever tournament in Redfern, Sydney.  A number of stylish teams were present from the likes of Vanishing Elephant, Nike, Havianas (and more) and needless to say the skills on the pitch, and the footwear on display was equally stylish.

A big thanks to Huw for the invite, and congrats to Team Vanishing Elephant for being crowned the winners at the final whistle.

I put together this short video of the day, and thanks to Tamron and Lensbaby for the loan of some great new kit to play around with.

Music: Can I Kick It; A Tribe Called Quest (available on iTunes).

Recap - NIke Mercurial Vapor III

The increase in video content on IDYSM has been great to work on, it's all made by yours truly - from producing, to coming up with ideas, shooting, directing and editing so it's pretty time consuming, and when leg models are needed I also step in (my cameo as the footballer in this clip is among my finest work - although filming myself running around got some curious looks from passers by).
I'm always interested in the innovations and developments of sports related product and this innovative boot from Nike was remarkable - incredibly lightweight and striking in both design, colour and speed, which I hope I did justice to.

Nike Mercurial Vapor VIII

As a huge football (or Soccer as you Americans and Aussies call it) fan, I'm always interested to see new product and design related to the sport.  Perhaps unsurprisingly I've always been interested in football boots and the last few years have seen some incredible innovations and developments that have helped change the landscape of sports footwear.
At the forefront of these innovations have been Nike, with their Mercurial range of boots setting the standard for Elite Lightweight Footwear since the late 90's.
Since then the Mercurial range has constantly evolved with newer, lighter and more dynamic designs, and with the current launch of the Mercurial Vapor VIII, the brand have produced their lightest boot yet.
Nike gifted me with a pair of the new Mercurial Vapor VIII – and as a result, have created my vision on some fantastic product that I was more than happy to roadtest.
Enjoy!