Miss Underground; London

Say hello to Jess, aka. Miss Underground.  She has made it her mission to go on an epic photography mission around London, with her Converse All Stars following her every step of the way.
Jess's work isn't about sneakers though, her project focuses on catching the London Underground at it's most intimate and artistic; capturing beautifully composed shots of corridors, escalators, and tunnels when the vibrant transport system is quiet.
Bearing in mind it's never quiet, Jess has developed quite admirable levels of skill and patience in capturing stunning shots of eye-catching architectural symmetry and patterns that us mere mortals would miss whenever we rushed past them at a million miles an hour.
We met via Instagram where her account is blowing up as thens of thousands of people follow Jess' work at  and when I heard she carries out her duties in kicks I couldn't wait to find out more.
As the latest in my 'Behind The Brand' series I was lucky enough to follow Jess at work and find out more about her story. So check it out, and prepare to never experience a transport system in the same way again!

Follow Jess on her amazing adventure by following her Instagram account here.

Euro Pics; Street Shots

As you'll hopefully know, I love street photography and try to work it into the body of IDYSM's work as much as I can - so while on my Euro travels I was looking for those unique street moments and sights as much as I could, so as we say goodbye to Europe here are some of my favourite shots capturing some Euro moments

Euro Pics; Street Story Selects

So my European journey comes to an end this week.  I was lucky enough to visit some amazing places, walk some inspiring streets, and meet some even more inspiring people.

I can't list everyone, but above are some of my favourite - and each is favourite for differing reasons - maybe it was the shoe, the story, their shoe, their look, how the shots turned out, the backdrop, the street, or even just the person - but as I wind up this leg of the IDYSM journey I didn't want to sign off by saying a thanks to these, and everyone who I met along the way - without people on the street wanting to share their story there would be no project - so thanks one and all! 

Tim x Redwing; London

It took a journey of more than 10,500 miles to take this picture as I met Tim in Sydney back in 2011 when we both worked for the TV Production powerhouse Shine in Sydney.
It didn't take long from working together to clock each other's shoes in the office each day, and from that the friendship grew, as yes, he was a fellow sneakerhead.  However, he left Oz a few months ago, and due to conflicting diaries we couldn't meet up, that was until an overcast afternoon in London.when we caught up for a pint and the chance to talk shoes.
Tim's a very respected and influential figure in the broadcasting industry.  He's behind some of the biggest formats you will see around the world, yet he doesn't allow his professional career dampen his love of contemporary fashion, meaning on the rare occasion he won't seal a deal in a high powered meeting, he can at least leave knowing he had the best shoes in the room.
Our friendship was built around a mutual fondness for New Balance, so I have to admit I was slightly surprised when he didn't turn up wearing NB's but he claims that these days the brand are becoming more commonplace on the UK high streets so he's looking to other brands that stand out a bit more.
So, it was a welcome surprise to see Tim wearing a pair of Redwings.  The iconic, eye-catching and reliable brand's product is always on-trend and able to cope with whatever the elements throw at them; something Tim has to consider now he's braving the cold, wet and grey life of London (yes, the backdrop would have been more eye-catching if we had shot in Sydney, but if you squint you can pretend that's Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background if you like).

Danny x Nike x A.P.C.; London

A.P.C. are a brand I would wear from head to toe 24/7 if I could, and in Danny it was great to meet someone who can live out my dream, as he works for A.P.C. in London.

Since the launch of their first collection in 1987 the French brand's name has become a hallmark for clean lines and quality materials, and any ready-to-wear product they are involved with, whether it's their own or as part of their hugely in-demand collaborations with Carhartt, Kanye or Nike has always helped establish their A list status.

From his Varsity sweat, to his denim, and his kicks, Danny is decked in A.P.C, with the kicks in question being a pair of 2013 A.P.C. x Nike Air Max 1's; are popular collab drop that offers all the hallmarks of A.P.C.'s signature styling;  refined, elegant and very wearable.

I met Danny at the Shoreditch A.P.C. store, a store well worth checking out if you 're in London (see here for info) and while there do a 'Danny' and treat yourself to some of what is (in humble opinion) some of the chicest streetwear you can get.

Toursists x Nike Anodyne Flywire & NB 695; London

The streets of East London come alive every Sunday morning with the hustle and bustle of Brick Lane, Spitalfields and Hoxton which all contribute to bringing some serious foot traffic out onto the streets, and where there's foot traffic I'm always looking for eye-catching sneaker stories.

There is a trueism that in Europe monochrome styling is evident everywhere - and it's true.  A lot of people wear black, and in winter when the skies are grey colour can vanish from the streets.

Which is how I came to notice these subjects.  Both tourists from Korea visiting London, they had very limited English, but what they lacked in conversation they more than made up for with bright colour with their signature colourful kicks, which injected some vivid colour onto London's street.

They're not Limited Edition, collectable or particularly rare, but when I spotted them I did think that their shoes were priceless in terms of brightening up the grey London winter.

Behind The Brand; Foot Patrol

I spoke highly of Foot Patrol a couple of weeks ago (see here) when I showed off some stills I took in the store when visiting recently.
Well, that was my take on the store, and I wasn't going to leave without hearing their story in their words too, so it's with great pleasure I present the latest in my Behind The Brand series, this time with Jimmy Horrocks, Operations Manager at Foot Locker telling us just what it is that's making this London boutique so hot.

David x ASICS GT-II; London

I'm usually pretty organised with my work on IDYSM - taking diligent notes on each subject and carefully filing their details in my mindbox like some form of shoe stalking Rainman...that was until I met David (I think thats his name) in his ASICS GT-II's.

Yep, a lost notebook, or an unsaved Note on my iPhone means I didn't record David's full details so I'll be going from memory on this one.  So,what I remember is...

a) It was a very cold day on London's Brick Lane.

b) Among a melee of London Hipsters, David's quiet and unassuming look caught my eye, as did his eye-catching ASICS kicks. 

c) He is from Germany, but picked the shoes up in Amsterdam.  These are his first ASICS pick up, and he's been impressed so they won't be his last.  I found it unusual for a German sneaker fan to prefer Nike's to adidas and Puma, brands that are native and more commonplace in Germany, but David likes finding something different so he and ASICS could have a long and fruitful relationship together.

d) Minutes after taking these pics I headed to Brick Lane's iconic Bagel shop to get a snack.

e) The bagel was amazing.

Puma @ Boxpark; London

Located in East London's Shoreditch, Boxpark is a unique pop-up retail mall made from shipping containers including many recognisable street brands, but the one that took my attention was that from IDYSM's good friends at Puma.

The considered layout of the store utilises mirrors with wooden pull out drawers to showcase an array of great product from the brand.

The plans for the store sound interesting with Puma planning to use it for new and exclusive product launches, in-store events, art gallery takeovers and much more, so it's definitely a space to watch.

Boxpark is due to be open until 2015 so check it out while you can!