New New Balance Lovers; Melbourne

Couple's sharing a visible mutual interest in brands is not something new for me to spot in Melbourne (see earlier this month), but for this couple their relationship with New Balance is at a very early stage.

Purchased only a few hours before this shot was taken the couple are seen wearing their first ever pairs of NB's and in this short period of time they had already become brand converts.

For him, some clean and simple 420's were an easy choice by fusing classic retro style with NB's trademark build quality, while for her it's pretty easy to see that her style is more colourful and eclectic (including that pink Polaroid-style camera as an accessory) so some more colourful Camo 501's make a bolder but equally comfortable statement.

Sam x New Balance: Sydney

I've met lots of fascinating people on my travels.  Some are intelligent, some are artistic, some are glamorous, but without doubt Sam is up there among the funniest.

The Australian comedian is becoming an International sensation and his colourful outlook on life is echoed in his fashion which from hats to glasses to shoes, is something that Sam obsesses over, as he's a man who like's to brighten the streets with a carefully selected array of accessories.

As a master of mirth he's used to be surrounded by laughter, but it's not all happiness for Sam right now.  Sure, this look is colourful enough, all centred around his green New Balance 574's, but Sam was quick to point out that this isn't him on his A Game, as his A Game has been dealt a huge blow. 

Right now he's experiencing some PSS (Post Shoe Syndrome), that awful feeling sneakerheads have when a beloved old pair of shoes die and you cannot replace them.  For Sam this is happening right now after his beloved burgundy Nike Vengeance's died.  The shoes had travelled with the world with him, and even appeared on Conan with him, a real high point in Sam's career.  But now, irreplaceable and gone, Sam is on the hunt for another pair, a search that so far has proven fruitless.

If you can help then check out Sam's website and drop him a line, as while he carelessly ensures other people are happy, maybe you could give Sam something to smile about too.

See Sam on Conan here.

Check out Sam's site here.

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.

Huw x New Balance ML574 Windbreak Pack; Sydney

It's not often I scoop a first time wearer on IDYSM, but in Huw I spotted someone equally nervous and excited about wearing their brand new New Balance ML574's from the Windbreak Pack for the first time.
A gift from his brother who had just returned from a trip to the US, the bright Blueberry colourway was considered a tad bright by Huw, a Documentary maker and TV Producer with a taste for the finer things in life.
I should point out that Huw is without doubt the poshest person I know.  He went to school with Prince William and Bear Grylls so in my mind is SERIOUSLY posh, but he's also a SERIOUSLY great bloke too who I've had the pleasure of working with a few times over the past few years.
Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with the shoes and I hope Huw will rock them with pride at a variety of social functions.  I don't know what exactly but maybe rowing regatta's, grouse hunts, the theatre, that sort of thing.
Am I stereotyping, surely not?

Nathan; Sydney

Nathan is a good mate of mine who is literally stopping traffic in his new NB 576's in traditional OG grey colourway. 

Actually the stopping traffic bit is more a play on one of his trademark 'Dad jokes' as mid shoot he picked up a stop sign that was lying by the side of the road. 

Anyway, I digress as they are great shoes that were released earlier this year to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the 576, a shoe that to many is THE most iconic NB style. 

The colourway is a firm nod to the 1988 OG drop, with some premium detailing giving it a flourish with an oxidised heel counter, original branding to the insole, a limited edition shoebag and OG shoebox which Nathan has used as a riser for his monitor at his work (he edits TV shows, and I think you'll agree it really brings his edit suite together nicely).

A classic shoe for a classic guy, and I wager right now that in 25 years the 576 will have aged far more gracefully than Nate's jokes.

City 2 Surf; Sydney

The masses descended on Sydney yesterday all sharing one kind of footwear; sneakers!
Yes, it's time to look at sports footwear today as the City 2 Surf saw 85,000 enthusiastic runners take on gruelling yet scenic 14km trek from the Sydney city to Bondi Beach attracted 85,000 runners.
I was at the finish line to check out all the action, all the ages, and all the brands and it was easy to see that this event is really a melting pot that see's everyone brought together.
A big congrats to everyone who took part, and I'm hoping you're not too sore after all your exertions.  I would have loved to join you but taking pics is a bit easier!

Rag; Sydney

Over the last month or so I've been pretty swamped with an epic project I have been working on.  I'll be sharing it with you soon, but in the meantime thought you might want to check out the story of one of my trusted crew; the Soundo 'Rag'.

As a soundo he's the man to go to for crystal clear audio (and a is a great bloke too), and his current footwear choices are crystal clear too, he's an NB man through and through and after seeing my Black NB 576's from the  Road to London Pack (which starred in the below video) he's keen to add to his collection.

It's a great story of hope and promise as Rag has truly seen the light in improving his footwear choices after a past of darkness and despair that I am told saw him previously wearing Crocs.  

I have no more to add, other than Rag, if you want to stay friends, don't even think about wearing those things again!

In Their Shoes; Charlie Brophy

The latest instalment in New Balance's 'Walk Your Own Path' campaign featuring some pioneering Australian creative women makes it's latest drop with the campaign's photographer, the super talented Charlie Brophy.  She was kind enough to spend 5 mins to take part in a quick interview as part of my In Their Shoes series where she talks about her work, her ideas, her kicks.

IDYSM: Hey Charlie, tell us a bit about yourself and your amazing work as a photographer.

Charlie: Hey! Me? I like natural light, adventures and colours drive me wild. I can't sit still for too long. When a camera is in my hand I like to explore the ambiguity of youth and all the joys and freedoms that comes with growing up. Every day life and the interesting faces I meet along the way continue to inspire my work.

IDYSM: How did you get involved with this NB 574 campaign?

Charlie: I was initially approached by ACCLAIM mag to be one of the girls featured in the campaign.. And was then fortunate enough to end up shooting the stills component too!

IDYSM: What was your approach to shooting the campaign, and your aim for how the product was seen?

Charlie: The concept was based around girls on the move doing cool things whilst rocking around in New Balance shoes.. My intention was to capture the subjects in their natural environment and creative element, wearing the product in an every day, effortlessly stylish sense. Keeping it real and remaining authentic to my aesthetic, I also shot the campaign on film.     

IDYSM: It’s nice to see the ladies getting some love for once in the sneaker world, and this collection should appeal to anyone right?

Charlie: These NB kicks look hot on anybody’s feet but it definitely rocks to embrace the girl power.

IDYSM: What are your fave shoes to wear the new women’s collection?

Charlie: Hmm.. I totally dig both my Purple and Teal 574's.

Sung Jun Han & Dong Geo N-Kim; Perth

Not from Perth, but from Korea, these 2 sneaker heads spoke very little English so we relied on the language of shoes to communicate (that, and the word 'Annyong' that means hello in Korean which I learnt from Arrested Development).

Both guys are based in Perth as students and both have brought a sneaker taste with them from Korea, but in their mind, it's not that different to what they see in Oz.

Sung Jun loves New Balance, and his 574's are a universal classic that are popular not just in Korea and Australia, but in fact most countries around the world.

As for Dong Geo, he is also a big NB fan, but on this occasion was wearing some Nike's and some intriguing ACG's.  Yes, you see Nike's everywhere, but it's not so often that you see ACG's.

Personally, I have always had a soft spot for the Wildwoods from the range, a shoe that probably leans more towards a street aesthetic than the more rugged outdoors 'hiking' gear that populates a lot of the 'All Conditions Gear' collection, but it's not something you see in Australian often at all.

Mind you, that comes from me, someone who spends most of his life on concrete, whereas judging by Dong Geo's footwear he likes to go offroad a fair bit!

Roadtest; New Balance 576 25th Anniversary Pack

The New Balance 576, a UK-made institution in the NB portfolio, and it's proudly celebrating it's 25th Birthday with the drop of the classy 25th Anniversary Pack.

The shoe comes in the traditional OG colourways of Blue and Navy with a premium suede upper which is complimented perfectly with a vintage-styled ENCAP system integrated into the sole.
With only 600 pairs released worldwide these are classics, so it seemed only fitting to tip the cap to the shoe's UK roots in this latest 'Roadtest' video.

* This is an unpaid video.

In Their Shoes; New Balance Campaign

New Balance's great new 574 campaign is highlighting some fascinating creative ladies to showcase some great new women's product.

Each subject gets to choose their own shoe and feature in videos in the campaign which you can check out more of here.

I thought it would be good to hear more from some of the subjects in the series as part of my 'In Their Shoes' interview series, so a big thanks to stylist Jade Leung and Photographer Michelle Tran for taking the time to talk about everything from their beloved 574's to styling, trends and bad karaoke.

IDYSM: Hey Jade, tell us a bit about yourself.

Jade:  I am a freelance fashion stylist by trade but essentially a consumer! Of every excess. 

IDYSM: How did you came to be involved with the NB 574 Lifestyle campaign?

Jade: I think I have the lovely people at  ACCLAIM MAGAZINE to thank for this opportunity.  Michelle and I work on shoots quite regularly for the publication, and I'd been styling NB in editorials for quite a while now.  So it was a good fit...

IDYSM: You are a lady of style and work internationally – how and why are NB so universally appealing around the world?

Jade:  New Balance is internationally appealing because aside from offering a strong focus on colour, materials and staying true to it's core purpose on simplicity and function, NB has done really well to stay relevant with it's collaborations with notable designers and creatives (I.E Bodega, Junya Watanabe, Sneaker Freaker).   

IDYSM: While other brands have their ups and downs NB always seems to keep it’s cool.  How do they do that? 

Jade:  I think they've managed to keep their finger on the pulse, especially with lifestyle campaigns like this. Its refreshing to have a focus on real people that are doing things that people can relate to. 

IDYSM: What style/colour best suits you and why?

Jade:  I'm a 574 girl.  I like the shape of that the best. it's not too slim and not too platformed.  colour wise is a hard one.  depends on my mood and what i'm wearing on the day.  but i'll generally give anything a red hot go. 

IDYSM: Hey Michelle, how’s it going.  You are one multi-talented lady – tell us a bit about yourself.

Michelle: I’m good, how are you?! I grew up in the outer suburb of Dandenong and straight after high school I studied Fine Art photography at The Victorian College of the Arts with a degree in Masters. After uni I continued exhibiting but then made the decision to also give fashion photography a go – it was a pretty smooth transition. I love photography because I get to work with lots of different people and the challenge changes every day and keeps me stimulated. AND thank you for the kind words … photography isn’t my only talent - I’m really good at terrible karaoke, social drinking and Bruce Springsteen trivia.

IDYSM: You have an ongoing relationship with NB, tell us about that and what you love about the brand.

Michelle: In the past I’ve shot NB sneakers through the awesome guys and girls at Acclaim Magazine. I love NB sneakers because they remind me of my favorite car - the Defender. The shape is a classic that hasn’t changed - doesn’t need to change. Forever good looking. 
 


IDYSM: Nice to see the ladies getting some attention with this drop – who will the collection appeal to?

Michelle: I think the usual crowd of sneaker fans and street wear lovers are always loyal NB people, however I also think the new drop appeals to the fashionably minded more than ever, with a lot of women choosing to team NB with everyday looks, even with more polished looks! Fashion hasn’t always favoured comfort and with the case of NB sneakers it’s actually a style thing – the comfort is just a mega plus.

IDYSM: Lastly – it’s my staple question for a ‘In Their Shoes’ interview, what’s on your feet right now?

Michelle: 574s in a what I call ‘Kermit green’ – I just dyed my hair bright red however so I  might have to swap to classic navy instead so I don’t look like a walking Christmas decoration!

* Images courtesy of Charlie Brophy.