Thomas; Sydney

Thomas is a Sydney musician who has recently developed a fascination with the accordion, and whenever possible he takes to the Sydney streets to perfect his craft.
When on the streets he's very specific about what footwear he chooses, and although not a sneakerhead his choice of shoes is interesting.  Dr Martens have been ever present on the streets in 2012, and the brand's iconic style is something that Thomas loves, but with a limited budget (maybe accordion busking doesnt pay too well) he couldn't afford a genuine pair so instead picked up these Raben imitations.
Raben are a low-cost brand that offer low price point replicas of famous brands, and Thomas has been impressed to see these shoes survive busking, festivals, walks through lakes and in his own words 'a walk across a field of skulls'.  Apparently this last one was made up so I do hope his accordion playing is better than his jokes!

Lo-Fi Laura; Sydney

The sun was out for my return to Sydney, as was Laura in some new shoes who illustrates that finding the right shoes for you needn't be a difficult process.  It doesn't need to involve flossing brand names, bright colours, or expensive designs.

Laura was looking for some simple, lo cost plimsolls to wear for work in these black Raben shoes found the perfect fit.

Raben make simple, cheap, basic shoes that have no frills, and no fuss, however, as you can see from Laura, if they're worn in the right way they can still be part of a chic outfit.