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.

Danny & Matt x Nike; Manchester

While the Manchester scene often seems to represent classic, old-school classic style, Danny and Matt are some out of towners looking to inject some colour and swagger with their idea of feet heat.

Both from London, they were visiting Manchester for the weekend and each rocked colourful, contemporary Nike's that worked perfectly against the edgy graf laden streets in Manchester's fantastic Northern Quarter.

First up is Danny on the left.  Sharply dressed, and accessorised with headphones, he was keen to enjoy some music while he soaked up the Mancunian surroundings (possibly like Aden earlier this week). Danny works in naturopathic medicine and day to day always wears Nike Air Max due to the fusion of comfort and style that he craves.  These Nike Air Safari's are colourful enough (here in Black, Pink Foil, Deep Royal Blue, and silver) but he's also into grey - well, I guess he is as he seemed very interested in my greying hair.  I guess it was a compliment?

As for his partner in crime,  Matt is a self employed labourer who is an avid kicks collector.  He was keeping his eyes open for new styles in Manchester but was only finding good vintage in retro styles.  No matter though, as his Nike Footscape Woven Chukka's in 'Night Stadium' were able to give his surroundings a modern twist.  The shoe has an ardent following, all committed to the innovation, kookiness and comfort of the unique looking silhouette.

2 guys with a bold approach to colourful kicks...I just wish my greying hair hadn't been of so much interest to them!

Ben Sherman Preview

Ben Sherman are a brand that go back a long way for me, back to my roots in the UK in fact.
In the town that I grew up in just outside of London, there was only really one boutique to shop at, and I remember in my late teens they started stocking Ben Sherman product, and I was the first to buy anything from the brand from the store.
That's my Ben Sherman story, and it's safe to say many other people will have their own, as the brand is celebrating it's 50th birthday, and to celebrate a Sydney party was thrown last week showing off new product that proves the brand has no chance of slowing down just yet.
Crisp, clean and elegant styling for men and women with a whiff of 60's London is standard for the brand, with some great looking product due to drop (including the Premium Plectrum collection that really caught my eye).
Happy Birthday Ben and Rule Britannia indeed.

Tom; Sydney

Being from the UK, it's distressing that I don't get to see more adidas action on the streets in Sydney, as in the UK, (and Europe overall I would say) it's a brand deeply engrained into street culture far more than is evident in Oz.

Tom is a mate of mine that I have the pleasure of working with from time to time.  Originally from the UK too, he's a skilled Editor and also a great stills shooter too, and it's become evident to me that he's on a one man crusade to give the 3 Stripes some much needed Sydney love.

His shoe of choice is the Samba, the indoor football classic that became an early 90's mainstay alongside the Gazelle on the streets of the UK at the height of Britpop.

He wears these kicks every day, and when they're worn out to the point that it's time to call 'full-time' on their wearability he replaces them with a new pair; the kind of die-hard commitment that I see often with Vans, and Cons, but very rarely with adidas in Australia.

Good for you Tom, but all I ask is that you please wear clean socks while I work with you.  Ta.

Alex; Sydney

Commitment is the first word that sprang to mind when I met Alex on the street's of Bondi, as his dedication to tatto'ing and body art is up there with, and maybe beyond anyone else I have met on my travels.

Originally from Bristol in the UK, he moved to Sydney 2 weeks ago and with him has brought some serious inking with him - the only exceptions are his back and legs, and these are being looked at as we speak as he sources different artists in Sydney to contribute to covering the only remaining parts of him that are uninked (even the palms of his hands have had work!).

With such an eye-catching look, his taste for sneakers is quite clean and simple and can be summed up in one word; Vans.  He likes the fact they'e comfy and look great when they're old and battered and admits that he likes the contrast of simple shoes against his colourful look as something more 'out there' might clash.

Despite the simplicity of Alex's black Van's Era's they certainly play their part in a colourful and eye-catching look.

Thomas; Sydney

I've travelled a long way on IDYSM, but with this meet I was taken halfway around the world back to where it all begin for me.

Thomas and I bumped into each other in Bondi, Sydney where I now live. but I quickly found out that he's from a neighbouring town to where I grew up in the UK in the county of Hertfordshire.

While I've been in Oz for 5 years now he's only been in the country for 2 weeks and is still reeling from the harsh decision making required when working out what kicks to pack when moving to the other side of the world (I remember that pain well!).

He strategically narrowed his packing down to just 5 pairs, and while many cater for job hunting and conservative needs, these Nike Air Vortex's in Blue Sapphire take the award of being the brightest shoes now available to him.

So, welcome to Oz Thomas and may your time in Sydney be as bright as your shoes.

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.

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.

In Their Shoes; Pins

I became something of an Instagram junkie last year (@mrlesterjones if you're interested), and it was on there that I found someone doing something really interesting with kicks - a UK artist simply known as Pins.
His colourful spin on the art world has seen him using kicks as a canvas, making shoes even more of an art form than they already are.
He's a top bloke and he was kind enough to spare some time to take part in my latest 'In Their Shoes' interview as he talks about everything from donuts, kicks and more donuts...

IDYSM: Hey Pins, to get things started, please tell us a bit about yourself, and what you do.

PINS: Yes mate. I'm a London based Artist who loves tea, donuts and sneakers. I like to stretch my creativity through various means including Graphic Design, Fine Art, Surface Design, and dabble in Street Art. My philosophy is Progress, Inspire, Network and Succeed under you own terms, it’s also an acronym for PINS, pretty cool right! In addition to my creative work, I deliver creative therapy to various schools and youth centres across London, providing my expertise and knowledge for the benefit of young people to actively express themselves creatively.

The London Police Force Expressing their love of Pins' kicks

IDYSM: What’s the inspiration behind your work?

PINS: Everything and anything! To be more specific, my Mum, for my work ethic, Salvador Dali / Andy Warhol / Picasso as key influences, and my love of London, donuts, sneakers and tea.

IDYSM: How, when and why did you start to use kicks as a canvas to work on?

PINS: I started using kicks as a canvas for my designs back in 2005 when I was on my kicks customisation hustle. After a couple years customising for other people, I switched it up, and decided I’d only design onto shoes for collectible / art purposes as oppose to wearing them, as I found a big chunk of the hardcore sneakerheads hardly wore any of there dopest kicks and just collected them, similar to art collectors, so wanted to represent kicks on a more artistic platform.

IDYSM: What shoes are your chosen canvas and why?

PINS: Nike Air Max ones’ mainly, a couple years ago, as they meant more to me than just a shoe. They were more like a work of art, on an aesthetic level, just so clean and so London.

IDYSM: How do the purists take to what you do – do they see your Pop Art meets Surrealism style enhancing silhouettes that they already see as a work of art?

PINS: Possibly, but then I only really create what I think is dope, if people like it, cool, if not, oh well.

IDYSM: Your involvement with the sneaker scene goes way beyond art – what is Crepe City? (and where did the name come from?) 

PINS: Crepe City, nothing to do with them delishhh sweet pancakes, (although the ‘sweet factor’ is similar) as in ‘Crepe’ meaning fresh kicks, more a London thing, like ‘them some fresh crepes right there bruv’, exists to support the UK sneaker community.

The main members of the CC unit are Ronal, Paul, Victor and Kade, proper nice guys! They’ve run six festivals since 2008 which has continued to grow year on year attracting the best collectors and most exclusive shoes...it’s been great being with them from the early stages and seeing the progression! Check out their site for more info: http://www.crepe-city.co.uk/

IDYSM: Where is the sneaker scene at in London for you right now?

PINS: At a real healthy place! It’s almost like London is catching up with sneaker hype similar to the US, can only get bigger!

IDYSM: Surely Nike and other brands are banging down your door to work on a collab together?

PINS: All I can say to that is, you cant rush a dope thing…

IDYSM: Where do you go from here, what does the future hold?

PINS: Well, I’ve got a list which seems to grow on a daily basis of things to do, ideas to knock out etc etc, so will continue putting out as much creative content as possible and see where that takes me…no plan, just BLAM!

IDYSM: If you had to give one up what would it be; Krispy Kreme or kicks?

PINS:  Krispy Kreme…without Kicks, I can’t breathe (Air Max)

IDYSM: And, I have to ask…what’s on your feet right now?

PINS: Some fresh white, Primani socks…but if you mean what kicks did I just have on…INFRARED AIR MAX 90s!

A huge thanks to Pins for his time, his words and his images.  To check out more of Pins' amazing work go to www.pinspired.com, and follow him on Instagram @PINS_ARTIST

Rule Britannia

Emma; Sydney

From the UK, Emma moved to Sydney last year and with her brought her own colourful approach to sneaker style.
You're unlikely to have seen these specific kicks before though as Emma likes her kicks to be a personal choice, and as such has become a huge fan of Converse's Customisation service.  It's not available in Australia yet, so she draws up her designs via Converse's UK site as she would rather design her own shoes than buy her kicks off the shelf.
As you can see Emma puts a lot of effort into ensuring that her shoes stand out from the crowd, as from every angle her double tongued All Stars have enough patterning, detailing and personalised touches to achieve this and then some.
If you haven't checked out the customisation service it's worth checking as you too can give your Cons the personal touch (International and UK sites) and make sure you stand out from the crowd.