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?

Shopping with; DJ Neil Armstrong, adidas Originals

Global adidas Ambassador recently came to Australia to help add some true New York flavour to the adidas Originals x Foot Locker drop of the new Brooklyn Nets Collection.
While the main focus was on Neil coming to Oz to headline killer gigs in both Sydney and Melbourne, I caught up with him one afternoon to shoot this short vid during a sneaker shopping session.
In this interview Neil talks about how sneaker loving began for him, how sneaker culture varies from country and country, and how finding shoes he can't get back home still makes this A Lister go crazy with excitement.
A big thanks to Neil for his time - he's a legend, and thanks to adidas Australia for the hook up.

A BIG thanks to DJ Neil Armstrong, adidas Australia and Vice.
Shot on the Lumix GX7
Music 'Skyline' by The Passion Hifi.

Vinnie; London

Originally from Boston, Vinnie is heavily influenced by sneaker culture and urban style, and even though he's only been in the UK for a week he's throwing himself into find out more about what makes London tick.
His first thought is that it's a 'cool, big scene' that's really busy, but thankfully a shared love of Vans will make his transition to live across the Atlantic that bit easier.
The brand are now among the UK's top selling brands (at the point of writing possibly even the #1 brand) and these shoes finish off his heavily street influenced 'skater-chic' look, a look that is becoming more and more apparent in the UK.

Sam Is Tripping; Sydney

Sam is literally tripping over her all white Converse Jack Purcells.  She picked them up in the US on a West Coast holiday and loved them, but has a habit of falling over in them when she wears them.

There is no explanation for this phenomenon but all I can guess is that maybe they're too big, she's blinded by the beauty of the shoes, or she likes a drink?

Thankfully this shoot went safely without any injuries or accidents to anyone involved.

Alyssa; Sydney

Evoking memories of her past with every step, Alyssa's beloved Converse All Stars hadn't been worn in about 3 months before these pics, and I was lucky she decided to dust them off as they represent a great story.

She picked the kicks up a while ago in LA at the height of a former Emo phase, during which time she wore them everywhere, including countless gigs, where her trademark was to get the toes of the shoes covered in signatures from bands including 'Taken From Sunday' and 'Getaway Plan'.

As you can see, Alyssa's Emo phase may be behind her now but with these shoes she can literally take a walk down memory lane.

Daryl; Sydney

Skating culture has a huge influence in the sneaker scene in Sydney, and indeed around the world.
Daryl (above) is originally from the US, and picked up these Nike SB Stefan Janoski's in Sacramento when working in a skate shop.  
Although he feels that Australia has a very different scene to the US, his shoes finish off a look that translates well to Sydney, edgy yet laid back and simple, and of course, finished off with some nice kicks!

Behind The Brand; DJ Neil Armstrong

At the recent Melbourne Carbon Festival I was lucky enough to sit down with DJ Superstar and adidas Global Ambassador DJ Neil Armstrong.
His story is a pretty amazing one; he grew up in the golden era of Hip Hop in New York, and his eclectic love of music took him from a mere music lover, to Producing mix tapes, to becoming Jay Z's tour DJ and a global ambassador for adidas.
The 3 stripes have a rich history of backing music acts (think Run DMC, Noel Gallagher, Ian Brown, Snoop etc) and Neil is among the elite who wear the brand with pride.
Enough of my rambling, check out the vid to hear his story in his own words.

DJ Neil Armstrong; Carbon Festival

One of the key messages from the Carbon Festival was that passion is one of the most highly sought catalyst's for turning an idea into a success story.  

DJ Neil Armstrong is a walking, talking and spinning example of just how successful this theory can be, as he has gone from out and out music fan to become one of the world's leading DJ's.

The combination of growing up in NY amidst the golden era of hip hop, combined with Neil's passion for an eclectic array of music has seen him evolve to be at the forefront of the music scene.

Fusing the roots of hip hop with his own varied tastes he has been able to establish a credible and unique voice by bringing some fantastic musical marriages together on his infamous mixtapes, and once his voice had been heard and established it was only a matter of time before an appreciation was developed.

I could sit and write more about Neil's background, his role as Jay-Z's DJ, and becoming a global adidas ambassador, but I will leave Neil to talk about that in his own words in a video interview where you can hear from the great man himself in the coming weeks.

For now I will simply say he's a top bloke, and I love his adidas aidrise 2's!