I Dig Your Sole Man

What The Insiders Wear; New Balance

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0000

I’ve been documenting the footwear of everyday people for a couple of years now and it's led to me meeting and working with some fascinating people involved with the sneaker/fashion industries.

It's always interesting to see what these industry insiders wear, so I thought it was a chance to start documeting what those in the know step out in.

First up is one of the nicest peeps around; Ryan Jones, New Balance Australia's Lifestyle Manager. Ryan and I first made contact about 18 months ago and have stayed in touch since and it's been great working with him and his brand as they go from strength to strength to strength.

He is currently rocking these classic 1500's from the Made in England 1500 pack. Many sneakerheads in Australia had been waiting for these shoes to drop (especially in this colourway which tips it's cap to the original 1500s) last year and Ryan was one of them, and he has struggled to take them off since.

Bale Speaks; Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Paul aka. Bale is a man making a real splash on the Melbourne scene with his raw street style.
Not only is he a key voice and face behind the group Hedge Burners, but he's also responsible for running an educational programme to help Melbourne's youth as he shows how public art can help bring people together.
I met him while he was spicing up Melbourne's iconic Laneways with a fresh piece of art, and wearing his beloved Nike 180s which he claims are the perfect shoe for painting and running (you can decide for yourself whether this means for exercise, or from the law!).
He treated me to a verse from Hedge Burners latest single 'Never Get Off The Boat' - video above, pics below - enjoy!

Melbourne's Walls Are Alive Pt 2

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Meet Miss Monochrome Melbourne (X2)

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0000

There's a common held belief that Melbourne-ites wear lots of black. Personally, I'm not so sure that's still true as much as it used to be, but Tiffany and Erin are doing their best to keep Melbourne's chic black reputation intact!

The girls work together, and dress very much alike, rocking a punk meets monochrome look that they both like to punctuate with Vans.

They each told me that they are both Vans girls, and rep Melbourne with their look that combines everything that makes Melbourne so great; personality and edge.

Melbourne's Walls Are Alive Pt 1

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Mr Simple; Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0000

It's an exciting time for menswear in Australia with a number of brands and stores popping up catering for the demand for chic and quality clothing at affordable prices.

One company who are doing it right are Mr Simple, an Australian brand who make quality classic timeless designs. There's an old adage that states the best way to do something is simple and well, and in their new Melbourne store they have done the (Mr) Simple thing very very well indeed.

Warm, inviting, and wholesome, the store embodies the great Mr Simple line as well as a number of other select brands that tie in with the store's ethos of great timeless design. Footwear is covered by New Balance, Clarks and Vans (to name just 3 brands), Herschel represent backpacks and bags, and there are also fantastic accessories from the likes of AIAIAI, Sabre, Casio, Nixon and Bellroy.

There are also some great vintage pieces in the store too so I urge you to pay them a visit, or check them out online here.

Nico; Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0000

As you can see Nico likes to look different.

He doesn't wear sneakers often (these are in fact his only pair) but when he puts on his All Stars he likes them to look different so instead of using 1 pair of laces in each shoe, he uses 2 to create different lacing styles.

Brunswick St Statue; Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Something about this guy made me smile.

Sperry Happy; Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

These shoes were hot off the press William had only just picked them up from the sales at a hot price!
We only had a couple of minutes to talk as he was in a rush to jump on a tram, but we had enough time for me to find out that the shoes are from the US brand Sperry, and their owner takes great pride in his footwear collection which mostly comprises of Chukkas and boat shoes and he had been hoping to add some Sperry's to his collection for some time.
I have to admit that I hadn't heard of the brand before, but after some research can tell you that Sperry claim to have invented the original boat shoe, with the American brand's clean and timeless designs making a seamless transition from the world of sailing to the sidewalk (my words, not theirs...or Wikipedias).
The shoes work well with his contemporary Melbourne style, and I dare say this won't be the last I see of Sperry shoes.

Skater In Motion; Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

A quick flash and he was gone, but I clocked enough to pick up this skater and his retro Puma's from the First Round 'Soda Pack'. The shoes were originally released in 2009 and the colourway is designed to represent Diet Coke (other colourways were released for Coca-Cola, Sunkist, Sprite).
He may have been quick but I saw enough to give you the lowdown!

Dreaming of New York; Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

While many people’s shoes make a statement about their style, Bridget’s footwear was chosen to represent her hopes and dreams for the future.

In fact Bridget didn’t buy these shoes with any stylistic reasoning, instead, Bridget picked up these A Lifes for one simple reason; she one day wants to go to New York and the shoes were chosen to take her one step nearer to that dream.

The shoes work well to counter her feminine style, and with A Life’s being an embodiment of iconic New York sneaker design when she does eventually get to the Big Apple Bridget has the perfect footwear for Manhattan.

Jeremy Scott Party Time; Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

OK sneakerheads, Jeremy Scott has been busy in the lab again putting together another range wacky and wonderful pieces for his latest adidas Originals collab.

Nothing involving JS is done by halves, so B2 and the crew at Espionage are unveiling the new product in style with Australia's launch party so if you're in Sydney on the evening of Tues 31st and want to get along check out the info above.

Enjoy!

Margarita; Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Margarita is a firm believer that shoes can say a lot about their owner and in these shoes I think she's found a style that speaks volumes about her interesting character.

She told me that she has been wearing DMs for about a year now after looking for a brand that offers comfort, support and style. She constantly straddles a fine line at work as she has to adhere to what can and can't be worn in a corporate office environment, but she loves pushing the boundaries and the shoes tie in with her boho chic look, and her rebellious streak!

Brunswick St B&W Pt 2

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Back In Black; Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Elliot (left) and Bryn (right) both have a similar approach to footwear as they both wear black low price point shoes that straddle that space between sneakers and smart-casual.

Bryn goes for the iconic Australian brand Volleys as they're cheap and last, while Elliot goes for simple black Dunlop slip ons, shoes that he knows won't last long from the demands of his skating but can be easily replaced.

I was happy with how these shots turned out; great light, fantastic backdrop and interesting subjects whose looks characterise a lot of whats going on with men's style in Melbourne; eclectic, thoughtful and intriguing.

Brunswick St B&W Pt 1

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

One of my favourite streets in Melbourne or anywhere to be honest; Brunswick St's gritty eclectic style makes it a joy to shoot. Here are some reportage images from a recent visit.

HIT'M; Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

James (left), Junior (middle) and Chris (right) are all members of Melbourne's HIT'M Krumping crew.

HIT'M is a collective designed to spread the word about Krumping, and without realising it the guys are also spreading the word about some serious sneaker loving too.

James is a Nike die-hard, and even works for the brand at one of their Melbourne stores. However, when it came to picking up some shoes recently he decided to mix things up when he saw a great deal for some red hot A Lifes.

Junior is another Nike fan whose collection is split between Air Max and Jordan shoes.

Chris's Air Flighr's are his favourite shoes from his collection and only wears them rarely. He picked them up from a Melbourne market where they were being sold without the owner knowing their true value, so he hussled and got them for a knockdown price.

All up, they were great guys and if their dance moves are as fresh as their shoes I'm sure they will go far!

The Reigate Squires; Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Outside Melbourne's iconic GPO I stumbled upon James (left) and Laf (right) from the Melbourne band The Reigate Squires.

The band are focused on making ear-catching folk/punk but while their musical tastes are finely honed, their fashion tastes are highly eclectic.

James is a founding member of the band and their guitarist, and his style is a low key blend of tight jeans, white tshirts finished off with his trusty and well worn Puma 917s that look like their best years may be behind them!

As for Laf, he's the group's Bass player, and despite only becoming a Squire just a few months ago he has injected some of his 50's styling into the group. He loves denim and US influences, including his unique personalised All Stars.

If you're looking for a cruisey soundtrack to your summer (in the southern hemisphere) or winter (northern hemisphere) check out the band here now!

Street Action; Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Toby is Overcome; Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Toby is a skater and graphic designer who only moved to Melbourne in 2011. As you can see he has something of an individual look and feels right at home in his new location.
He embraces the edgier side of urban style which is reflected in his skate influenced clothing and heavy inking, which he caps off with Vans.
It's amazing the range of people that go for this brand - from skaters to everyday people there can't be many brands that attract such a diverse following and although their styles are worlds apart the shoes look just as natural on Toby as they do on Tom who I focused on recently (see here).

Street Peeps; Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:10:00 +0000

Although many people say that black is THE colour that Melbournites wear, some colour is never hard to find.

Connor; Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Connor is something of an intrepid explorer and was spotted out in the Post-Xmas sales picking up a new backpack for an upcoming trip to China.
He has a non-conformist approach to style, trying to avoid the trendies of Melbourne in favor of a more unique and self-satisfying look. To help achieve this he has opted to delve into the world of Dr Marten footwear in the last year, and has fallen in love with the shoe that symbolised punk, grunge to name just 2 key counter culture eras.
That said...Dr Martens are getting increasingly popular at the moment and are something of a style choice, so to avoid being labelled with the trendies I suggest Connor might look for a new brand!

Converse Store; Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Australian's have been treated to an exciting first as the doors were recently opened to the world's only dedicated Converse store in Melbourne.

The store is a fantastic shrine to everything connected with the iconic US brand, with an exceptional fit out offering great product, cool detailing and classic iconography.

All of the cult shoe styles are available ranging from Chuck Taylors and Jack Purcells to exciting collabs with Marimekko, and if you ever need some help choosing from the stores great product you can always speak to the staff who have their own favourites.

Carlos (left) loves the tough Pappalardo skate shoe who's design is dedicated to the Philly skater of the same name.

Lani (middle) is a Chuck Taylor Hi purist and has so many pairs of the shoe in her closet she couldn't pick just one - so ended up recomended the style in Port Royal, All Black and Black/White colourways.

Geoff (right) likes his shoes comfortable, classic and simple so he opts for the all white Jack Purcell, a shoe for all occasions.

There's plenty to choose from so head down to the store to add some great new product to your wardrobe!

Signs; Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Every twist and turn of Melbourne offers something new, and when you're really not sure which way to turn you can be thankful that there are some clear signs to guide you...

...for a drink...

...for a shop...

...and when things get too much sometimes it's nice to have things spelt out really clearly!

Tom; Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Sole Digger) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Tom is from the UK but is currently enjoying a couple of years in Australia. He's a man after my own heart, as I first came out here as a backpacker back in '98 and I too fell in love with Melbourne's sense of style and culture, and during his time here Tom is looking every bit the honorary Melbourn-ite.
He has a clean, preppy style that suits Melbourne's streets, and it's a look he always finishes off with a pair of Vans. He claims to have been a Vans fan for some time, but has added to his collection of the brand's footwear while in Australia, a country that is besoted with the brand.
Tom has become such a brand devotee that he wears Vans whenever he can - including at his bar job where he's supposed to wear black shoes, but even then he sneaks in a pair of all-black Vans to keep his feet happy.