Fluevogs are more than just footwear, they’re vehicles that drive life and culture through the streets of the cities we call home. We came up with the idea for StreetVogs with our friend Take Kayo who shot the Vancouver portion. From there, we teamed up with amazing local street photographers in every Fluevogian city. This Instagram-driven collaboration visually explores a deeper, more personal level of the cultural fabrics of those cities, and the amazingly unique individuals that weave them.
Meet the talented artists who have contributed to the project from Vancouver, Ottawa, New York, and Toronto, and stay tuned for the next chapters in the @streetvogs adventure! We can’t wait to explore the twelve remaining cities we’re so proud to be a part of.
OTTAWA (Photographed by Mink Williams, @minkwilliams)
How would you describe the style of the people in your city?
Ottawa has developed a bit of a reputation for being sleepy and conservative in clothes and culture, but I’ve seen a shift in the last couple years. If you keep an eye out, you’ll see people on their way to government jobs expressing themselves with bits of flare in a unique handbag, scarf, or (of course) shoes.
TORONTO (Photographed by Ryan Tacay, @phraction)
What makes the streets of your city and the characters in it unique?
I think what makes Toronto unique is how multicultural and diverse it is. To be able to walk a few minutes in either direction towards a totally different vibe and unique scenery is great, especially for street photography. There’s a neighbourhood for pretty much everyone. Like the people here, Toronto’s vibe is so accommodating and polite that, if the city could speak, it would probably apologize to you when you bump into it.
NEW YORK CITY (Photographed by Danielle Sallah, @bebedowntown)
What have you learned about your city because of, or while shooting?
While shooting, I discovered that on every single day, the streets of New York City are filled with every kind of emotion. It’s up to us to notice and embrace those emotions, and it is up to us to be gracious—a kind smile to sad eyes or a friendly laugh to lessen someone’s embarrassment—and accept the same in return.
VANCOUVER (Photographed by Take Kayo, @bigheadtaco)
What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen while out shooting?
I mostly shoot in some of the poorest neighbourhoods in Canada, so I’ve seen some pretty interesting things. I’ve been attacked a few times (but not for taking pictures), offered the weirdest things to buy, and I’m always watching where I step when taking pictures. Because this was a Fluevog-initiated project, I was staring at people’s feet more than usual. I’ve always loved shoes, but I didn’t walk around looking at them while shooting. After working with Fluevog, I can say I’ve seen some amazing shoes out there.
