I spend an inordinate amount of time on Instagram. My time is split between pushing our write-ups on TheBragAffair IG, managing my local Montreal feature page @KicksMTL, and just plain ol’ hanging out off my personal IG account where I first caught the social media bug. Having connected with a varied and vast number of good people on this platform, I thought to share with you a short list of Canadian IG accounts that are sure to level up your feed.
This band of shot takers were not advised that I would be posting their accounts for your consideration and although I run with a few of them personally, the majority of them I only know from the pictures they post to represent themselves. I will give you a brief reasoning as to why I follow each account and a bit of background info that I’ve gleamed from the gallery that is their Instagram portfolio.
We’ll be running a list periodically so stay locked. The first edition of this series features Canadian Sneakerheads, so no stores, crews, institutions or event holders. Just regular folk being bawse on Instagram. Follow me them on IG.
It was quite random that the first in line is the one located at the most Eastern part of the country. Sole_sircheng, aka Edmond Cheng, is affiliated to Courtside Sneakers. His feed is a nice glimpse of what the daily workings of a dope sneaker shop looks like. Incoming inventory, sneakers on shelves, and the latest Jordan on foot pic lets us know that his involvement with sneakers isn’t just about the 9-to-5. Part of me has always wanted to work in a shoe store, Sole_sircheng gives me an idea of what could’ve been. Oh yea, he also posts bomb food pics too… My belly approves of this.
***
If you are from the 6ix, you might have seen this young gun running around with his buds evolving their photography game. His feed presents us with the daily shenanigans of a sneakerhead doing cooler things than you, with more style than you. At 17, Matthew definitively has a proper eye for the shot, a trait that he most likely inherited from his pops, a Tdot sneaker godfather, @eye_projekt. His talents add depth and meaning to a simple hallway or cityscape shot. I wish I was this cool back in my day.
***
Here is a disclaimer: Kalby writes for TheBragAffair. In other words, he is family, but that does not discount the fact that he is a beast on the camera. The whole reason I sought to have Kalby involved in the Blog is his feed represents the style I look to portray with Brag. As much as he likes to keep it low key, everyone I speak to in Calgary regards him with the utmost respect. If you’re a fan of runners, his is definitely your kind of IG account. If you’re not a fan of runners, his shots will make you one. Get ready to start feenin’.
***
Andrew has such a huge following that he seems to fall in the worldwide category, but it’s good to know that we can claim him as Canadian. He has such skill with the camera that his shots are recognizable. You have undoubtedly seen his work before even if you do not follow him yet, the man gets featured time and time again by the biggest IG feature accounts. Rightly so, his Jordan collection is quality and his photography is rich. I sometimes imagine the best possible way to picture a shoe and it doesn’t look as good as Andrew’s shot… That’s the reason I follow this guy.
***
I’ve known Philly from the forum days, back before Instagram. As we both grew on the IG, it was clear that the one word that best represented him to me was FREEDOM. Rolling landscape shots mixed in with sneaker highlight shots, and shots representing love for his best friend (his dog) offered me a look into a life that seems particularly calming and uplifting. He’s amassed a strong following and has been mentioned before on other sites as an IG account to follow and we agree. I want to be Philly when I grow up.
***
On the strength of one photo. That is how I started following Crucial416. I usually notice people liking some of my pics before I check out their feed. Sometimes though, a photo pops up in my Discover page and it makes me take a step back. Shahin’s Fragment 1 shot killed it for me. After hitting the follow button, I found that his feed was consistent with the quality of the first image I ever liked of his. Forget the fact that he seems to own every shoe I want, he rocks them all and with m*th*f*ck*n flair. Boom.
***
Diaries, as she is known in Montreal sneaker circles, is undeniably one of the most recognized Instagram sneakerheads in the city. From what I’ve witnessed though, a lot of people know of her, but few ever build up the nerve to converse with her. My presumption is that most are intimidated by her high level of style and class in her OOTD posts and sneaker shots. Their reticence to connect with her is at their loss, as Galit is one of the most down-to-earth people I know. Her city shots present you perspectives of Montreal that most have too often overlooked, pushing to light the fact that she pays attention to what some can’t even perceive. Realness like that, you can’t help but associate with.
***
The Brag Affair 
