Taxonomy Of A Shoe Collector: A Day In The Life Of Christopher Kevin Au

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You’ve probably noticed we’ve been working with Nike on their Month Of Max a lot lately, and with that work the very real, very large culture of sneakerheads has come to light for us in a way we’d never truly appreciated in the past. To understand the intense devotion tens of thousands of actual, real people feel for this sartorial icon, we decided to walk a mile in one extreme fan’s very specific shoes.

Meet Christopher Kevin Au: photographer, shoe hoarder and editor of the Sydney collective Life Without Andy. Because of his borderline-unsettling affection for the Air Max 95, Chris has been chosen by Nike to be an ambassador for the shoe during their Month of Max. We spent a day with him to see what makes a sneaker-freak tick. Do they put their shoes on one foot at a time, like the rest of us? Are their lives fraught too with the pathos of our human condition? Let’s find out.

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Junkee: What’s the first thing you generally see when you wake up in the morning? 

Christopher Kevin Au: My iPhone screen and my giant fortune cat collection, which is the result of years of worldly accumulation.

What does the inside of your closet look like?

Windbreakers, full tracksuits, jerseys, trenchcoats and varsity jackets. Lots of ignorant sportswear, all in black. A few silk shirts from Paddy’s Markets, all in black. Tees organised by colour, black and white. A shitload of shoeboxes and a handful of regrettable purchases that I’m too proud to throw away.

Who is your favourite friend and what do you guys do when you hang out? 

I have this one friend called Noodles, but he’s currently on a salsa tour of South America and he almost got shot the other day. He’s coming home soon, so I’m sure we’ll have a spare minute to grab a can of Fanta and catch up like old times.

What’s your A-game breakfast? 

A beef pho, a Weis bar, a packet of Dunkaroos and a glass of water.

Where’s your favourite lunch place and what should we order? 

McDonalds drive-thru, Kingsford. You should order a Big Mac, a Fillet-O-Fish, a Cheeseburger, 10 nuggets, three packets of fries, three hash browns and four Coca-Colas, but you should only pay for three of them. Ask Nes and Joyride about it. Failing that, you should try the scallop laksa from Happy Chef Noodle Restaurant or the braised eggplant from Chinese Noodle House. You should also go and eat a gigantic pho at Huong Xua. It weighs 2.5 kilograms. Shouts to Canley Heights.

What’s always on your desk?

Linkin Park’s debut album ‘Hybrid Theory’ on cassette tape, a Brock Lesnar coaster from SummerSlam 2012 and an aromatic lemon basil candle.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m focused on populating the national media landscape with more articles about Gucci Mane and Drake, and helping hip-hop and dance communities grow within Australia. I would like to spend 2016 presenting more videos, hosting club nights and getting further involved in the world of styling and sportswear wherever possible.

I would also like to make more active moves in collaborating with local creative talents — we have a lot of them in Sydney! There is this guy called Chris Yee who is absolutely bananas, go check out his work.

What passes for a night out in Sydney these days? 

There’s a night at The Cliff Dive called The Naughty Noughties which is solely dedicated to hip-hop from the 2000s. Their next party is on March 24, and DJ Chardonnay is playing a 20-minute Jennifer Lopez medley. It’s $5 before ! The only weird thing is that one of their hosts (the bald idiot with the glasses) always gets on the microphone and yells too much. Still, you should all go!

On Saturdays, catch DJ Leon Smith at The Club for a masterclass in how to mix Waka Flocka Flame into Selena Gomez in a DJ set. Halfway Crooks and One Day Sundays are also nice parties with lots of obnoxious rap music. Bonus tip: Have pre-drinks and lots of burgers at the Lord Gladstone beforehand.

How do you chill out after a long day?

By putting on my Bintang pajama set and watching the mindless culinary commotion on My Kitchen Rules. After that, I usually listen to ‘Man Down’ by Rihanna on repeat while eating biscuits on the floor and wishing I had a pet Doberman.

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If you’re a fellow Sydney sneaker obsessive, there will be plenty to keep you entertained this Month Of Max – including a free sneaker cleaning bar.  You can also hangout with Christopher Kevin Au who has been appointed a Local Master of Air ambassador for his favourite Air Max style – the Air Max 95.

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Sydney is the very first official city to welcome in Month Of Max around the world, so join us for this epic celebration of all things Air Max, and don’t forget to #WearYourAir