'Friends in the Flow' Creator Spotlight - Shoezen.one

This week’s featured creator is Derrick Narciso - @shoezen.one. Derrick is an extremely talented creator, reviewer & sneaker enthusiast who constantly amazes us with his thoughtful reviews & beautifully composed pictures/videos. Derrick’s content features a blend of cutting-edge performance footwear and the OG classics. A true friend & partner of the brand, Derrick has created high quality content for our social channels as well as our website.

Social handles: IG - shoezen.one, TikTok - shoezen.one, YouTube - shoezen_one

How did you get into sneakers/shoes/fashion: Ever since I laid my eyes upon the OG Air Max 1 in 1986, I was bitten by the sneaker bug. It was ahead of its time. It was the only sneaker that had air bubbles on its heel. Not being able to afford them only ignited my obsession. Later, the same air bubbles appeared on the kicks of a high-flying-slam-dunking-NBA player named Michael. He was wearing the Jordan 3 Black Cements. As a kid, I really thought the Air Sole Units granted the wearer extra athletic powers because of the way MJ played. This further fueled my love affair with kicks and basketball.

Favorite shoe/sneaker of all time: Nike Air Max 1 OG Sport Red

Favorite go-to pairs of shoes (shoes by the door): Since I am getting old, comfort is now king. I’ve traded in my Jordans for the long wearing comfort of the ASICS Kayano 14, NB 2002r and SAUCONY Progrid Omni 9.

Describe your style: I am currently in my workwear/skater phase. You’ll see me wearing a lot of cargoes, flannels and blouson utility jackets. I like the style, functionality and durability of this style. Since, I do a lot of photography and filming now for my hobby and actual work I welcome the additional pockets for all my gear.

Talk about your creative process: Just keep shooting. Shoot on days when you don’t feel like it. Don’t wait for inspiration to hit you. Skill and talent are like any other muscle. You must keep repping them for them to grow. From those thousands of clicks and shots you will have figured out the techniques and angles that works best for you. Even the perceived failed shots have the purpose of being revisited and refined. After these thousands of reps, I promise you before you head on out to your shoot, you will already have a developed a playbook. These are a series of shots already in your head designed to match your subject that you want to bring to life. This will eventually become the back bone and guide for your work flow.

Other passions/hobbies outside of shoes/sneakers/fashion: Photography and filming is something I enjoy. I could easily spend countless of hours doing these. It brings me a ton of happiness and joy. For my physical and mental health, I train Brazilian Juijitsu.

Interesting fact: Sneakers has opened a lot of doors and opportunities for me. A lot of people back then laughed at me and my crew for taking sneakers and fit shots. For me it was just sharing amongst like-minded peeps our passion. We didn’t let that detract us and kept doing what we loved. Taking selfies now is pretty much the norm. I started with an old Samsung Galaxy 4 and self-taught myself photoshop and filming editing. I now work with multiple brands. I am content creator for The Kickz Stand - the longest running sneaker group and lifestyle event in Australia. And because of sneakers I’ve landed my dream job as a media consultant/producer for a multi-billion company in Melbourne.
All this happened because I kept doing what made me happy. Let the journey and the learning be the reward. Whatever happens don’t let anyone take your dreams away. It may take a long time and a lot of sacrifices but stick to it and it will be worth it in the end.