First of all, could you please introduce yourself?

Hi, I'm Tony, a sneaker enthusiast and a photographer from Taipei, Taiwan. I've been collecting sneakers for over 20 years. I share my daily outfit and sneakers on Instagram as @tonyblee and update weekly.   

For how long have you been collecting sneakers, do you remember what your first pair was?

I’ve been collecting sneakers since 2000s. My first pair of sneakers was “Jordan 12 OG Playoffs”, which was a birthday gift in 1997 and has heavily influenced my passion for shoes.

I love the matching grid on your Instagram account, how much time do you spend on matching all of your content?

I’m sure you all noticed that I have a fixed template which is with 3 pictures in a row as a series.

However, every time I get new sneakers, I will start to conceive a plan and try to get as much inspiration for my shoot, including poses, outfits, best location fits with sneakers. Apparently, I do spend a lot of effort on shooting preparation. I won’t say it is easy but definitely worth it. 

Here is a secret for epsilon magazine readers, for taking the best shoot you just have to relax and get into the right mindset. Most important of all, HAVE FUN!

Hope you guys enjoy my grid.

Could you maybe tell us a bit more about your camera equipment?

I shoot pictures by Nikon Z7 with 50mm lens mostly.

Most of your content on Instagram is New Balances, is that your favourite brand?

I have a lot of passion for sneakers. So actually I collect many brands of sneakers, such as Nike, Jordan, Asics, Converse, Salomon, and New Balance of course.  I won’t say New Balance is my favourite brand, but it is the brand that I wear most frequently in recent years.

Do you have any favourite releases in your collection?

Both colourways of Union X Jordan 1 are my favorite Jordans. I do appreciate the vintage design with quality fabrics and construction. And I’m so glad that I got both of them in my collection. 

Do you already know what your next purchase will be?

I’m a big fan of KITH. Hope that I’ll be able to manage a pair of Kith x New Balance 990V1 “Dusty Rose” this year.

Make sure to follow Tony on Instagram