From your instagram it is clear to see you have a real interest in sneakers and streetwear fashion. Can you give us a bit more of an insight into the man behind the blog?

I’m Daniel Darko, 26 from London. I developed a passion for sneakers and streetwear fashion sometime in 2014 and decided to show that passion through Instagram a few years later. I also have a TikTok account @dandarko where I normally do video responses to my audience’s comments in order to help them out with their fashion as well.

How would you choose to describe the London sneaker scene and has it evolved much since when you first entered it?

I would definitely say that the sneaker scene has become a lot bigger than it was a few years ago. A lot of people have realised that there are sneakers out there that can be resold for a lot more money and therefore has become very competitive to secure sneakers that you are after. However, it also has helped bring people together and has allowed me to connect with individuals and make new friends.

 

What is your favourite thing about what you do?

Honestly there’s so many favourite things but if I had to pick one it has to be the fact that I am able to have fun and create a variety of different content, from videos to outfit pics, having the ability to just experiment with my style and seeing what works best for me and what my audience enjoy most. It never gets boring and every day I look forward to creating more content.

What is one thing that you find hard or believe to be underestimated about content creation that not many people would initially think of?

For me it has to be time management. Luckily I am able to work part-time so that I have more free time to make content, but coming up with a schedule of when to create and post can be difficult to do, especially if you’re a full-time worker. I feel like I never have enough time in a day to create and have my content ready to upload on time. Some people make it look easy but being organised can be very difficult at times.

 

What is something that your followers may not know about you that they may find surprising? 

I feel like a lot of people think that all streetwear/sneakers content creators have a ton of kicks in their collection. I know that a lot of them do have about 50+ but with me I only have a few. I just do my best to rotate them so that I’m not always wearing the same pairs all the time.

Whats the craziest thing you have done for a pair of kicks?

Nothing too crazy, I remember a few years back I camped outside the store Wellgosh in Leicester overnight for a pair of NMDs because back then they were really hyped. In total I waited over 12 hours in line for them and it was also heavily raining that day as well. It was a great experience nonetheless. I’d probably do something like that again especially with a group of friends.

 

What do you believe initially sparked your passion for sneakers and how has this interest evolved over the years?

Around 2014 I remember buying a pair of Jordans which were a pair of Flights. I was not clued up on sneakers at all at the time and honestly thought they were so exclusive that I treated them like a grail of mine at the time. From then I did my research on different Jordan models, classic colourways etc and as time went on I started to buy some of these sought-after pairs. I also joined a sneaker head group called Sneakerhead UK (now Sneaker Myth) and from then I got even more clued up on sneakers and not just Jordans. I then fell in love with Yeezys and the boost material that adidas implemented.

My interest in sneakers changed over time as back in 2014 I had no idea about Jordans or exclusive sneakers that you needed to enter raffles for, all my kicks were purchased from stores that had them on shelves. Today, I don’t actually remember the last time I purchased or wore a pair of trainers that were really easy to get. 

What are 3 pieces of content featured on your insta feed that you would consider as some of your favourite posts and why?

1 My Reel ‘4 Different Fall Outfit Ideas’ because it’s my highest performing reel at the moment.

2 There’s a group photo I have on my feed of me and 3 others which we shot outside Supreme. We all knew each other through Instagram. That day was special as it was the first time we all met up together.

3 My second upload on my feed posted on March 2017 of me wearing the Anti Social hoodie. That started the journey for me in streetwear.

 

We are giving you the ultimate ultimatum; If you could only be an influencer for either streetwear clothing or sneakers, which one would you pick and why?

Very tough choice but I’d pick streetwear over sneakers. I feel like there’s so much more content that I can do with fashion. Also I love being able to inspire others and help them with their style. Fashion is also constantly changing and I’d love to see how my style changes as time goes on.

 

What have been some of your coolest highlights or perks of being a content creator so far?

So many! But if I had to pick a few it would be:

• Meeting a bunch of people through social media, making content with them and just hanging out

• Working with huge brands such as PacSun, JD and ASOS and being able to create different types of content for all these brands

• Getting invited to different events

• Being able to inspire others. It is very heart warming anytime someone says they look up to me or my content. I honestly still can’t believe that there are people out there who admire what I do on social media!

 

In your opinion, what do you think was the hottest sneaker collab of 2021? 

For this I’d have to go with Nike x Off-White ‘The 50’. This collab made me so excited to get a pair or even multiple pairs of the 50 Dunks and I love how they released it by only allowing people to purchase through exclusive access only. Every morning I was looking forward to hopefully securing access to purchase and thankfully after waiting almost 2 weeks I managed to get one. There was a lot of frustration on the days where I didn’t get selected but patience paid off in the end.

 

Lastly, can you tell us about any up and coming projects and what 2022 looks like for Daniel Darko?

This year I plan on being a lot more active than I was before and improve the quality of my content. I really want to take things a lot more seriously when it comes to content creation. I’d love to be able to work with high-end designer brands and collaborate with as many people as possible. It’s time to make the most out of social media and 2022!