Moodboard curators are known for keeping things anonymous and letting their galleries do the talking, and founder Carlo Aragon is no different. Aragon founded the burgeoning digital community known as Salomonology during the pandemic in 2020. In a few short years, the account has garnered a 77k follower count, bringing its followers the latest and greatest in footwear and all the style inspiration one could ever need. However, it's not as surface level as that. Aragon hopes that his work through Salomonology will contribute to GORPcore's positive effects on the community and get individuals back into nature and appreciating Mother Earth. Get to know Aragon below.
What is your relationship with sneakers, and when did Salomon Sportstyle become a part of it?
There’s only so much I can say about how deeply sneakers have been involved in my life. I lived on and ISS throughout grade-school. I was blessed to have parents with the means and patience to support my sneaker obsession, taking me to the mall at 5am so I could line up for pairs like the 2004 . Fast forward to 2020, I was going through this whole anti-Nike and phase for the sake of diversity, so I wanted to find something different and obscure to wear.
You’re an avid Salomon stan. What are some of your favourite things about the brand and its sneakers?
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest (love you, Seattle) where outdoor gear was kind of a daily uniform for us, so I’d have to say that the brand’s ability to influence street style while maintaining their integrity as an outdoor brand is my first favourite thing. Next, I’d like to give all the credit in the world to their CMF team, who keep pumping out funky new colour combos every season, making us fall in love with the same silhouettes all over again. Salomon is an established brand with rich, colourful heritage, and I’m glad they can express that on an entirely new level.
When did you first start Salomonology?
Salomonology started on Instagram in 2020, during the prime of the pandemic. During those days, buying more sneakers should have been the last thing on my mind, but sometimes you just can’t escape what’s in your blood, I guess.
Other than the vast and growing Salomon community, what inspired you to create the account?
I was on the fence about purchasing my first pair. it was a new brand of sneakers to me when my rotation consisted entirely of and . I was reminded by someone wise that variety is the spice of life, so I looked to IG for inspiration to push me over that ledge. I noticed Salomon ’fits and sneaker shots could only be found on the explore page, so I took it upon myself to build the page initially as a personal inspo-board before realising there were dozens of others who were in the same boat.
What is the process like of curating the page? Do you have a very strict style guide that you stick to?
Details have always been important to me, and I wanted to present something that had a bit of order and cleanliness to it, like a proper flow that you can notice as you’re scrolling down. Also, I thought the names of the colours used were unique and fun, so I came up with the idea of captioning each photo with the colour-palette in addition to the model name. It also helps with finding a specific pair when you know the colours used. Everyone has an equal chance to be featured on the page, we don’t show preference or favour those with high follower counts. Salomonology is a community built by the community for the community.
Let’s talk about your favourite Salomon releases. What’s your favourite pair in your collection, and what’s one that got away?
I’d say my favourite right now are my because I really had to earn them during the promotional campaign we shot for them, courtesy of the fine folks at atmos Philippines. The pair of Salos that got away would definitely be the for my guy HIDDEN.NY. They’ve always been a huge inspiration for me in creating and managing an inspo-page, and I would have loved to get a pair but they were out of stock as soon as I learned they had dropped. Was close to paying resell at one point, but I just couldn’t do it.
There’s a lot of talk that GORPcore might be slowing down and on its way out, but Salomonology of course says otherwise. What are your thoughts on that dialogue?
The great thing about GORPcore is that there is GORPcore the trend and GORPcore the lifestyle. Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the trend, contrary to what a majority of gatekeepers believe, the best thing about it is that some people will come out of this phase having transitioned into the lifestyle, meaning more people getting outdoors and appreciating the core of it all, which is to enjoy and appreciate the natural beauty Mother Earth has to offer.
What are your goals for Salomonology? Are you hoping an official collaboration could be on the cards?
My goal has always been to cultivate a community that is both safe and accepting of those who want to venture into Salomon Sportstyle, whether you hike or just want to wear them because they look great. In addition to this, I would also like to increase awareness and support for environmental advocacy, and I feel that we accomplish that as we continue to grow in number each day. An official collaboration with Salomonology, acknowledging the community would definitely be something! Let’s just hope the nice folks over in Annecy catch wind of it. [Laughs.]