The Collectibility of Chummy’s Custom Footwear with Colin Szumski

Summary

Podcast Summary

Collector Nation – "The Collectibility of Chummy’s Custom Footwear with Colin Szumski"

Host: Ryan Alford
Guest: Colin Chaminsky (Founder & Creative Director, Chummy’s Custom Shoes)
Date: March 3, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the intersection of collectibles, sneaker culture, and storytelling through custom footwear. Host Ryan Alford dives deep with Colin Chaminsky, whose company Chummy’s Custom Shoes creates exclusive, one-of-one sneaker designs often incorporating athlete jerseys and memorabilia. The discussion explores how these sneakers transcend regular merchandise to become true collectibles, their growing demand among high-profile clients, and the importance of scarcity and story in today's collectibles market.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. From Footwear to Collectible Art

• Initial Spark: Colin described his unique path—from studying architecture to experimenting with shoe customization during the pandemic. His early attempts included visits to industry pioneers like the Shoe Surgeon in LA. (03:11)

• Turning Point: The launch of “jersey shoes”—custom sneakers made using actual player or team jerseys—caught the attention of collectors and led to rapid growth. These shoes uniquely combine memorabilia and footwear, making each pair a rare, story-driven piece. (03:29-04:46)

  “When we introduced our jersey shoes...we take your favorite player's jersey...and put it onto a shoe. Doing that brought us a lot of cool opportunities.”
  — Colin Chaminsky [04:01]

2. Crossing Paths with Legends & Storytelling

• Colin shares memorable experiences like meeting the Manning brothers at the Super Bowl, gifting Dwyane Wade with a commemorative pair, and personalized shoes that help athletes revisit key moments in their careers. (07:42-09:06)

• Emotional Connection: The sneakers are often worn just once—at a major event—before being displayed as keepsakes, sometimes signed by athletes.

  “The biggest thing that we do is drive emotion...seeing the reaction on the guy’s face...it kind of takes them back in their career.”
  — Colin Chaminsky [08:22]

3. Pricing & Accessibility

• Prices typically start around $850 for a base pair (includes Air Force 1s and the jersey) and range up to $1,100–$1,250 for advanced designs.

• Most creations are true "one of one," though occasionally bulk orders for brands or teams occur. (09:43-10:47)

  “Everything is one of one...but we’ve had orders as big as 70 to 100 pairs for brands.”
  — Colin Chaminsky [10:26]

4. Behind the Scenes: Process & Production

• Base shoes are often Air Force 1s, but any brand/model can be used if supplied by the customer. The process is highly collaborative, with clients involved in design decisions and material sourcing. (11:09-12:02, 26:50-28:23)
• Production is artisan-driven, with a core team of four to five, scaling up for large orders. Each piece is handmade. (16:55)
• Growth Challenges: Letting go of hands-on control and expanding the team has been both necessary and difficult for Colin.

5. Legal & Brand Collaborations

• All materials are legally sourced, minimizing conflict with big brands like Nike. However, long-term ambitions include developing Chummy’s own shoe (to avoid legal tangles and offer more design freedom). (17:39)
• Major breakthroughs came via collaborations with the Philadelphia Eagles, Pringles (custom cleats/content), and other large brands—each with unique logistical and legal challenges. (18:24-20:41)

6. Influencer & Celebrity Impact

• High-profile clients and social posts (e.g., Brittany Mahomes, People Magazine feature) have driven organic growth and built Chummy’s credibility. (20:51-21:10)
• Colin’s dream clients: LeBron James, Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, Drake, and Michael Phelps. (21:49-22:52)

7. Marketing, Scarcity, & Collectibility

• Growth has been almost exclusively organic, relying on social media (Instagram, TikTok) and word of mouth. (23:38)

• Scarcity/Exclusivity: Only athlete or celebrity pairs are guaranteed "one of one." Some team jerseys or championship editions may be produced in very limited runs, especially after major events. (24:07-29:12)

  “Pretty much every piece I’ve made for a celebrity or athlete, I don’t make that again...That’s how it should be.”
  — Colin Chaminsky [24:14]

8. Authenticity & Technology

• Chummy’s is considering trademark steps and integrating authentication technology (potentially blockchain), inspired by recent moves from brands like Nike. (25:24-25:52)
• Colin believes early Chummy’s shoes will appreciate as the brand grows.

9. The Custom Order Process

• Most customers come with an idea based on past commissions. Consultation is part of the process, with back-and-forth on design specifics. (26:50)
• Timeline: About 3–4 weeks from order to delivery, including sourcing shoes/jerseys, crafting, photos, and custom packaging.

10. Show-and-Tell: Examples of Chummy’s Pieces

• Colin shows a Super Bowl IX-themed shoe and a Shohei Ohtani custom, illustrating use of event memorabilia and player signatures in unique ways. (29:50-31:37)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On making collectibles:
  “We are more than a shoe company...I think we really sell the story.”
  — Colin Chaminsky [14:47]

• On emotional value:
  “What we do is drive emotion...most people have never seen something like this before.”
  — Colin Chaminsky [08:22]

• On future vision:
  “Our goal...is to create our own shoe...to play with the designs more and, honestly, to get away from Nike, too.”
  — Colin Chaminsky [16:55]

• On scarcity:
  “Scarcity is everything in collectibles...I don’t make [athlete pairs] again. That’s how it should be.”
  — Colin Chaminsky [24:07-24:14]

• On order process:
  “Everything that we post...has been a commission of some sort...production time is about three to four weeks.”
  — Colin Chaminsky [26:50-28:23]

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Key Timestamps

• [01:31] – Intro to the episode’s theme and guest
• [03:11] – Colin's background and entry into custom footwear
• [04:46] – Creation and viral success of “jersey shoes”
• [05:52] – Are Chummy’s shoes worn or displayed?
• [07:42] – Meeting the Mannings & Dwyane Wade; the emotional aspect
• [09:43] – Pricing, "one of one" concept, bulk orders
• [16:55] – Team expansion, handcrafting, and legal considerations
• [18:24] – First big break: Philadelphia Eagles and other brand deals
• [20:51] – Brittany Mahomes/celebrity impact and dream clients
• [23:38] – Organic marketing, referrals, and the power of social media
• [24:07] – Scarcity, athlete exclusivity, and secondary value
• [25:24] – Authenticity, trademarks, and blockchain aspirations
• [26:50] – Order process and idea/consultation phase
• [29:50] – Showcasing custom Super Bowl and Shohei Ohtani shoes
• [32:48] – Where to follow and order from Chummy’s

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Connect & Learn More

• Instagram/TikTok: @chummys
• Official Site: chummiescustoms.com
• For custom orders, events, or collaborations: Reach out via website contact

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This episode is a must-listen for sneakerheads, collectors, or anyone fascinated by the artistry and storytelling potential in custom sneakers. If you want to own a true wearable collectible, Colin and the Chummy’s team are advancing the intersection of culture, fashion, and memorabilia—one pair at a time.

Transcript

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[Colin Chaminsky]

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[Ryan Alford]

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[Ryan Alford]

Could you do something with a Jordan rookie card built into a shoe?

[Colin Chaminsky]

It definitely gets me thinking. We could definitely come up with something cool.

[Ryan Alford]

That's nice.

[Collector Nation Announcer]

Welcome to the Collector Nation podcast here on the Collector Nation Network. Whether you're chasing grails or calling bluffs, we take you inside the hobby. Here's your host, Ryan. All furry.

[Ryan Alford]

Collectibles aren't just cards and memorabilia anymore. They're experiences, stories, and one of kind pieces that can't be replicated. Today, we're talking about a brand that treats sneakers the same way collectors treat grails. Colin Chaminsky, the founder and creative director of Chummy's Custom Shoes, creates true one of one pieces. Working with major teams, athletes, and brands where no two pairs are ever the same, we're breaking down how custom sneakers fit into the collectibles world, what it's like creating for the biggest stages, and why scarcity and story matter more than hype. Colin, welcome to Collector Nation.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Appreciate it, Ryan. Thank you for having me excited.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, man. Did our intro segment get it right?

[Colin Chaminsky]

I think. Intro, yeah. Overall, I think that's the big picture for sure. Definitely telling a story through our shoes, for sure.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah. I mean, it's cool, man. It's like you think about in some ways and I know, look, I'm. I'm in the shoe game, like that much. Like, I know what I like. Stuff hits my radar and I buy it, but I'm not like, I'd be lying to say. I'm like, oh, I'm knee deep in it. But, you know, I know like shoe surgeon, some of the like pioneers, like creating custom shoes. Those kind of people I'm connected with and aware of. So it's not necessarily new, but it's not. It's interesting that we haven't maybe come further along in this. So when I saw what you were doing, I was like, this makes a lot of sense. When did you realize, you know, was what you were making wasn't just footwear but. But was collectible?

[Colin Chaminsky]

Well, funny enough, I actually. So after I graduated, just kind of skipping around a little bit, I actually visited the shoe surgeon in LA to potentially work there. Didn't get the job, but it is what it is. Everything happens for a reason.

[Ryan Alford]

Yep.

[Colin Chaminsky]

So. But I mean, yeah, so I went to school for architecture, so that's kind of like my background. So I think I've always felt I've had a different way of looking at things. Um, so I was just creating shoes all throughout school during COVID That's when I started. And then I was just kind of making just. I think it really started just making cool things and trying to thinking outside the box. But I think when it really started to click with the collector market was when we introduced our. Our jersey shoes. Which is, if you're not familiar, we pretty much take your favorite player's jersey, your favorite team's jersey, and cut that up and put it onto a shoe. And doing that, that's been able to bring us a lot of cool opportunities and bring us to a lot of cool events, meet a lot of cool people. And that really started from. It was when the Chiefs and the Super Bowl. Yeah, the Chiefs and the Niners are playing in the super bowl in Vegas. And around that time was Kristen Jesusek. I always butcher her name, but she's a girl.

[Ryan Alford]

That's a tough one. Yeah, I thought Chomsky was hard, but,

[Colin Chaminsky]

you know, now that I know it,

[Ryan Alford]

I got it right.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah, well, like she was. That was like when the big rise in popularity around the Jack, the custom game day fits and the jackets and things like that. So I just thought of like, no one has really done it on a pair of shoes. So that's when the first shoe came about was during that Super Bowl. And then I did one for both the 49ers and the Chiefs. And those videos did really well. And then ever since then, it's just been kind of a steamroll. Next player was Jason Kelsey, then Mahomes and then Palamalu and then Aaron Judge. So I think it's cool how these shoes are not Just for football. Like, it could be any. Any team, any player from any sport. We. We've done rugby shoes before. I mean, a bunch of people have reached out to us about, like, cricket, so motocross, F1. So, I mean, I think that's one of the cool things about what we do, is there really is no. Really is no limitations on what we can do. Design.

[Ryan Alford]

How many people are buy. How many people are wearing these shoes versus just putting them in the case.

[Colin Chaminsky]

So that's a good question. I feel like it's 50. 50. Okay, I'll take that back. I think people wear them once for the event or for the moment or whatever it is, and then they'll put them up. So I think. I mean, I've had a couple people, they like, they wear them to, like, a meet and greet. Like, one. One guy we had a meet and greet with Jason Kelsey. He wore them, showed him the shoes, and he signed the shoes, and then he put them up in a case. So that's part of the cool thing, too, is players have seen these and sign these. And I was just on Mark Price's interview or podcast about a month or two ago, because he saw the shoes that someone made and then he signed those.

[Ryan Alford]

The basketball player.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

Because.

[Colin Chaminsky]

So. So, yeah, I don't know. It's cool to see how these shoes have. Giving us access to all these different types of people.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, man. It's smart. I mean, and also just. I look. It's not surprising when a creative guy.

[Colin Chaminsky]

You're.

[Ryan Alford]

Look, I came up in the ad agency business, so I'm the. I was the strategic creative account guy, so I was a weird hybrid of these things. So. But creative people using that creativity also, to start kind of. Because you could point that towards a lot of different things, but using your kind of ability to design and build and do these things creatively in a space that has kind of this culture and commerce. It's super smart. And, like, it's so cool because it gives you this access, like you said. Because that's what I was thinking. I was like, God, this guy created this thing that then these superstars and everybody, they want to get behind it because they're attached to it, right?

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah, no, for sure. I think. I think the coolest. One of the coolest moments for me was definitely going to the super bowl and meeting the Manning brothers and doing a pair for. For them. And those shoes had, like, luckily, they. I mean, they won two Super Bowls each, so it was cool to have, like, each of the toe boxes had one of the patches from the jersey, so. And then also meeting Dwyane Wade this past Art Basel in Miami to. To celebrate his 20 year and 20 year anniversary for the Miami Heat 06 finals win. So I think it's cool how. Because I don't know, I feel like guys of their stature, they like, they just get products and gifts and stuff that don't like, mean anything or like they see it once and then it just goes in their closet and they'll probably never be seen again. So I think what we do is cool how I feel like the biggest thing that we do is drive emotion out of what we get or what we serve and just seeing the reaction on the guy's face because it's like most people have never seen something like this before. So it's always cool to see their genuine reaction. And I think you can tell it kind of hits them close to home a little bit. It kind of takes them back in their career.

[Ryan Alford]

I mean, Josh Allen's my favorite player calling. If you wanted to know. I was saying, I know we could

[Colin Chaminsky]

put them right up where those green ones are.

[Ryan Alford]

Dude, I can. This can move right out. You know, we could put a label Colin, which, you know, chummies his, his, you know, cut me a, you know, a deal on something is. If you don't mind. I mean, what are we talking about here? You know, let's go right at it because if I'm listening, I'm going, damn, I want me some custom shoes. So if, if you're willing, like what, what are we talking about? Like starting point, like for something that you do.

[Colin Chaminsky]

I would say starting point is probably around 850, which, which in at least for our pricing, it includes the shoes, the Air Force ones and the jersey. But I would say the more design stuff or I guess anything on top of that is probably around the 1100-1250ish.

[Ryan Alford]

Reasonable for custom. I'm telling you that's not. I mean, that's.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

Reasonable.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah, I think. Yeah, I agree.

[Ryan Alford]

Is that. Yeah. I'm just telling you, if you're listening, like, and you're going, whoa, let me look. You paid, you know, 4, 5, 600 for some of these shoes that are just like everybody else's. You get a one on one. Is everything one on one. Still calling. Are we duplicating anything?

[Colin Chaminsky]

For the most part, everything is one of one. But we always have people coming to us for football for bulk orders and things like that.

[Ryan Alford]

So they might get 5, 6, 7, 8 of the same thing.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah, Sometimes. But I mean, we've had orders as big as like 70 to 100 pairs. Yeah. For these companies and brands.

[Ryan Alford]

So all starting with. So everything starts with the base shoe of an Air Force One that is the most popular. And is this. I mean, am I holding up essentially what you start with?

[Colin Chaminsky]

Pretty much. I personally like the Air Force just because at least how our style is, I think it fits better. I think there's more space on the side of the shoe. You'll be able to see more of the player name. I don't know.

[Ryan Alford]

This is Jordan, but there's essentially similarity in there.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah. We could do any brand. Adidas Puma.

[Ryan Alford]

So do some people send you the shoes?

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yes, some. If they have like a very specific. If they want like a Jordan 3 or 11 or something like that or if they already have it. Yeah, that would work.

[Ryan Alford]

This is my brand color, my original brand. Radical. My ad agency. So these are semi custom.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

But yeah, the similar. I think it's the exact same model shoe, actually.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah. So, I mean, people, they send us the shoes, they send us a jersey if they have like a collection or maybe like if they have like a. An old player that doesn't play for the team anymore, like Cooper Cup. We've had a lot of people reach out to us about sending their. Their Rams jerseys to us just because what are they going to do with it now? But hey, now you can make a cool shoe out of it.

[Ryan Alford]

I think we need a mashup between Tommy's with, you know, reclaimed cards. Like as he makes like you get the shoe and then the card together, like framed or something. That could be funny.

[Colin Chaminsky]

No. Yeah, I agree. We've actually, we have talked a couple times. So that's.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, that could be a cool collab, I think. I think Collector Nation needs to be in there, like bringing it together, you

[Colin Chaminsky]

know,

[Ryan Alford]

here it at Collect, Collector Station. We've got a huge store in like we need, like we like factory build. Right. I'm kidding. Now I'm getting overboard. But we'll bring it together somehow, some way. And maybe it's a look we had him on. You'll get a kick out of this column. I have a Jordan Rookie. It's probably PSA 5. I haven't had it graded yet. Those are going for about 6k, 6, 7k depending on whatever. Yeah, I was just going to let him butcher it, cut it up and turn it into something custom. But a real card. Yeah, maybe you could. What would you do? Could you do something with a Jordan rookie card? Built into a shoe. Have you ever done that? Something with a card?

[Colin Chaminsky]

No.

[Ryan Alford]

Other than, like, the memorabilia itself, like the jersey or something. I haven't.

[Colin Chaminsky]

It definitely gets me thinking, though.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, there's.

[Colin Chaminsky]

There's something we could definitely.

[Ryan Alford]

There was something baller about just going cut that $6,000 card, but then it goes into something one of one, and it was made with the real rookie card. I thought there was something. I mean, Jordan's my favorite player.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

So like, basketball wise, Josh Allen, football. Jordan, basketball. Anyway, no, I think it's.

[Colin Chaminsky]

I think it's interesting because some people could look at that and think that it's worth more. But then also people think, oh, you just ruined it. Now it's worth nothing. So I think it's. I don't know, it's a cool, cool conversation. Cool, cool perspective.

[Ryan Alford]

Could y' all split it? Could you make.

[Colin Chaminsky]

And.

[Ryan Alford]

I don't know. You know, it's probably easier for him making a custom card out of a card for you. I don't know how you build. You know, you might have to cut the cardboard and, you know, shave.

[Colin Chaminsky]

I don't know.

[Ryan Alford]

You're creative. You might just come up with something. Hey, that might get you guys excited because I'm giving you, hey, I'm getting you a 6.6k card to work with. That could be. And then if we had a. A signature and a game worn, like jersey, it could get pretty badass.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

So we'll think about that. I know every, you know, we talked about it. You create a. I mean, look, you create a shoe, and it creates a story. But a lot of these shoes have stories because of, you know, the game worn or whatever, you know, memorabilia might have come with it. How important is that for you?

[Colin Chaminsky]

I think it's really important, to be honest. I think that's because we always. I mean, as chummies, we believe that we're more than a shoe company. Like, yeah, we make the shoes, but that's not. I feel like that's not the main thing that we sell. I think we really sell the story. Really, Ideally, pretty much. I get. We really strive on our moments. So whatever that moment is, trying to take that and put it into a shoe, to be able to put it up on your shelf like these. And now every time that you look at it, you can. It takes you back to that moment, whether. Whatever that moment is, it doesn't have to be a sporting accomplishment. It could be. I don't know, maybe you sold your business, your business, or maybe you just had a kid. Or something like that. So, I don't know. Just life championship moments are really what. What we focus on. That's really what drives everything, especially for me personally. I think. Yeah, I think that's. That's what we want to get out of life, really. Just moments.

[Ryan Alford]

How many pairs of shoes has Colin custom made? Personally?

[Colin Chaminsky]

Personally.

[Ryan Alford]

Is it thousands at this point?

[Colin Chaminsky]

Hundreds? I would say. I would say in the thousands for sure. I mean, at this point, I'm not. I'm not touching every single shoe. Yeah, at this point.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah. Let's talk about that growth and that scale. You know, what's that been like and how have we done it?

[Colin Chaminsky]

It's been good and tough.

[Ryan Alford]

Overall.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Good. But I think the hardest part for me was letting go, because I think of. I'm like, I don't know. This is kind of like my baby.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah.

[Colin Chaminsky]

I have found people that I trust a little bit enough to. To get me hands off.

[Ryan Alford]

Transparent entrepreneur talk here.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah. Yeah. But it's been hard. But I mean, I found Chris. I don't know if he. He's more like the CEO business guy. So I found him to be able to take care of all the. All that side of stuff, so I can really focus on the creative and what I'm good at. But yeah, no, it's been. It's been tough to let go. And so that's. That's something I'm. I'm trying to work on and just trying to get confident in for sure.

[Ryan Alford]

How many shoemakers do we have? And is it all. I mean, is it all by hand still?

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yes. I mean, right now we have, I would say four or five artisans right now, but if we have a big order, we. We can bring in more eventually. Our goal, or one of our goals is to create our own shoe. Still working on that. To be able to do larger numbers and be able to play with the designs more and things like that. And honestly, it's to get away from Nike too, because I know you probably know what happened with the surgeon and everything. Yeah, they're very sue happy, I would say.

[Ryan Alford]

Yes. They got money to throw at lawyers. That's the thing. They can always outspend you, you know, like, I don't care if you're a billion. I mean, Nike can always 9 out of 10 times outspend you if they want to.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Right.

[Ryan Alford]

Even if it doesn't make sense, you know, it doesn't have to make sense.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah. But I will say what we're doing is complet legal. We buy the shoes and the jersey from licensed retailers and products. And we cut that up and make it into a one of one piece of art. So we are in the clear.

[Ryan Alford]

No, that's good. It's smart. You don't. I mean, you just. You don't need to poke the bear and.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Right, no need.

[Ryan Alford]

And, you know, and you like their shoes. I mean, you're good with their shoes. You don't necessarily probably love all their business practices. Most people don't. But, you know, what do you do? So when did the big teams start knocking on the door and what's that process been like? You know, working with, you know, more of the larger corporations and then the major teams?

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah, the first one was the Philadelphia Eagles. So what we did with them was they actually gave me a game used football and a game worn Brandon Graham jersey. The cool thing about that jersey was it was the salute to service game jersey. So it had the camo captain's patch. So what they wanted to do with that was we were commissioned to do, I think it was seven or eight pairs from that one jersey. Half of them were going to be auctioned off for the Eagles Autism foundation. And they actually gifted one to Brandon Graham. And I'm not sure what they did with the other ones, but that was like the first. First big brand deal. And then it kind of moved into the sponsored content. So pretty much like for Pringles, for example, we worked with them. It was the start of football season. They wanted to make a custom Pringles cleat and then we record a video and post it. So that was like another big brand deal. But, yeah, I don't know. I think I've learned a lot from that first one compared to where we are now, how everybody operates and things like that, how to make it go smoother. For sure.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah. The brand thing's interesting. I mean, it's probably a good way to augment. I mean, hey, Charlie, I hope you're marking it up big time for those brands now. They got dollars. Pump it up, you know, throw in some extra, you know, I don't know. Frizzle frazzle, I call it. It's called the PETA tax. Pain in the ass of dealing with a big brand, usually. And I'm not saying about Pringles, I don't know. I work with them specifically, but I've. In the ad agency world, I've worked with the largest brands in the world and some are great and a lot of them are pain in the ass.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

But hey, they got corporate lawyers, they got all that stuff. And no.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

What happens in the custom shoe if he. If it not reinforced and someone slips, you know, and. Yeah, who knows what you could get into? But that's cool, man.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

What's your favorite? Like, was. Was there, like a pinch myself moment, like a player or somebody? You know, you've already named some big names, but, like, you know, for you

[Colin Chaminsky]

personally, I think the first one was Brittany Mahomes. We did. We worked with her stylist to do a pair for her. This was two years ago or so, but she wore them on the field and she posted them, too, which that kind of led.

[Ryan Alford]

That's nice.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah. So thank you.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah.

[Colin Chaminsky]

So that actually led us into getting an article with People magazine, which I was super cool. And then this past November, I'm from Cleveland, so I don't know if you know who Machine Gun Kelly is.

[Ryan Alford]

I know exactly who.

[Wix Harmony Promoter]

Yeah.

[Colin Chaminsky]

So being from Cleveland.

[Ryan Alford]

He is. Yeah.

[Colin Chaminsky]

So we gifted a pair to him when he was performing in Orlando. So that was super cool. Just to give to someone that kind of is your. I don't want to say hometown hero, but someone that's made it a big deal from your hometown. I would say my dream client or celebrity would be. I'll give you my top five.

[Ryan Alford]

All right. I might listen to these guys calling. All right, let's hear it.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Number one is LeBron. Just because I'm actually from a dyno, which is like 30 minutes from Akron. So I grew up. I played basketball growing up, so watching him on the Cavs was pretty cool.

[Ryan Alford]

Yep. I got a friend who ran his agency, so. All right, that's a good start calling on Access. All right, who we got next?

[Colin Chaminsky]

Tom Brady, number two.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, tb. We. We know tb. He's a big in the card game now.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Oh, yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

Oh, yeah. I met him at the national and then ran into him at the Fanatics Fest this past year. Smart guy.

[Colin Chaminsky]

No, yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

I think, obviously, super talented goat, but also very smart.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah, no, for sure. I think Tiger woods is up there.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Drake, for sure.

[Ryan Alford]

Drake. Yeah, that'd be a cool collab. I mean, Drake. Jake be down for this. He needs to be down for this. You know, I know.

[Colin Chaminsky]

He's got everything.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah.

[Colin Chaminsky]

And then I think Michael Phelps would be pretty cool, too.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, that's cool. Especially right now thinking about Olympics. I know it's Winter Olympics, but, yeah, it's kind of top of mind, but, yeah, Phelps will be cool. Do a lot of cool with his stuff, so.

[Colin Chaminsky]

A lot of. A lot of goats.

[Ryan Alford]

All right. Hey, man, look, he got Nowhere to go, but you know, like up. You got momentum behind you. You know, you're getting the word out and all that. I mean, obviously no one has to tell you that influencer marketing works when Ms. Mahomes drops a post. But what is. I mean, you guys, how do you market? I mean, is it just social and like the word of mouth? I mean, I would think you probably got all the orders you want just from the word of mouth. That happens.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah, I think. Or Instagram and TikTok. Social is very prominent in our, in our marketing. The content that we post does fairly well. And then. Yeah, the word of mouth is big for sure. Just referrals and things like that. And I also think the people that we have done stuff for kind of builds credibility and definitely helps with our case of our pricing because I know it's. It's definitely up there, but it's been organic up to this point, so it's been good. But we could always grow more. That's what we're trying to do.

[Ryan Alford]

So scarcity is everything in collectibles. A lot of times. I mean, how intentional are you about keeping pieces truly limited?

[Colin Chaminsky]

Pretty much every piece that I've made for a celebrity or athlete, I don't make that. Again, most of the stuff that you see on our Instagram and TikTok is, are from clients. So pretty much the. I don't want to call them standard, but the standard team jersey shoes of like the Florida Panthers or like the Rams or Seahawks or something like that, we do create or recreate those based on the, the client's requests. But anything that's delivered to an athlete or celebrity, we. I think that's how it should be. Is stay that one of one just for them. I don't know how you look at it, but that's, that's kind of how I. Yeah, man.

[Ryan Alford]

I mean, the right way and I mean, do you. Seems like if we're not already there, we're quickly moving towards like, I mean, custom shoes being viewed the same way as game worn. More memorabilia. I mean, if not greater, especially if they have it built into it.

[Colin Chaminsky]

No. Yeah, for sure. I didn't think about it like that.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah. So I mean, how do you protect authenticity as demand grows? You thought about that at all?

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yes, yes. Number one is definitely trademark. And then thinking introducing some sort of technology to. To authenticate it in a way.

[Ryan Alford]

Blockchain or something.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah, I think, I think Nike actually just did something like that recently with the. Their new tech. I don't know. It was the One with the balls on the bottom.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, they're dabbling in that for sure.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Yeah. So, yeah, that they had some sort of system. So, I mean, yeah, as. As we keep growing, I think the pieces that we're making now, I think are. Go up in value as we grow.

[Ryan Alford]

So. So I think a good. We talked about it a little bit, but let's be explicit for our listeners and viewers. Hopefully you're viewing, you know, all this. All these lovely shoes behind me that aren't chilmies, unfortunately. Colin. I wear. I wear people out. I'm just in a toe.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Oh, no.

[Ryan Alford]

All right. The process from start to stop, like on this we talk. We kind of jump straight into it because it made me wonder, all right, what are we talking about on price here? But talk about the. What's the typical process for someone start to finish on an order?

[Colin Chaminsky]

For the most part, people come with an idea already because they've seen what we've already created, for example. So everything that we post on Instagram has been a commission of some sort. And in order for us to make a new team or new design, someone has to purchase that design because it's very cost costly to. To make because, I mean, we got to buy the shoes at whatever price and then the jersey at whatever price. So it's. It's a lot of money and effort to make a new design without any proof or that someone will order it. So someone will be like, oh, can you do Tampa Bay Lightning? And which. Yeah, we can. We can do any team, any player. So they would fill out a form on our website or reach out to us, and then we would kind of go back and forth. If they want to add anything, they're like, switch it up. Maybe they. They like a patch on the toe, but instead they want to put it on the side. So we kind of go kind of like a consultation, kind of go back and forth until we're both satisfied, and then we purchase the materials, or you send us the materials and then from there we just go into production. I would say average production time is about three to four weeks, roughly. Yeah. And then after that, we send you final pics and ship it out in a nice box and you're ready for that unboxing moment.

[Ryan Alford]

Does the fact that I wear a size 15 add any complexity to this?

[Colin Chaminsky]

No, I mean, honestly, I think it's. It's easier to work on bigger shoes than the used shoes, for sure. Plus, if it's bigger, you can. I don't know, you can see more of the.

[Ryan Alford]

Exactly. I was hoping you'd say that. Yeah, that's a preference. Yeah, exactly. So I heard the process. So are there some, though, that I guess maybe, for a lack of better word, Colin. So bear with me here, like, get commissioned, so to speak, because someone has bought something and you can make a lot more with. Is there ever, like, turnkey where someone comes in and they know they want a certain player and you have. Or you mark it on your website like, okay, we're gonna make 10 more with this certain thing? Is that part of the process? Sometimes.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Sometimes I think if it's around, like a certain event or like a championship, kind of like how Fnatics does the. Like, they drop the championship shirts right after, though. So that's also a play for us is like, oh, we're only making 10 Super bowl themed Seahawks shoes. And then that'll kind of add that scarcity and kind of cement this moment.

[Ryan Alford]

Is there any shoes within grabbing distance that we could show off to our smart viewers who are watching this on YouTube? Colin is grabbing something in the background here. Something amazing. I can tell already. Oh, yeah. All right, what we got? Let's see it. Nice.

[Colin Chaminsky]

This was our super bowl inspired design in New Orleans for Super bowl ix. So the backstory with this one is we were brought out by FanDuel to do some live customs on site, which is also something that we do is live personalization and hospitality on site. So pretty much they brought us out and we. For their VIP members, and we designed 25 shoes before we got there. And then on site, they were able to personalize it. So pretty much adding some type of initial date or whatever meant. Whatever meant to them to put it on the shoe. So this was the shoes that I wore during that weekend. Super bowl inspired. I like this or the LAX logo I thought was a lot better than this past year's. Yeah, but so, yeah, so I mean, kind of like what I said before, I wore these for the weekend.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah.

[Colin Chaminsky]

And then I put them up on my shelf. So I think it's. I think it's cool. And then this one was. This was a Shohei Ohtani one that we did for the World Series not or two years ago. So it has like his embroidered autograph in Japanese on the toe box. And then it's got like, the world. I don't know, the diamond sparkly lace clip. And then you got Dodgers around the back. I could work. I wore these a little bit.

[Ryan Alford]

You could tell those are dope.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Just put them. Put them back up on the shelf, I guess you could take them down when you need them, depending on what it is too.

[Ryan Alford]

So limited, limited wear for limited edition. You know, like, you know, I wore my new Jordans to the airport. That was a mistake. White Jordans. Like, I was like, everybody was stomping on my feet and I was like giving them death stares. Those are stacking. Yeah, exactly, dude. So much fun. I mean, it's just, you know, you got shoe culture, sneaker heads, and you got card culture and you got merch culture and game worn, player worn. I mean, there's, you know, it's really cool blend of a lot of things that are, you know, going up in value and collectibility. Super smart, man. Really a big fan of what you're doing.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Thank you. Appreciate it a lot.

[Ryan Alford]

Talk to me about where everyone listening can learn more, do some orders, get in touch, all those sorts of things.

[Colin Chaminsky]

You can follow us on Instagram and tick tock at Underscore Chummies. Underscore. C H U M M Y S. If you're looking to do a custom order or any events at sporting events, any activations at sporting events or sponsored content, you could reach out to [e-mail] and yeah, we're looking forward to making something unforgettable.

[Ryan Alford]

I've got some ideas around that. We were working with some brands and people. Brian Ludden from Ludx. We're doing some activations for some different events. Lud X Card shop in Dallas at the Texas Rangers stadium.

[Colin Chaminsky]

Oh, nice.

[Ryan Alford]

I'm gonna brainstorm with him and maybe come at you with some ideas that could be cool. I love it. I love it. Really appreciate you for coming on, man.

[Colin Chaminsky]

No, yeah, thanks for having me. This is. This is cool.

[Ryan Alford]

Hey, guys, you never found us the collectornation.com you go to the app Store, search for Collector Nation. We got the app live and in control right there. Get access to live feed with all the episodes, including this one. And of course, links to all of Chummy's stuff. The stuff. Look, don't go buy another card that you could get anywhere or whatever. That's not really that scarce. Get you one on one shoe, baby. That's what this is about. Collectible nation right here. We appreciate Chummies, we appreciate Colin, and we appreciate you. See you next time on Collector Nation.

[Collector Nation Announcer]

Thanks for tuning in to the show. Be sure to follow us on your go to podcast platform and catch the full video episode over on YouTube. Visit us at collectornation. Com and follow Ryan on Instagram at Ryan Alford. Now get out there and collect yours.