About

My name is Chris Hui and I am a professional sneaker customizer.

It all started in 2002 when my best friend Danny and I where using the spray paint from his parent’s garage to paint our kicks so we had something crazy and wild to wear to school. Little did we know we were laying down the foundation of what would be one of the most recognized careers in sneaker customization. It goes without saying that typical spray paint is not formulated to be used on sneakers. It’s main flaw: it lacks flexibility. This was something Danny and I soon discovered as we left small remnants of our creations in the form of paint chips all around the hallways of our school. Frustrated by ruining my only pair of decent shoes, I went to the internet for possible answers and solutions on how to properly paint a pair of sneakers. My aearch lead me to Niketalk.com, a dedicated sneaker forum, littered with sneaker information and knowledge. I spent tens of hours digging through older posts, and as a result I discovered new tricks and techniques members were posting about painting sneakers. They spoke of chemicals such as “acetone” and “acrylic paint” – words that were completely foreign to me at that point in time. Nonetheless, I did my research, compiled a list of things I would need to succeed, and proceeded to beg my dad to take me to the hardware store for supplies.

Having no real source of income and only one pair of sneakers (that of which I had already ruined), I found myself with no base shoes left to practice on. So, I had to get creative and decided I could pick up some shoes for cheap at the local Goodwill. Once again, I begged my parents to drive me and bummed $10 to pick up a couple pairs of white sneakers. Using my limited quantity of supplies I turned my bedroom drawer into a makeshift workspace and went to town. The results weren’t great, but it was a great improvement from where I began. Out of base shoes and still broke, I asked my dad to help me try and sell these creations on the internet using his eBay account. To my delight, some shoes sold for as much as $20, marking my first profits. To say the least, I as a 12 year old kid, I was stoked. This cycle continued as I built up my funds to save for a pair of white Nike Dunk Lows. They were $65, out of my price range at that point, but it was what the pros on Niketalk used on so I aimed to be like them. I wanted to be the best…

To date, I have created over 300 pairs of hand-painted, custom sneakers, operating under the identity of “C2″. Clientele include celebrities such as Lupe Fiasco, Carson Daly, and DJ Greg Street, as well as athletes LeBron James, Prince Fielder, and Ryan Braun among others. My work has been featured and sold in boutiques around the nation including Leaders 1354 (Chicago), Sole Munki (Atlanta), Moda 3 (Milwaukee), and Sole Bar (Los Angeles).

In addition, pieces have traveled the world through exhibitions such as Sneaker Pimps, Soled Out, and the Sole Collector Competition Series. I have been featured in several of the nation’s biggest publications including TIME Magazine, Complex, SLAM, Sole Collector, Sneaker Freaker, and the Chicago Tribune. In Fall 2009, I was featured on NBC’s Last Call with Carson Daly, marking the first time a sneaker customizer has been featured on national television. In Spring 2010, I was chosen as a “Student Rockstar Learner” where I was a featured guest speaker at Apple’s Education Leadership Summit, speaking for a creative future based on my experiences through C2 Customs.

Lastly, personal accomplishments include winning Sole Collector’s National Championship for Best Customs (2006) as well as being voted Sole Collector’s Customizer of the Year (2004 & 2005).

A pair of C2 custom sneakers is often confused as “factory produced” due to the cleanliness and fine detail applied to every pair. The emphasis on creating wearable product is one of the characteristics that set my work apart from competitors. As a result, timeless designs are produced that continue to stay in high demand even after many years from their original debut…

I currently attend the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, where I am pursuing a major in business at the Curtis L. Carlson School of Management, as well as a minor in Design. My work can be seen traveling the nation with the Sneaker Pimps U.S. Tour. I currently reside in Minneapolis, MN.

“Say Word.”