Any story that starts with caddying for two-time NBA champion Ray Allen is bound to be a good one.
For Roly Padron (known by his Instagram handle, Nomad Customs), it was that fateful meeting that changed his entire life. Funny how life works sometimes.
Before that life-altering loop with Allen, Padron had been quietly honing his craft —turning sneakers into art — for years with little to no recognition.
“As far as customizing the shoes, I’ve always been into art,” said Padron. “I would take a Sharpie and I would change the color of the swoosh on whatever sneaker I had. And I guess that was just a form of expression because everyone had the same shoe. So that’s where it started.”
As most high school students do, Padron didn’t think too much about turning his passion for art into a business. Instead, he focused on impressing friends and fellow sneaker enthusiasts by customizing his shoes to look like unreleased pairs.
“I knew the Space Jams were coming out. So let me beat everyone to it and paint the uppers of the Concord (11s). I knew when I went to school or wherever I was gonna go play ball. That in those coming days people were gonna notice, right? So sure enough, I painted them and that was the reaction I got. It was like, ‘Wow, how did you get those? Like they haven’t even come out here?’”
Years later, in 2012, Padron found himself out of a job. He’d been customizing shoes on the side but it was nothing more than a few pairs to show off on his then newly minted Instagram.
Between jobs, Padron took on a caddying gig at a local Miami club. This brings us full circle to perhaps the most pivotal moment in Padron’s creative career.
“The caddymaster, he was like, “I got a good one for you.” So I’m like, ‘All right, cool,’ right, but that moment changed my life.”
What are the odds he gets assigned to loop for, at the time, one of the most prominent athletes on the Jordan Brand roster? You know, the same shoes that Padron had been customizing and painting since high school.
He quickly realized the gravity of the chance pairing.
“So it was the 14th hole. I had the courage to say, ‘Hey, Ray, obviously this is what I do on the side. I’d love for you to take a look at my work.’”
Allen was hooked. He promised Padron that he’d hit him up in a few weeks to work on some custom Jordan golf shoes.
“A man of his word, three weeks later, he hits me up and he says meet me in front of the Arena. He was with the Heat at the time. I met him at the gas station. He opens up his Range Rover and there’s heaven of golf shoes stacked in the back, right? Jordan golf shoes. So he says, ‘Grab as many as you want to do your thing. I love your work.’”
From that moment on, Padron ditched the caddying gig, stopped the job hunt and went all in on growing his brand and business, Nomad Customs.
It must have worked. From athletes like Rickie Fowler and Ken Griffey Jr, to President Obama and even Michael Jordan himself, Padron’s work has been worn and enjoyed by countless big names.
He’s also done official commission work with major brands like G/FORE, PUMA, adidas and FootJoy.
Nomad Customs continues to thrive, in large part because of Padron’s willingness to bet on himself that blistering day on a golf course in Miami.
“Custom always wins,” Padron said. “I love the game and I just want to be a part of it, and I get to do it in this way.”
Leave A Reply