Who is Diondre Roberts?
“Who is Diondre Roberts? Hmm, I’m 23, born in Germany.”
What part of Germany?
“Aschaffenburg. I’ve been all over the world because my parents are in the military, but most of my family lives in Baltimore, so that’s where I like to call home. I currently live in Chester, Virginia. I’ve been living there since my freshman year of high school.”
What high school did you attend?
“Thomas Dale. I graduated in 2009.”
Tell me a little about your business.”
“Well, I currently work at John Randolph Hospital as a Cardiac Monitor Tech. I watch the rythms of all the patients on the floor. One day while on my shift, I was trying to think of a way to make some side money. I immediately thought about getting into the shoe business.”
Why the shoe business?
“I know everyone’s into shoes and I knew it would be easy money.”
So were there any other options before finally deciding on the shoe business?
“Nope. It was my first and only choice. I figured there’s always somebody needing shoe cleaning and redesign. Once the money money started rolling in I knew that I had made the right decision, but now everybody does it.”
What’s the name of your business?
“It’s called DumKickz. The name was DumRestorations at first, but my sister told me that the name was too long and that it was wack so she changed it. Yes, [she] changed it lol.
What was the learning process with airbrushing and the different types of
“Youtube was my best friend; it was a struggle though. I used my own shoes for practice.
For someone who wanted to get shoes done, what is the pricing like?
“I think i’m fairly cheap. Starting with kids sizes, if you provide the shoes yourself, I charge $60; for mens sizes I charge anywhere between $70-$80. If I provide the shoes myself it all depends on the type of shoe it is and how much I paid for it and I’ll usually add on $70-$80 on top of that.
What’s the demographic of your business? What’s the furthest place you’ve had to ship shoes?
“All over the world man. The furthest place I’ve had to ship to is France.”
What has been your biggest accomplishment?
I would have to say that my biggest accomplishment thus far was doing shoes for Kayla G. in Houston, Texas and her posting my work on Instagram.
What has been your biggest set back?
There was this one that I had to get three orders done and my airbrush machine was broken. I had to hand paint all of the shoes myself. What would have usually taken me about 45 minutes per pair took me about 2 days.
What’s next?
“Taking over the world lol. No, but when I stop playing and decide to really take it serious I want to get my own kiosk in the mall. I’d have premade shoes on hand, and customers would also be able to bring me their own shoes. “
