Behind scenes of Union coach Jim Curtin's sneaker obsession
CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) -- Shoes can be an addiction. One local professional coach whose massive collection is also a business.
The Philadelphia Union are having the best season in team history, but how?
Is it the shoes?
"I'm Jim Curtin head coach of the Philadelphia Union and I'm obsessed with shoes," Curtin said.
He's not lying.
Thanks to his famous footwear, Curtin stands out on the MLS sidelines.
Curtin says he owns "over 250 pairs of sneakers now."
The obsession isn't new.
The 43-year-old Oreland, Pennsylvania, native says it started way back in the day.
"There was a pair of shoes called Kangaroos," Curtin said. "They were called 'Roos. They had the little pouch on the side. You could hold money, and when I would run in them, my dad would say those shoes make you run faster."
Now, Curtin is strictly a Nike guy.
"I'm a big fan of any Air Maxs, Jordan 1s, Jordan 4s and any Dunks," Curtin said. "I'm kind of obsessed with them. That's my go-to's."
You can see him rocking a new pair during each game. That's because Curtin is the only coach in Major League Soccer with a sneaker contract -- Nike signed him to one last year.
So business and pleasure have truly mixed.
"I don't have tattoos," Curtin said, "but when people talk about tattoos, they tell it like a story of their lives, you remember certain times. I can remember certain moments from wins and losses and different things with these guys."
At home, Curtin jokes his shoes are everywhere, so he invited CBS Philadelphia over to take a look at his burgeoning collection.
"I don't hunt. I don't fish. I don't have a ton of hobbies outside the game," Curtin said. "This is one little hobby that maybe is something that I'm a little obsessed with"
Watch the video above for more on Curtin's shoe obsession.
