We've admired VICE Football Store from a distance for a long time now. Not only are they one of the most reputable shirt suppliers on the planet, they're also a brand built on curation. If we want something rare or something international, they're often our first port of call. Founded by Chris Hopkins, VICE is primarily based in Asia but with a U.K. hub for distribution. This means that buyers get incredibly well sourced shirts quicker than you'd expect. To say we're thrilled to have VICE Football Store on the Showboat marketplace would be an understatement. We caught up with Chris for a chat recently.
First things first, where are you right now?
Vietnam. I used to live here, now I’m back for a few months. I’ve just come from Australia so I’m kind of in between places at the moment.
That’s not a bad “in between."
It actually ties into the business as well. The whole Vietnam thing is a big part of how it started.
Let’s go back to the start then. How did you get into shirt collecting?
I finished uni in 2017 and knew I wanted to travel Asia, maybe teach out here. At the time I was working hospitality jobs in the UK and going to car boot sales and charity shops on the side.
One day at a car boot, this older guy was selling his entire collection for a pound a shirt. Proper stuff as well. 2000s England, 90s United, random Real Madrid bits. I don’t even know who he supported.
I bought about 30 shirts for a quid each, sold them on Depop for around £30 each. At the time it felt like a win, but looking back I probably should’ve kept a few.
That was the moment though. I realised I could make more doing this than I was in hospitality. So I saved up, moved to Vietnam to teach, and started going to second-hand markets and thrift stores throughout Asia.
That’s when I realised there was serious gold in these places. I remember finding a Fiorentina player issue shirt from 1994 just hanging up for a few quid. Long sleeves, everything. I knew straight away it was real. That kind of changed everything.
So you’re sourcing in Asia and selling back home?
At the start, yeah. I was sending boxes back to a mate in the UK. He’d list them on Depop and eBay and ship them for me.
It was a bit chaotic early on. Not that reliable. But since COVID I’ve built it properly. I’ve got a proper website, a studio in Vietnam, people working with me, and a fulfilment centre in Preston shipping orders.
So I don’t actually need to be in the UK anymore to run it.
And when did it go from flipping shirts to building a brand?
Around 2021. I set up Shopify and thought, right, I want this to be something more.
It started as “Chris’s Casual” on Depop. Then it became VICE Vintage, selling a mix of stuff like Nike, Stone Island, North Face.
A couple of years ago I switched fully to football shirts and rebranded to VICE Football Store. That’s when it became more about building something, not just reselling.
That’s the hard bit. Anyone can resell. Building a brand is a different game.
You’ve started doing your own pieces as well?
eah, just experimenting really. I’ve been sourcing blank vintage templates with no sponsor or badge and adding my own designs.
There’s a guy here who restores shirts and has a press, so we’ve been playing around with that. It’s early days but it’s something I want to push more. Maybe even do some original tees around tournaments like the World Cup.
What’s selling right now? Is it still all grails?
That’s what I thought at first. I only wanted to sell 90s and early 2000s stuff.
But supplier prices have gone up a lot. And I’ve realised there’s good money in more recent shirts too.
If I get a 2010 Brazil shirt with Neymar on the back, it’ll sell quickly. So now I’m trying to balance it. Have the higher-end pieces, but also more affordable options.
If everything’s a grail, it can actually slow you down.
How does your personal taste line up with that?
I’m mid-90s Umbro all day. Another favourite is the Liverpool away from 1996, the ecru one. Proper t-shirt feel, round collar. I wear that all the time.
I love the Japan stuff as well. Late 90s, early 2000s. But it’s just expensive now. And hard to find in bigger sizes.
So yeah, what I love and what sells doesn’t always match. But that’s part of it.
You still collect or is it all stock now?
I still collect, mainly Liverpool shirts.
I’ll wear England shirts for tournaments, maybe a Japan one now and then. But yeah, Liverpool is the main one I keep for myself.
Without giving too much away, how do you build a reliable supply network?
Honestly, just time and being in the right place. Living in Asia has helped massively.
A lot of stock originates in Japan, then filters into places like Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines. That’s where the markets are.
My suppliers are mostly contacts I’ve built through Facebook groups or just meeting people in person. It’s not formal at all. Just messages, trust, repeat deals.
There are so many layers to it. I’m probably like the seventh person in the chain by the time it reaches me.
And you’re still finding stuff yourself?
Yeah, I found a Brazil 1986 away shirt in a market in Hanoi a few days ago. Cost me about three quid.
That’s still happening. That’s where the fun is.
Where do you stand on reissues?
I like them, but there are a lot now. Before, it was maybe one a year. Now it feels constant. But I think they help. If an original is £150 and a reissue is £60, it makes that design accessible.
The alternative is people buying fakes. I’d rather someone wear a reissue than a fake. And if anything, it pushes the value of originals up anyway.
Any shirts you’re still chasing?
Japan 1999 away. White one. I can find it, but never in my size. Always a medium. I need an XL. That’s the one.
What about benchwear. It feels like that’s the next wave?
It’s rare. When it pops up, I’m straight on it. Jackets, sweatshirts, that kind of stuff. It sells well, but it’s hard to find consistently.
Final one. Why have you partnered with Showboat?
I started through marketplaces like Depop and eBay. Showboat feels like that, but just for football shirts. Having trusted sellers in one place is big. Customers get choice, but they also know everything’s legit.
That’s the difference. On other platforms you’re always second guessing. It feels like the next step for the community.
You can shop VICE Football Store and all of our handpicked sellers here.
