Coming back to Baton Rouge as National Champions, expectations are high as ever for LSU Baseball, and while focus and preparation are on the Tigers’ minds, a small detail, such as having the right cleats, can make a huge difference on the field.
That’s where Bradley Wright comes in. A sophomore at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, helping the Tigers step on the field in style. With the help of a familiar face, he was able to turn his hobby into a side business called GetWrightCustoms.
“Brad Duncan or DuncanCustomKicks has been painting shoes for a couple of years now,” Wright said. “My dad told me he was really backed up and possibly needed some help, and I was like painting sounds fun. I love shoes, so if he needs help, I would love to try to see what I can do.
“I texted him, and he said he can give me a painting lesson. He pretty much gave me a lesson, and I fell in love with it, and I’ve just been painting shoes literally every week since that day.”
Since getting started over a year ago, GetWrightCustoms has been getting some attention from the Baseball team, such as pitcher Mavrick Rizy and infielder Jack Ruckert. Wright even had the chance to design cleats for pitcher Chase Shores before he was drafted in the MLB.
“Chase was probably my first big athlete,” Wright said. “People would come up to me and be like, ‘Oh, you made Chase’s cleats.’ That was a really cool experience, and I had the chance to make two pairs for him.”
While designing cleats for a big MLB prospect is a great opportunity, the work behind each pair is far from easy. Although the finished product may look nice and effortless, customizing cleats is all about maintaining focus and having stability.
“It is a lot harder than it looks,” Wright said. “You have to lock in. There’ll be times where I find myself not even breathing because I’m trying to be so still.”
Wright’s customizing skills don’t just stop there. Beyond Baseball, he customizes sneakers such as Air Force 1’s and Air Jordans, making his designs an everyday wear.
Wright’s creativity will have LSU looking clean on the diamond as they work to defend their title.
The first game of the season will be against Milwaukee on Friday, Feb. 13, in Alex Box Stadium.
