SHIOCTON, Wis. — An artist raised in Shiocton has started painting custom works of art on cleats for Packers players.
It’s not only how he makes a living, but he said it is also his dream come true.
Spencer Young said his love for art started when he was a child. He went on to play football at St. Norbert College while studying graphic design. He said his teammates would often ask him to design pairs of cleats for them.
That’s when the seeds to his future business were planted.
“The first pair did not hold up,” said Spencer Young. “[They] probably lasted like 10, 15 minutes on the field, but with everything, it’s a learning experience and a learning curve.”
Spencer Young said before this year, he would only paint about one pair of cleats a season.
Then, Packers receivers Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks saw his work. They asked to have cleats made and started a trend. Spencer Young ended up making over 60 pairs this season for many Packers players.
“Dontayvion Wicks, I think caught two touchdowns that game in his (custom cleats),” said Spencer Young. “I remember I had a magnifying glass on the TV trying to make sure the cleats are all holding up really good.”
Spencer Youngs’s art is not only a business — it also brought him the love of his life. His now wife, Kalynn, commented on a post that was looking for volunteers and said, “You can paint my picture.” On their first date, Spencer Young brought along the portrait he painted of her. The rest was history.
“It seems surreal,” said Kalynn Young. “To be sitting here and like we’ll be sitting on the couch watching TV or something or watching a Packer game and he’ll get a call or a message from a player and it’s just, it’s wild to see.”
Spencer Young said it’s crazy to say that he is the “go-to guy” when it comes to creating custom cleats for Packers players. He said he wants to keep expanding his business and making people’s ideas come to life.
“If I’m still doing this for another 10 years, I might look back and be like, ‘Wow, like, can’t believe I’ve gone from that point to now,’” said Spencer Young.
Spencer Young works out of his garage right now, but his works of art have been seen by millions all around the world. He said he has hopes that one day, a pair he has painted will be featured in the Super Bowl.
