Phillies players Bryson Stott and Orion Kerkering wore custom cleats in the London Classic Series made by a father-son duo in Downingtown, writes Santiago Ortiz for Billy Penn at WHYY. 

Ryan Stevens started customizing baseball cleats in high school. When the hobby became a business, Nxt Level Customs, in 2020 Stevens was a college student and baseball player at Central Penn College. 

His father, Ron, who worked at an auto body shop for years, understood the need for quality paint jobs, and offered to help his son with the business. While in college, other collegiate players took notice of Ryan’s cleats and started ordering custom work from him. Before long, the business caught the attention of professional players. 

When Stott directly messaged Ryan for a pair of custom cleats, his dream came true.  

Today, several Phillies players have custom cleats from Ryan and Ron, including Edmundo Sosa, Zack Wheeler, Gregory Soto, Dylan Covey, Weston Wilson, Jeff Hoffman, and Rodolfo Castro. 

Stott has bought several pairs of cleats from Ryan since his first purchase. Durability is a key reason why the pro players are return customers, as many other custom cleats don’t last as long as Nxt Level Customs. 

The next step for the business is to open a brick-and-mortar store in Downingtown. 

Learn more about Nxt Level Customs cleats at Billy Penn at WHYY. 

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