When Anthony Ambrosini heard his brother was having difficulty finding a pair of cleats that enabled him to play pain-free while he was dealing with a stress fracture in his foot, he did what any brother would do–try to help him out.
One problem–where would you even begin to start? That’s how all great business ideas begin; identify a problem, find a solution.
He started experimenting with some different types of cleat designs. He then realized the issue was in the design of cleats in general. What his brother needed was a wider and more comfortable shoe–he needed a regular pair of sneakers.
The process took more than a year-and-a-half and during that time he found it frustrating attempting to keep the cleats to stay on the pair of sneakers.
“I would test them out by running in my apartment complex and they would go flying off,” he said.
After consulting with the owners of a shoe store, he found a solution that finally worked.
That was in 2005. He launched his company “Custom Cleats” and since that time it has exploded to athletes of all kinds, ranging from amateur athletes of all sports (football, golf, soccer, baseball) to Major League baseball players.
He can turn any pair of your favorite sneakers to cleats; including Jordan, Nike, Under Armor, etc.
Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin enjoys them so much he exclusively uses Ambrosini to design his cleats. He recommended the idea to his teammate and reigning AL MVP Josh Donaldson, who chose to buy a pair.
One of his biggest customers is pitcher Matt Latos, who has ordered over 30 pairs, including a special pink pair of cleats for Mother’s Day.
In the 2015 postseason, Prince Fielder donned a pair as well.
While it’s nice to see the pros supporting Custom Cleats, Ambrosini noted that people choose to use his service for a number of reasons.
“Some kids are sneaker heads but some people also have physical problems with their feet or hips that require help,” he said.
The price is equal to buying a new pair of cleats, so why not use the shoes that you already own and love?
Being that the idea is so simple, it’s hard to fathom why the big players in the sporting apparel industry have not adopted his idea.
“Nike and Jordan have used the idea of more comfortable cleats, but not using actual sneakers,” he said. “The comfort level is unmatched.”
If you would like to order a pair, you can go to CustomCleats.com to order a pair for yourself.
If his last name sounds familiar, that’s because he is the son of legendary Connetquot Head Coach Bob Ambrosini and played for him from 1994-’96. He went on to play at Marist before signing as a free agent with the Montreal Expos.
He played four years of professional ball. During his time, he was fortunate enough to play on the same team as his brother, Dominick, on two separate teams–the Clinton LumberKings and Brevard County Manatees.
His brother won the Carl Yastrzemski Award in 1999 and was selected by the Montreal Expos in the 6th round out of high school.
He stated that playing with his brother “was great” and he “had a blast”.
His father, Bob, is coming off winning his fourth Long Island Class AA championship in 2015 and enters 2016 with 582 career wins.
