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New York Times

Meet teenage phenom EvanTheArtist, cleat customizer to MLB superstars

After his batting practice at Citi Field one day in early June, Starling Marte headed toward the warning track. He usually comes over to greet fans who are waiting for autographs and photos. This time, he spotted a familiar face in the crowd. Evan Taveras, known on social media as EvanTheArtist, smiled and dapped up Marte. In his hands, the 15-year-old held a custom pair of cleats for the outfielder, which were decorated with paintings of the Dominican Republic flag and Goku from the popular anime 'Dragon Ball Z.' Written on the back of the shoe was 'All-Star dad.' Advertisement This was not the first time Taveras had given Marte custom artwork. The two first met back in 2022, when Taveras, then a fan, gifted Marte a portrait he made of the two-time All-Star. This time, Major League Baseball had commissioned Taveras to paint those cleats for Marte as a Father's Day gift. Though he began creating custom works just a few years ago, Tevaras' reputation as an artist has spread quickly throughout the sports and sneaker world. The young Long Islander has decked out shoes and other apparel for athletes such as Marte, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and pro boxer Amanda Serrano while also collaborating with brands like Foot Locker and organizations like the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 'I never thought that it would get this big,' Taveras said, 'and I'm super honored to have these opportunities to work with these big athletes and have them showcase my work.' Primarily self-taught, Taveras' work ranges from realistic portraits of athletes and their families to pop culture references expressed with a rich color palette. Taveras has been drawing for as long as he can remember. He trained himself and learned his own style by studying YouTube artists like ZHC and Marko, two of his earliest inspirations. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, his best friend wanted a custom pair of sneakers. But at the time, he had never worked on a canvas quite like a shoe. 'If you mess those up, that's on you,' Evan's mother and manager, Melissa Taveras, told him when he asked for a brand new pair of sneakers. However, Melissa's skepticism soon disappeared once she saw the results. The customized Nike Air Max sneakers that her then-9-year-old son created with markers garnered attention after the family posted photos on social media. Before long, many people were inquiring about how to get their own pair, and Melissa had to create a waitlist. 'That's when I realized this could be really big,' Evan said, 'and I could do so much more if I really wanted to.' Taveras, now equipped with paint and other tools, began to grow in popularity online. And before long, he developed a work routine that would serve him for years. It starts with the request from the customer. They'd tell Taveras the shoe they want customized, their shoe size, and what type of designs they want on it. Taveras would then purchase the shoes. Once they arrived, he'd begin the preparation process of cleaning, sanding, sketching and painting. Advertisement Once he's done, he uses a final coating of sealant to give the shoes a premium, factory-like finish. In all, the process takes anywhere from two to four weeks to complete. He does this all at his workstation, which is located in a den that overlooks the family's backyard. On the right side of his desk are various knickknacks and collectibles representative of his passions and culture: A baseball helmet with a Puerto Rican flag to represent his heritage, a Bob Ross Funko Pop, a Mets trivia book. Furthest to the right lies a daily inspiration. A poster board filled with photos of some of his biggest moments and favorite designs he's made over his career. It is a reminder of how far he's come, but it is also a constant motivator for Taveras. His craftsmanship and skill eventually caught the eye of Kids Foot Locker. The American footwear retailer contracted Taveras for a holiday collaboration to create shoes that would be the prize for giveaways. The partnership gave Taveras a nationwide stage to display his talents as a pre-teen. Then, MLB came calling. In 2022, Taveras was invited to Los Angeles for MLB All-Star Week to paint cleats as part of an exhibition at the 'Play Ball Park' event. He's been invited back to every All-Star Week since. A year after his first ASW appearance, Taveras received his first commission for custom cleats from a player — a pair for former MLB pitcher Adonis Medina that included portraits of his two children. Later on, Tavares made cleats for Pete Alonso, his favorite Met. During Alonso's first at-bat in the cleats, he went yard. One of Taveras' biggest opportunities came through an Instagram story by Chisholm. The Yankees' second baseman tagged Taveras after seeing his work and wanted to collaborate with him. Chisholm was looking for custom cleats leading up to the 2024 postseason to go alongside his gear. Taveras delivered. Advertisement 'It just perfectly matched everything,' Chisholm said. 'I didn't even think anybody would have even been able to do that with just the stuff that he works with.' Taveras has since become Chisholm's go-to guy for custom cleats. To start the season, Chisholm debuted a pair inspired by the popular anime 'One Piece.' The cleats went viral on social media. While Taveras loves creating art and the process behind it, one of his biggest motivations is being able to give back to those in need. The philanthropy stems from his love for his 13-year-old brother, Max, who has cerebral palsy, and serves as one of his life's inspirations. Every March for the last five years, Taveras has hosted a fundraiser where he paints a custom pair of shoes for a raffle. The money raised is used to pay for children with cerebral palsy to get intensive therapy that they otherwise would not be able to afford. Just this year alone, the fundraiser helped to provide $10,000 worth of treatment for children at a facility in Long Island. Taveras has also painted shoes for an auction for the Jazz Chisholm Foundation. The proceeds went to support children in underserved communities with a passion for baseball. Despite his success at such a young age, when he's at school, he's not EvanTheArtist, he's just Evan. Even his art teacher didn't know that he was customizing shoes for some of the biggest names in sports. Still, word gets out about his talents, particularly through his friends. When his travel ball team found out, his teammates started telling the opposing squad that they had a celebrity on their team. And Taveras' teammates often request their own set of customized kicks. 'You gotta get in contact with my mom,' he tells them. While Taveras has accomplished a lot in his young career, he isn't satisfied yet. He dreams of growing his following and expanding his business. That means getting bigger names on his waitlist. (The ultimate dream, however, is to one day suit up for the Mets.) But while he's working on his dreams, he is also making time to help inspire the next generation. Near the end of the school year at P.S. 376 in Brooklyn, the school hosts a career day for the kids inside the gymnasium. In the room are teachers, firefighters and police officers, among many other professions, who are stationed to provide insight into their day-to-day work. As students filter in, they gravitate toward the jobs that they had envisioned themselves in and thought were the most exciting. Advertisement All the way in the furthest corner of the gym of this year's event was Taveras, who had graduated from the elementary school just a few years earlier. On his table were cleats he customized from All-Star Games and other events. Toward the left end of the table was the posterboard of his achievements he keeps at his workstation. Before he knew it, he was swarmed by curious students as he gave a live demonstration painting a cleat. They asked questions, watched with intent, and some even got the chance to add a few strokes of paint with Taveras' guidance. The day represented a full-circle moment for the young artist. Outside of those he followed on YouTube, he didn't have anyone he looked up to who was readily accessible to him growing up, let alone someone so close in age. He was able to not only show the students his art but also be a real-life example of where art can take them. Taveras has been able to attend some of the biggest events in sports, speak with all-world athletes and fundraise for those in need, all because of his artistic talent. But what has been most fulfilling and surprising to him was the reaction the students had to his work at that career day. 'I never thought I would be inspiring other kids,' Taveras said. '(They) loved the work, and they said they wanted to be like me when they grew up.' (Top photo courtesy of Melissa Taveras) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle