For Milwaukee native, Gregory Hamilton, shoes are his canvas.
“I painted the shoes, I wore them to school, the next day and everyone went crazy over them,” said Gregory Hamilton, local shoe customizer and owner of Savage Customz.
At 17 years old, Gregory not only found his passion but a way of life.
“It started off with just making a couple of shoes for my friends. When my friends, friends saw the shoes it was just a continuous cycle,” said Hamilton.
That’s how Savage Customz was born. Three years late, business is growing through social media and a little help from some famous feet.
“I didn’t think that somebody of that rank would look at me to do this kind of stuff,” said Hamilton.
Thon Maker, a former Milwaukee Buck now with the Detroit Pistons, sent four pairs of shoes to Gregory.
“He said for the first pair he wanted something that represented South Sudan and the rest he said just go ahead and do your thing,” said Hamilton.
With Maker rocking Savage Customz it wasn’t long until the ‘Greek Freak’ called.
“Thon Maker is one thing, but when Giannis reached out, man it’s more than unbelievable. I can’t even think of the words to describe it,” says Hamilton.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has yet to wear his custom kicks, but if he’s looking for something special for the All-Star game, Gregory says he can have it done in no time.
“Yes, please leave that message. I can get them done that fast,” said Hamilton.
Gregory has dreams of one day opening his own store, or working for a major company like Nike or Adidas.
But for now, he’s happy sharing his talents from a desk in Milwaukee.
“It actually means a lot to me that I don’t have to leave my comfort zone. Like, people come to me. And it’s people from all around the world, they ship them, it’s crazy,” said Hamilton.
