Base Shoes

[Stk004]

What do you guys use as base shoes? New balance? 3N2? Something else? 

Does brand matter all that much for base shoes? 

[Richvee]

https://www.ump-attire.com/Baseball-Umpire-Equipment/Gear-Footwear/Base-Plate-Shoes/MU950LW2_New-Balance-MLB-Black-White-Low-Cut-Umpire-Base-Shoes

I had these for a year and a half. Love them. 

before that I had a pr of the zigs and didn't like them at all..very narrow, and uncomfortable. Also had an issue with the white flaking and cracking. Wore them 1/2 a year before buying the NB's. 

[Stk004]

Just now, Richvee said:

I've had these for a year and a half. Love them. 

before that I had a pr of the zigs and didn't like them at all..very narrow, and uncomfortable. Also had an issue with the white flaking and cracking. Wore them 1/2 a year before buying the NB's. 

I don't see an image attached but I'm assuming they're NBs?

[Richvee]

Yes. very nice shoe

[Stk004]

Just now, Richvee said:

Yes. very nice shoe

Oh there we go. Thanks. 

[kylejt]

WEAR WHAT FITS YOU BEST!

Okay, so now you're going get a dozen guys telling their shoes are no doubt the best. One word testimonials. Great, for their feet.

I fell into the trap of using what ever the guys on TV used. Then I met a couple of them, and one just told me, "I wear whatever they send me". And that may be great for shirts, pants and socks, but feet needed to taken in better consideration. FIT is key.

I'm spending more money on great fitting, lightweight, breathable running shoes, with a great all-terrain sole. I won't tell you the brand or model, because it doesn't matter. You need to find a great fitting, black shoe, for you.

Criteria:

Looks: Could they pass, undetected, for umpire shoes?

Fit: Do they fit your feet? Go to a reputable running shoe store, and get an expert to fit you.

Ease of cleaning: I've got base and plate shoes for all occasions. Heat, mud, fake grass, four man, etc. But most of my base shoes have mesh, and they're pretty easy to clean in my utility sink.

Good traction: The soles need to able to grip a wet infield, as you pivot in. You don't want to end up on your keester as the BR is beating you to 2nd.

 

[JDavis225]

Nike Air Max 2013. Once these are done, I'll be going back to the Nike outlet for the latest black/white or black/gray combo they have on sale. 

[tpatience]

I got my 2016 new balance base shoes off amazon for $29.99. Best shoes I've worn on the bases.

[udbrky]

24 minutes ago, tpatience said:

I got my 2016 new balance base shoes off amazon for $29.99. Best shoes I've worn on the bases.

Congrats, you have one of the most common shoe sizes. Change it and it shoots up $60.

[udbrky]

2 hours ago, Richvee said:

Yes. very nice shoe

Same. They're so comfortable. They react so well too.

[tpatience]

53 minutes ago, udbrky said:

Congrats, you have one of the most common shoe sizes. Change it and it shoots up $60.

Nope. Size 14. But the difference between the size 13 & size 14 was about $50.

[udbrky]

Just now, tpatience said:

Nope. Size 14. But the difference between the size 13 & size 14 was about $50.

Yeah, every time I looked, it was like size 7 or 8 was cheap, rest more than U-A.

[Thunderheads]

9 hours ago, JDavis225 said:

Nike Air Max 2013. Once these are done, I'll be going back to the Nike outlet for the latest black/white or black/gray combo they have on sale. 

not leather, or synthetic though .....how do you keep that clean?

[Thunderheads]

I have a pair of Nike Air Max + 2010, synthetic leather

I also have a pair of Nike Lunar Edge 12 leather runners, very nice

Then, for turf, or really nice fields, I have the Nike TR1, all black w/ white soles (hard mesh shoe)

[taa71458]

7 hours ago, udbrky said:

Same. They're so comfortable. They react so well too.

I also fully endorse these shoes.

[noumpere]

10 hours ago, Richvee said:

Yes. very nice shoe

Yep -- that's what I wore (I think), but in all black.  Now for sale.  two years old, but very short seasons due to injury.  And, I worked the majority of the time behind the plate.  In very good condition.

[MadMax]

I have the New Balance MB950... "The Big Show" shoe. It's alright... I give it an A– / B+... the cushioning is okay, but it does clean up very nicely and has excellent turf/dirt grip. When you've got one prestigious game to do, these are an excellent choice for that one game.

But if you've got a 4-game or 6-game grinder (puts you on the bases for 2-3 games), you want something alot more forgiving on your feet. What I've noticed, too, is that in these direct (sun) temperatures here in Arizona, when I'm wearing the MB950's, my feet just get roasted. So, get better ventilation and airflow, I'm starting to favor more synthetic-fabric shoes. 

I had a set of these:

... and loved them (Nike Air Max 2011+). When I took my job at "the Rainforest Company", and spent 11 hours on my feet per day, I started using them for that. In my move to Arizona, I had them (unfortunately) towards the roof of my car, and it got so hot in my car the air capsules popped and leaked. It's tragic. I like the style so much, though, that I've kept them and will be attempting an internet/youtube sole-changing procedure. I might go Air Max again, I might turn these into Flexs or Lunarlons... don't know yet. All I know is one of my Umpire Directors / Assignors strongly recommends Air Maxs. There is (or was) a set of black Air Max 2016's at Nike Factory Store for $60 that I should (have) get (gotten). These:

... I think... I could be wrong on the exact style, but they were on special at the Nike Factory Store.

Because I dash from one site to another so often, I don't have time to keep re-cleaning my New Balance MB950's (nor really want to... One game in those per day is enough), I picked up these:

... from a Nike Outlet on the cheap (Nike Flex Show TR2; the resemblance to Reebok Zigs is not lost on me). They worked marvelously, especially considering the cost I got them for. They were great for wet / damp field games, on FieldTurf, or to throw on in the 5 minutes the TD would give me to go do "that field" because so-and-so left, is tied up doing another game, or is now doing plate. Exceptionally light, too. But they, too, suffered a heat-induced fate (I gotta get used to this heat down here!), and the two heel sections on both shoes actually contracted and compacted (shrunk and became like concrete!) and hardened. It was weird, to say the least. I returned them, and got a set of these immediately:

... and was about to use them (Nike Flex Show TR3), but suddenly, I had voices (well, posts) in my head of some guys on here pointing out that there's red on that shoe, and red is verboten. So, a little hunting around uncovered that for just $10 more, I can get these:

... and so I exchanged them one more time (Nike Flex Show TR4). They're a smidge lighter, and don't have as aggressive of separation of the flex segments, so less crevices for rocks to get stuck in. Yeah, it's quite a bit of white... so? Breathe exceptionally well, and I can just hose or faucet -wash them off and air dry them... just not in the direct sun.

For Umpire events, such as CDP or clinics or camps, where you spend just as much time walking around in uniform on surfaces other than grass and dirt, I felt it best to get shoes so as to take the wear-and-tear off my New Balance MB950's (such show ponies). So, these worked for awhile:

... and felt quite comfortable, so much I bought 2 more pairs in different colorways (Nike Dual Fusion Run 2's). They aren't as temperamental as the Maxs (less expensive too), but are more supportive for standing for long stretches of time than the Flexs, so I ended up re-employing them in my warehouse job at "Rainforest Company" (wherein, on any given night, I might be walking 10-12 miles for 11 hours, or be operating in an 3' x 3' space for 11 hours; don't know until I get there on that night), and they've held up, but been beaten on. I'm in the market to locate another shoe to fill this role, and these caught my eye:

... especially with the syn-leather toe box (so you can clean and polish them easily and get that evaluator / trainer / umpire partner to not give you grief) and the hidden Air capsule (Nike Air Mavin Lows), or these:

... because I'm certain they are featherlight, yet supportive (Nike MVP Pregame 2). These are sold as a baseball shoe, too, so they have a tread pattern more suited to FieldTurf and baseball-esque surfaces.

[Thunderheads]

@madmax I've never seen those air I've never seen those air Maven lows

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[boyinr]

Adidas Turf Hog. They run a little small but, they are light and have great traction. 

[Forest Ump]

These look pretty sharp.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Reebok-Energy-Mens-Basketball-Black/dp/B005GKYA28/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1472519081&sr=8-16&keywords=umpire+shoes

[Stk004]

1 hour ago, Forest Ump said:

These look pretty sharp.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Reebok-Energy-Mens-Basketball-Black/dp/B005GKYA28/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1472519081&sr=8-16&keywords=umpire+shoes

They do. I wonder how well they would hold up to dirt.

[JaxRolo]

Always NB here.

[kylejt]

And no one takes about fit.

 

Thanks for proving my point though, fellas.

[udbrky]

I like NB because they fit more true than others. I can buy them online and know that size Z is going to fit pretty much like my other NB size Z.

 

Could never say that about Nike. Had to try on 3-4 sizes.

[MadMax]

27 minutes ago, udbrky said:

I like NB because they fit more true than others. I can buy them online and know that size Z is going to fit pretty much like my other NB size Z.

 

Could never say that about Nike. Had to try on 3-4 sizes.

You bring up an excellent point, @udbrky, even if it goes against my preferred brand (Nike).

New Balance has the most diverse range of lasts they use. Wikipedia explains Lasts. They accommodate for a variety of widths and length combinations, including  arch prominence and location. Their lasts are also focused on very specific purposes (walking, running, casual). Because New Balance does not have the market share demands to meet like Nike and Adidas (and soon to be UnderArmour), they can keep a tighter control over the plants and factories using their lasts, too. In this way, if you are a 12E in New Balance, you can go up and down their product line, and a 12E feels and fits the same every time.

I have a Nike foot. I've been an 11D in Nike since I was 13 years old. Nearly every Nike I've worn, across a myriad of sports and activities, fit and feel the same. There have been some soccer shoes that haven't agreed with me, and that's because that particular model is shaped for a purpose. Recently (the past 3-4 years?), there have been inconsistencies in Nikes fit. This may be due to the lasts being changed or altered by a (new) contracted plant, or cost-of-materials-saving effort a division of Nike is trying, or a plant producing a less-than-top-quality product. There are a glut of unauthentic Nikes hitting the Internet in recent years, manufactured to look exactly the same as the authentic ones. Sometimes, they are plant overruns. Often, though, they are knock-offs, using a "foreign" last. Batches of these "bastard" shoes can be brokered and obtained by discount shoe retailers and online stores.

It's a mess.

So, more than ever before, keep fit and feel as your priority and consider a multitude of options. Options are good. Options are always good. When you get set on particulars – that, in this context, this is the one and only shoe you must use/have – you get into trouble.