No they don’t. Nike has reduced their involvement in hardgoods (gear) development and production, primarily due to failed ventures in hockey (via Bauer), board-sports, and most recently (and most impacting) golf.
Tiger’s demise actually caused more ripples than one would realize.
Even with Nike producing all the jerseys and jackets for the NFL, they have not ventured into helmets, shoulder pads, and other protective gear. Why would they? Riddell, Schutt, Rawlings and Xenith are already well-established. The furthest Nike has – or really needs to – reached into football gear has been helmet visors and pad-infused underlayers and compression clothing.
This does not bode well for us on the gear front. As far as I’ve been able to investigate, Nike doesn’t have a working partnership with another gear producer, in the same manner as UnderArmour has with All-Star. Thus, the only real change we’ll likely see is the covering or removal of the Big Gold W on masks and CPs. Nike may allow New Balance to continue producing footwear, and while it may be the footwear of choice for umpires, it likely will lose the Official MLB logo.
If we want to see another plate shoe, we (as an umpire community) have got to get all over Nike as soon as the contract is signed. With another footwear-centric company rolling in, we won’t see Mizuno allowed to expand and bring their full catalog here.
However, my hopes of seeing the MLB logo on an All-Star umpire’s CP just came to a crashing end. And my hopes of seeing golf pants as our new umpire slacks – purchasable at most sports apparel stores – are now on life support.