3N2 Reaction Plate Shoes

3N2 Reaction Low Plate Shoe

Due to the utter failure of my New Balance MU460's, I was cast into a predicament; with a substantial number of games left in the year and the release of the forthcoming New Balance MU460-V3's expected in January of 2017, I had to find something to serve as a plate shoe. So disheartening were the MU460's (more like, what they had become – abject terrible monsters) that I even started combing through eBay looking for Reeboks. Anyone who knows me will attest, I physically cannot wear Reeboks without my back seizing up. It's that dire of a situation.

I knew that 3N2 made plate shoes, but I had no knowledge of how they fit or how they felt. 3N2 had supplied the footwear to the staff of Cooperstown Dreams Park, but they (the staff) didn't praise or slam them, so I was only familiar with the look of the shoes. With that, I put a call into Ump-Attire, and they gave me all the necessary info and encouraged me to try a pair out, if only to hold me over until the MU460-V3's were ready for sale.

Immediately upon delivery, I noticed something pleasingly tangible – the Reactions are very light. Significantly lighter than even a brand-new MU460. This lightness carries over into the performance of the shoe, as they don't retain sweat in swampy, bucket-filling amounts (like the MU460's), nor do they get soggy in damp conditions. The only thing that occasionally weighs them down is the mud clinging to the bottom (more on that later). It is comprised of genuine leather, with a thermoformed toe cap and a carbon-fiber metatarsal guard. While it lacks the gleam of the polished synthetic leather that is the MU460, it does take a shining and polishing rather well. Keep them clean and conditioned and give them a shine and polish ever so often, and they'll look quite top-notch.

The interior isn't as cavernous as the MU460, but it certainly is spacious. As advertised, the midsole is exceedingly comfortable. It may just be the low-cut, but I feel much more nimble and athletic in these than the boot-like New Balances. There is no lack of protection in these, either.

Only the outsole, the tread, is what is questionable about these shoes. The very deliberate abundance of studs on the tread of the shoes brings to mind that these shoes could double as landscaper's aerators. In most sand and loose dirt surfaces, these could definitely suit the bill; otherwise, on hard surfaces, they are overkill, and when that ground is watered either by groundscrew or rain, and becomes muddy, the shoes tend to hold that mud rather tenaciously. Certainly spraying the treads with something like Anti-Static-Cling spray does help.

In summary, don't count out these shoes just because they don't come from a marquee name like Reebok or New Balance; they're more than adequate and nearly exceptional, given the price. They certainly let you operate as a properly equipped plate umpire, yet will allow you to maximize your budget and resources to purchase other good quality protective gear.