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polishing rbk plate shoes

rth54

By rth54
in Umpire Equipment

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slo8140

slo8140

Posted
Posted

I do think appearance is important. It is not that the coaches "Care" but having someone that looks professional is important. Keep your uniforms and shoes clean helps them last longer and you look the part. While we should not obsess over it, it only takes me about a minute or so to clean my shoes with a spray bottle and shine with a little hair spray.

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semper_fi_72
semper_fi_72

Use regular black paste polish and buff them up. My new preferred cleaning is: Spray with Scrubbing Bubbles and wipe off. Spray with light coat of Hairspray. They look plenty good for me and it is

Kevin Finnerty
Kevin Finnerty

Doesn't matter. Quality doesn't matter, either. I used Dove pump spray, until I saw White Rain at half the price. Then I used the aerosol can White Rain, and it cut the shoe care time in half. And

Umpire in Chief
Umpire in Chief

Ya'll are nicer than me. I'm not your mom and I'm not cleaning your shoes for you. I will demonstrate while cleaning mine, but hell if I'm cleaning somebody elses shoes. As for looking sharp, it'

Kevin Finnerty

Kevin Finnerty

Posted
Posted

It takes a minute?!?

Come on; it takes at least 90 seconds.

... This one partner had these dusty Reeboks, and was pulling them on to work a game. I said, "Why don't you clean those shoes?" He said, "I didn't have the time."

I took out my supply bucket, pulled out the brush, Murphy's soap solution, towel and White Rain aerosol. I sprayed the shoes off, brushed them clean, wiped them off (no rinsing with the Murphy's) and then laid them on my bucket top and sprayed them with hair spray---all in under three minutes.

It's too easy and too quick to bypass the process, no matter how tiresome it has seemed to become.

slo8140

slo8140

Posted
Posted

What meant was it does not take much time at all.....we all have enough time to at least get the dust off of our shoes. Fin is right. I have cleaned several of my partners shoes this season.

Umpire in Chief

Umpire in Chief

Posted
Posted

Ya'll are nicer than me. I'm not your mom and I'm not cleaning your shoes for you. I will demonstrate while cleaning mine, but hell if I'm cleaning somebody elses shoes.

As for looking sharp, it's half true were only looking our best for each other and most coaches don't notice how shiny our shoes are or how nice and straight the crease in our pants are, but they will notice if we look poorly. It will reflect poorly on the individual umpire and your association.

  • Like 1
Kevin Finnerty

Kevin Finnerty

Posted
Posted

Ya'll are nicer than me. I'm not your mom and I'm not cleaning your shoes for you. I will demonstrate while cleaning mine, but hell if I'm cleaning somebody elses shoes.

All I was doing was demonstrating. I had to use his shoes; my shoes were already clean and shiny.

blue32

blue32

Posted
Posted

I started using the hairspray technique before games, thanks to you guys, and have actually had a couple coaches ask me how I was able to get my shoes so shiny. I'm sold on it, thanks for the tip!

  • 2 weeks later...
Thunderheads

Thunderheads

Posted
Posted

Just to tag on here ...

Did the $1.97 Home Depot spray bottle, ....my wife had Murphy's, ....that's done, ....then found Aqua Net (unscented) for $1.79 at Target or something ...

SO, for this year, ... I'm cleaning shoes for under $4 for the entire season!

Finn's method works, and ....only takes about a minute plus ....no fuss!:wave:

Mike Prince

Mike Prince

Posted
Posted

I used scrubbing bubbles and hairspray on my plate (new this year) and base shoes (new last fall) yesterday when I went home for lunch (less than 5 minutes of work in the garage), I had been cleaning them after every game or two but not the hairspray. I got to my games last night and everyone asked me where I got the new shoes.

I am now a convert, my wife probably has 5+ bottles of cheap hairspray in the bathroom from just about every trip we take (where she forgets or can't find her hairspray) so I don't even have to go buy anything!

boyinr

boyinr

Posted
Posted (edited)

I tried the Muphys Oil Soap solution on my NB450's and my base shoes. This is a great tip as it saves time and they look great. Thanks to Kevin Finnery. If we ever meet I owe you a beverage of your choice.

I used to rinse the dust off then use Armor-all to get a nice low level shine. The Armor-all always looked great but it acts like a dust magnet. Never anything but MOS and the occasional Kiwi polish for me.

I have not tried the hairspray tip yet. I never cared for the high gloss of patent leather. I am not saying it doesn't look sharp, it just isn't for me.

Edited by boyinr
slo8140

slo8140

Posted
Posted

The hairspray not really give mine a patent look at all. I think it gives a nice low level shine on my reeboks.

My plate and base shoes that were both band new this season still look band new after about 50 scrimmages and games in the high school season. Murphy's and Hair Spray is my new shoe care method of choice.

JaxRolo

JaxRolo

Posted
Posted

The hairspray not really give mine a patent look at all. I think it gives a nice low level shine on my reeboks.

My plate and base shoes that were both band new this season still look band new after about 50 scrimmages and games in the high school season. Murphy's and Hair Spray is my new shoe care method of choice.

What kinda music does your BAND play? :shrug: Just messing with ya!

kylejt

kylejt

Posted
Posted

The NB 350 plate shoes are not leather, so I like Son of a Gun to shine them up.

On my leather shoes I use a leather conditioner to keep them soft and supple. What you don't want to do is dry them out with water and other gunk. I'm not so worried about them being shiny, as opposed to being clean, comfortable, and lasting a long time.

(Leather Luster? Really?)

zm1283

zm1283

Posted
Posted

I tried the Muphys Oil Soap solution on my NB450's and my base shoes. This is a great tip as it saves time and they look great. Thanks to Kevin Finnery. If we ever meet I owe you a beverage of your choice.

I used to rinse the dust off then use Armor-all to get a nice low level shine. The Armor-all always looked great but it acts like a dust magnet. Never anything but MOS and the occasional Kiwi polish for me.

I have not tried the hairspray tip yet. I never cared for the high gloss of patent leather. I am not saying it doesn't look sharp, it just isn't for me.

I worked with a guy last summer who used Armor-All wipes on his shoes before the game. We get to about the third inning and his shoes are COVERED in dust. I mentioned to him that the wipes may have contributed to this, which he had not thought of before.

The Murphy's/water mix in a spray bottle works well. Every couple of weeks I shine my Reeboks with the Kiwi polisher sponge that already has the polish in it.

willv28

willv28

Posted
Posted

To those using the murphy's. I'm trying this method first as I have Murphy's. Are you using the normal Murphy's mix ratio listed on the bottle or something else?

zm1283

zm1283

Posted
Posted

To those using the murphy's. I'm trying this method first as I have Murphy's. Are you using the normal Murphy's mix ratio listed on the bottle or something else?

I didn't check the bottle. I just pour about an inch in the bottom of the spray bottle and fill the rest with water.

slo8140

slo8140

Posted
Posted

I just use about 3 cap fulls of the Murphy's and fill the rest of the spray bottle with water. I have never actually measured the height.

By the way...I bought new plate and base shoes this year. Both Reeboks. I was working a High School playoff series this past weekend and a player commented on liking my brand new base shoes. Made me feel pretty good since I have been wearing them all season on the bases. (I did roughly 20 plate and 20 base games this year during the HS season)

All the love has to go out to the Murphy's and Hair Spray method that I got right here at Umpire-Empire. My plate shoes also look like they just came out of the box.

Kevin Finnerty

Kevin Finnerty

Posted
Posted

I just use about 3 cap fulls of the Murphy's and fill the rest of the spray bottle with water. I have never actually measured the height.

By the way...I bought new plate and base shoes this year. Both Reeboks. I was working a High School playoff series this past weekend and a player commented on liking my brand new base shoes. Made me feel pretty good since I have been wearing them all season on the bases. (I did roughly 20 plate and 20 base games this year during the HS season)

All the love has to go out to the Murphy's and Hair Spray method that I got right here at Umpire-Empire. My plate shoes also look like they just came out of the box.

:blah:D:)
  • 1 year later...
Thunderheads

Thunderheads

Posted
Posted

The Murphy's is the thing, because of how easy it is and how inexpensive it is. Next to Armour All and Pledge, it's a small fraction of the cost.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ yes!

The thing about other products that will get you a "quick-shine" is that they attract dust. The Murphy's followed by the hair-spray (letting it dry of course) won't put a "gloss" on your shoe, but it looks great, and doesn't attracht the dirt/dust ...........as much....

SAB_UIC_TX

SAB_UIC_TX

Posted
Posted

Great thread, I'm going to give this a try on my shoes this year, actually my plate shoes tonight, they have a little end of season gunge on them. I've been giving them a good cleaning post and pre-game then going over them with Kiwi sponge polish and a quick spritz with water which beads on the polish after the game. I think i'll give them a good wax polish and lighter shine up and use this method between games.

Maybe a silly question, but when ya'll are talking about scrubbing bubbles is this what I think it is or something specific for shoes?

JaxRolo

JaxRolo

Posted
Posted

Great thread, I'm going to give this a try on my shoes this year, actually my plate shoes tonight, they have a little end of season gunge on them. I've been giving them a good cleaning post and pre-game then going over them with Kiwi sponge polish and a quick spritz with water which beads on the polish after the game. I think i'll give them a good wax polish and lighter shine up and use this method between games.

Maybe a silly question, but when ya'll are talking about scrubbing bubbles is this what I think it is or something specific for shoes?

It is what you think it is.

icon.JPG

kylejt

kylejt

Posted
Posted

Again, since these are leather shoes, I'd really consider using leather products on them. Ask yourself this: Would you use any of the aforementioned products on your Rawlings glove? Yeah, I know it's not the same, but you get where I'm coming from.

Me, I get 'em clean, then use a leather conditioner on them.

That said, I do use Parade Gloss (heated up, of course) in my old +POS plate shoes. To me, there are no better looking shoes out there. (But I save those for four man, as they're heavy).

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