Updated New Balance plate shoe?

[RichMSN]

1 hour ago, Welpe said:

I'll make up for it by continuing to not.

That's too bad.  I'll continue to be your friend even though you're completely wrong on this point.

[Welpe]

A true friendship can transcend such important differences.

[udbrky]

13 minutes ago, Welpe said:

A true friendship can transcend such important differences.

 

[ChrisUrbz]

I don't like the new ones I would rather see the 450 come back

[kylejt]

Think another real problem is total sales. I'll bet NB sells more lime green, size 4.5 ladies running shoes than the all the umpire shoes combined. Honestly, we're just a blip in their marketing meetings. What they do get is brand recognition on TV, by all the MLB guys (who don't have a choice what shoes they wear) sporting them. Thus, the goofy white N on the sides of their space boots. 

 

I think most of you forget how ground breaking the 450 was. Yeah, it was awful to look at. We were all wearing either the Gerry Davis patent leather, or the +POS low tops at time, the two prettiest shoes ever made. But the NB shaved a TON of weight off, added soles that actually flexed, and gave the ability to actually run. That was a huge break through. Were they perfect? Hardly. I know a bunch of guys that had their flaps tear off. Those laces were always busting, and the soles loaded with mud that was hard to release. 

 

But I've still guy my original pair, folks. I've always used a leather cleaner and conditioner on them, so they didn't crack or dry out, and removed, washed or replaced the insoles regularly. Gone are the original laces, and the soles are getting pretty worn down, but the uppers have lasted a very long time. 

 

My 460s, on the other hand, just don't get much use. First thing I didn't care for was the plate. They made a nice 90 degree angle up front, to catch baseballs. Every get a ball right to the sole of your shoe, near your big toe? The ball actually drives the shoe backwards, as your feet get jammed forwards. That 90 degree snout increases the likelyhood of those types of shots. I'm glad to see the prototypes go back to more of a ramp. My 460's also, to me, are hot as hell. My socks are usually dripping after a game, where that's not the case with the older ones. Maybe it's the higher tops, that don't allow for the ventilation. 

 

I wear Bauer hockey official shin guards, as they mate up perfectly with my 450's. I've got Wilson platinums in my Plan B bag, with my 460's. Yeah, I do give up some ankle protection, I'll grant you that. Comfort and mobility come at a cost. But, I'd be using a raft if I wanted total protection, so everything's a trade off. 

 

I think we should be thankful that NB makes ANY sort of umpire shoe. If they didn't, we'd be stuck wearing some off brand garbage. 

 

 

[kylejt]

On 5/26/2016 at 10:35 PM, UmpNation21 said:

You'll have to excuse me. Haven't had a chance to clean them since my last game.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

No, that's a good thing. We need to know how they'll get dirty, and what we'll need to clean, like that mesh side panel. That'll be a bitch. 

 

[Hawkman]

I never liked my NB plate shoes. I finally decided I'd gotten enough mileage out of my old ones last year that I could spend the money on a pair of low cut Reebok's. Unfortunately, this was after Reebok decided they weren't going to make them anymore. After checking out dozens of places online I finally found a pair of the Reebok's and wore them for most of last season. Night and day difference between them and the NB shoes. The Reebok shoes are lighter, better cushioned and don't take 5 minutes to get on or off. I love them and am really disappointed I won't be able to get another pair when these wear out. I really hope someone comes out with a quality low cut shoe before I need my next pair.