Patent Leather Belt

Mountaineer

AtlUmpSteve wrote
Without invoking any individual names, patent leather (either belt or shoes) is discouraged in all the higher levels of softball. Our goal is to blend, not stand out, and for our uniform to be, well, uniform (meaning the same as everyone else).

Maybe cousin Eddie will give you a pair of his favorite shoes, Clark.

Skahtboi

MOofficial wrote
Curious if there was a way to get them loosened up besides just the normal wear and bending of it? If there was something I could rub into the leather to loosen it up?

If you can't tell by the tone that this thread has taken, you really need to dump the patent leather and go with a regular black belt. Then you won't need to worry about getting it "loosened up."

PtotheB

Curious if there was a way to get them loosened up besides just the normal wear and bending of it?

My suggestion is to run 4-5 miles a day for about three months. This simple act will magically make your belt grow a couple of inches.

Blu_IN

Rediculous. Patent leather doesn't make you stand out. If anything, it looks sharp and professional. Honestly, the beef with patent is because some old guard won't accept new styles. Umpiring evolves, people need to learn to change with it or retire. At the very least, keep an open mind.

bkbjones

Blu_IN wrote
Rediculous.

If you expect us to take you seriously, please either learn to spell or use spell check. Thank you.

And, no, no patent leather in softball. And when I do baseball, I won't:
*carry an indicator on the bases
*clean off any bases
*or clean off the pitcher's plate
*confuse "illegal pitch" and "balk"
*use the "hammer" for strikes or outs, and will instead use any damn mechanic I want for either one

I could go on...but don't come on here badmouthing softball and softball umpires when there is plenty wrong elsewhere.

IRISHMAFIA

Blu_IN wrote
Rediculous. Patent leather doesn't make you stand out. If anything, it looks sharp and professional. Honestly, the beef with patent is because some old guard won't accept new styles. Umpiring evolves, people need to learn to change with it or retire. At the very least, keep an open mind.

So because a few who want to wear patent leather belts and shoes are simply "changing with the times", everyone else should follow suit or retire.

Great country, America!

Blu_IN

So, those that want to change with the times, should not because the old fear change? That road goes both ways Irish.

BBK, you won't take me seriously because I misspell a word. Sorry if my time is valuable enough not to spell check my posts. Its a forum, not an important work memo/document.

tcblue13

Blu_IN wrote
So, those that want to change with the times, should not because the old fear change? That road goes both ways Irish.

Just try changing the music or worship style in church. The phenomenon became known as the worship wars during the 1990's and early 2000's

NCASAUmp

I'm a guy, and I have no idea what patent leather looks like (except for maybe those lovely knee-high boots ladies wear). So basically, I don't know if they look good as a belt or not. Maybe they do, maybe they don't.

However, Blu_IN does point out that it does take a while for ASA to change the style. Think of how long we had those button-down shirts that looked like something from the 70s.

The answer, in my opinion, is that one proper uniform (minus any chest protectors, masks, etc.) costs around $150 (slacks, shirt, hat, belt and shoes). Many umpires, like myself, have more than one complete uniform (I've got 5 uniforms with two extra shirts that I took out of the rotation). Would we really want to have to keep changing the uniform once every couple of years? I know I certainly wouldn't, and that's why I take such good care of the ones I already have.

Blu_IN

And I am not saying that you should either put on the patent or go away. Far from it, some people are not going to want to wear it due to their personal opinions. However, its really annoying that when it comes to conference tournament time, I have to hang up my patent leather plate shoes and belt simply because the old guard refuses to accept the style.

At least come up with something other than it stands out, or looks flashy. It doesn't. The NCAA uniform is so unbelievably bland. What in the world is wrong with wanting to show some style. What is wrong with wanting to look as good as possible? If I feel that patent leather plate shoes and belt make for a better look, what's wrong with that?

Dakota

Blu_IN wrote
So, those that want to change with the times, should not because the old fear change? That road goes both ways Irish.

BBK, you won't take me seriously because I misspell a word. Sorry if my time is valuable enough not to spell check my posts. Its a forum, not an important work memo/document.

You mistake (intentionally?) standards for fear. I guess it suits you to call those who set the uniform standards for the various organizations cowards. Because ASA or whoever wants a certain look for their umpires does not make them fearful of change or anything else. It merely makes them an organization that sets the standards. Some standards on uniforms are written, others are encouraged / discouraged. Patent leather shoes and belts fall into the latter (unwritten & discouraged) category. You are, of course, free to wear whatever your locals allow.

You might get a more useful response if you posted your question on the baseball board, where patent leather is accepted, since many of those guys ape whatever it is the MLB guys do and call that individuality.

As to speeling, if you new how to speel you woodn't have too use a speel chekker.

Steve M

I've managed to stay out of this one, but so much for that.

I wear the patent leather shoes in games where players do not wear metal spikes - they are easier to clean and my personal opinion is that they look better. I do not wear a patent leather belt - they are too thick.

As for the number of uniforms - that's irrelevant. I choose to work in a number of different sanctioning bodies. Each has their own uniform(s), and I have just about all of them. I pay my registration to each and buy the uniforms of each. Since I changed to a smaller vehicle a couple of months ago, I don't carry all the uniforms all the time now.

As for the music wars, we "fixed" that. We've got 2 separate services and seldom do they mix. Great fix, huh? But that does keep us from having to build a bigger sanctuary.

AtlUmpSteve

Blu_IN wrote
And I am not saying that you should either put on the patent or go away. Far from it, some people are not going to want to wear it due to their personal opinions. However, its really annoying that when it comes to conference tournament time, I have to hang up my patent leather plate shoes and belt simply because the old guard refuses to accept the style.

At least come up with something other than it stands out, or looks flashy. It doesn't. The NCAA uniform is so unbelievably bland. What in the world is wrong with wanting to show some style. What is wrong with wanting to look as good as possible? If I feel that patent leather plate shoes and belt make for a better look, what's wrong with that?

Probably because "showing some style" and having "a better look" isn't UNIFORM with the other umpires. If it isn't the same, it is different; and that, my friend, means it stands out.

Further, patent leather isn't some new idea that the "old guard" refuses it accept. It is an old idea, developed in 1818, that has been rejected as inappropriate from the beginning of softball uniforms, and continues to be unacceptable. Not newly rejected; never accepted. Showing some style is the baseball non-uniform uniform. Just watch the LLWS for inspiration.

Dakota

NCASAUmp wrote
I'm a guy, and I have no idea what patent leather looks like ...

Here ya go...

Steve M

Dakota wrote
Here ya go...

Yes, and they do reflect up.😃

Mountaineer

Steve M wrote
I've managed to stay out of this one, but so much for that.

I wear the patent leather shoes in games where players do not wear metal spikes - they are easier to clean and my personal opinion is that they look better. I do not wear a patent leather belt - they are too thick.

As for the number of uniforms - that's irrelevant. I choose to work in a number of different sanctioning bodies. Each has their own uniform(s), and I have just about all of them. I pay my registration to each and buy the uniforms of each. Since I changed to a smaller vehicle a couple of months ago, I don't carry all the uniforms all the time now.

As for the music wars, we "fixed" that. We've got 2 separate services and seldom do they mix. Great fix, huh? But that does keep us from having to build a bigger sanctuary.

I have both patent leather and regular. I wear the patent leather on dry days when the dust is dominant and the regular ones during rainy/muddy days. I agree that the patent leather is easier to clean - simply wipe off and they are shiny as new. Our college supervisor and HS interpreter allows patent leather so we wear them. I also wear a belt that matches the shoes. I know that if I were to go to an NCAA regional that I'd need to wear the non-patent leather plate shoes.

IRISHMAFIA

Blu_IN wrote
So, those that want to change with the times, should not because the old fear change? That road goes both ways Irish.

Did someone just drop off a bale of straw? Ever hear of "majority rule"?

Blu_IN

How do we lose uniformity by the plate umpire wearing patent leather? They are black, they are shined, they are as exactly as they should be. Patent leather belts. . . again black.

How exactly does that make us look out of uniform?

NCASAUmp

Blu_IN wrote
How do we lose uniformity by the plate umpire wearing patent leather? They are black, they are shined, they are as exactly as they should be. Patent leather belts. . . again black.

How exactly does that make us look out of uniform?

Because to ASA, "uniform" is not only a noun, it's an adjective. 🙂

It's a preference issue, really. ASA doesn't want it, so I don't wear it. Could it spruce up an otherwise ugly uniform? Sure, but until ASA says it's okay...

We're at where we're at.

IRISHMAFIA

NCASAUmp wrote
I'm a guy, and I have no idea what patent leather looks like (except for maybe those lovely knee-high boots ladies wear). So basically, I don't know if they look good as a belt or not. Maybe they do, maybe they don't.

Many referred to them as "cheater" shoes especially in the military before synthetics like Corfam arrived on the scene.

Yes, they can look good and are easy to clean, but are not healthy for your feet. If you have a history of perspiring feet, you just as well wrap your feet in plastic bags.

The process includes treating the leather with a sealer much like the Leather Lustre many umpires use. And like the LL, the sealer will fill the pores of the leather and prevent it from breathing.

There are folks who don't want this type of apparel worn because it does bring attention to an individual umpire if all are not wearing the same thing. The problem is the perception of the teams that the umpire who is NOT wearing the bright, shiny uniform must not be a good umpire.