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HL is right; everyone is different.
However, I will say I'm a shoe (and equipment in general) junkie and these are my observations:
-- Under Armour makes a darn good shoe; I have a black running shoe that I used for subvarsity games last year on the Fieldturf stuff and they worked out fine; they won't be very good in wet or muddy weather, and pray you don't get stepped on (like I did once). We can get away with almost anything in subvarsity as long as the shoe is predominantly black.
-- I purchased a pair of Reebok plate shoes for baseball and they are VERY comfortable -- more so than the Reeboks I bought circa 2006 (football shoes). If the football/baseball field models are as comfortable (I have heard they are) and supportive as the new Reebok plate shoes are, Reeboks should be the first shoe to check out for those that don't have immediate foot issues (Achilles tendonitis, plantar faciatis, etc.);
-- The Nike field trainer (baseball field shoe) is a very good shoe as well; I'll probably start the football varsity season in this one unless I get the Reebok; If the NFL is going Nike, then I'd be interested in seeing new field models as they come out. The only thing I don't like about Nike is the fit, but as long as they come out with a wide shoe, I'll be fine.
-- The New Balance models have regressed to the point where the newer one is all but unwearable for me; if you've been a NB guy, don't assume the new models fit and wear like the older ones -- try them out to make sure they'll work before buying or ordering them. I don't recommend NB unless all the other brands don't work for you.
-- if you are like me and work on both grass and turf, the small studs, like the Nike baseball trainer, work fine for both; that is, except in muddy conditions; Under Armour makes some more studded shoes that work well on wet grass or in mud; I think the days of wearing the Spotbilt stud or similar shoes are over (obviously for Spotbilt, since they are no longer).
I will have at least 4 pairs I work through next fall:
-- my UA running shoes for subvarsity; easier to stand for 3.5-4 hours on my feet on those, but will watch out for lineman stepping on my feet!
-- My Nike trainers for varsity games I don't work with my crew on;
-- A new pair of of either Reeboks or Nikes that I will match up with my crew -- the white on black shoes will go really well with the new black pants;
-- a as of yet to be determined mud pair or two -- probably including the NB pair I hate. I will probably look at another UA pair with the synthetic leather rather than the mesh like the ones I have now.
That's just me, but every football official should have at least 2 and probably 3 pairs of shoes ready to go.
And you guys thought the black pants were going to cause headaches!
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