White stripes

[Bob Lyle]

Thanks to TW, we have a lot of threads on the inane, so I'd like to make a contribution.

For those that wear white stripes on their base shoes, what secrets do you use to keep the white part clean and bright? Do you have a preferred method of polishing the black so it does not bleed over onto the white?

[SanDiegoSteve]

I do the black first, not worrying about hitting the white. Then when I'm done, I take a cotton ball with alcohol (rubbing, WWTB, not JD, relax) and clean the white to a shine. Works well.

I plan on trying a product from the makers of ShapeUp called Brite White. It is supposed to work wonders.

Edited to add the damn comma!

[Edited by SanDiegoSteve on Dec 7th, 2005 at 10:32 PM]

[mbyron]

Originally posted by SanDiegoSteve
...I take a cotton ball with alcohol (rubbing WWTB, not JD, relax) ...

Does he get shiny when you rub him?

[BigUmp56]

Originally posted by mbyron

Does he get shiny when you rub him?

Only while he's rubbing him on his "cotton balls!"

LMAO

Tim.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally posted by mbyron

Does he get shiny when you rub him?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Most of the umpires I know don't wear shoes with white accents. If they buy shoes with such tone, they quickly polish over it. We've been instructed not have white on our shoes.

[RPatrino]

My current base shoes have a little white "N" on them. I think that represents a lot of the posts around here lately...nonsense!!

Bob

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally posted by RPatrino
My current base shoes have a little white "N" on them. I think that represents a lot of the posts around here lately...nonsense!!

Bob

Ha! Good one Bob!

WWTB,

Maybe it is because they get endorsement deals, I don't know, but I see a whole lotta white on the base shoes of MLB, and MiLB umpires all the time.

To me, it depends on the brand base shoes I buy whether or not I paint over the white. My last pair, Mizuno Wave Trainers, were all-black to start with. Usually, I like the white accents, and we have no such rule against them here.

I plan on buying the Tanel shoes, and will leave the white alone. Also buying some Honig's Patent Leather for big games, and they're already all-black.

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

I can't recall if all of NCAAdom disallows white on their shoes or just around here. I looked at a few dozen photos of MLB umpires and none of them had visible white on their feet. It could have been the luck of the draw, but it was pretty consistent.

[SanDiegoSteve]

WWTB,

Joe West was wearing the prototype New Balance plate shoes in the playoffs. The white was showing. When MLB first adopted the New Balance base shoes, I saw white everywhere I looked. I attend many Division 1 baseball games at S.D.S.U., and I see mucho blanco en los zapatos. Sorry, got carried away there.

It's pretty much a matter of personal taste here. Seems like repression where you are.

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

I just checked and the NCAA code is no white on the shoes. Maybe it is going to be different in 2006.

[NFump]

Really? I just checked the NCAA Baseball Div 1 Championship Game Official Manual and right there under Dress Code (6.4 Dress Code on page 16) Black shoes (white stripes are permitted). Why would they allow them in the Championship but not the regular season? Just wondering.

[Bob Lyle]

Originally posted by WhatWuzThatBlue
I just checked and the NCAA code is no white on the shoes. Maybe it is going to be different in 2006.

I have worn all black for years. I've been doing NCAA baseball on a regular basis for a couple of years and at least 80% of the umpires have white on their shoes, so when mine needed replacement, I got shoes with white.

Are you sure that you umpire college baseball, Windy, or is it true what they say about you. You're a youth ball umpire who hangs around with NCAA umpires, reads a lot, and tries to talk a good game.

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

I checked the uniform code that I had from last year. It states that we are permitted to wear black shoes - several approved models were mentioned and none had visible white accents.

Like the associations and assignors who allow high school umpires to wear black shirts, you must have a more lenient agreement. I also said that it might change next year. I imagine that some of you are not familiar with the ratings form for D-1 umpires. Uniform compliance is a factor.

[Edited by WhatWuzThatBlue on Dec 10th, 2005 at 07:26 PM]

[U of M Sam]

I wear solid black base shoes. If I buy a pair of base shoes that have a white "N", for example, I just cover with black polish.
Sam