Plate Shoes

[BretMan]

Thinking back to last year, over the course of about 100 games I can recall being hit in the foot maybe three times and having a catcher step on my foot once. But since I had good shoes, no harm, no foul.

When I first started out years ago I wore typical baseball cleats because I didn't know any better. Even though I might have taken a couple of hits to the feet, I dodged the bullet and didn't suffer any serious injury. After my first year I invested in a pair of plate shoes.

First game with my shiny new shoes and a batter fouls one straight down and back off my big toe! At least the damage was limited to a permanent scuff in the leather and not a broken toe.

[RPatrino]

I was once working with a real talented young umpire, who I thought had real potential. I strongly suggested he invest in some plate shoes, and lose the baseball cleats he was using along with the guards attached to his shin guards (which only covered the top of his feet, not his toes).

Well long story short, a direct hit and two broken toes later, this young man no longer umpires. Oh, he tried after his toes healed, but he became a 'dancer', bailing out on anything in the dirt. His game was ruined out of fear of another injury.

Don't skimp on protection.