plate shoes

[Jack Clark]

When I got tired of wearing the ill-fitting league equipment hanging on nails in the equipment room, I did the same thing you did. Tried to find inexpensive equipment that would work. Spent a couple of hundred dollars on sporting-good-store stuff--including steel-toes work shoes--then found out that I really wanted, and needed, pro gear, which you have to order from catalogues.

If you already know that you're going to be serious about umpiring, you might as well buy the quality of stuff you're going to want eventually, anyway--it'll save you money in the long run. For example, the steel-toes work shoes you're contemplating do have steel toes, but they don't have steel metatarsal plates, do they? -Jack