I'm tired of big, stupid linebackers...
 

...stepping on my feet.

I work umpire in football and these behemoths are killing me. I'm looking for a plate shoe that would work on turf. It needs to be somewhat cleated as the turf can get wet the later into the season it gets. It needs to be a steel toed shoe. I don't necessarily need the metatarsal protector. In fact, I would prefer it without it or the removal type.

Any suggestions?

I would suggest more hustle! ;)

I suggest the Tanel 360 plate shoe. It is athletic, has great cleat pattern and traction, is very lightweight, and does not have the clunky, Herman Munster look that most plate shoes have. It looks great! Excellent choice for a football umpire.

Double agree with that. Excellent shoe but does have a lower lifetime. But well worth it.

Let me third that - Tanel. Athletic shoe with great protection.

Umpire Shoes
 

Ref,

I would also look into the Riddell plate shoes if honig;s stil has them. They are low cut, studded bottom, good protection. I used them while umpiring in FB games, and they saved my feet often.

I know exactly what you mean in trying to deal with LB's and TE's as an umpire. They seem to make us targets and picks more and more often these days.

Agreed...or switching to backjudge.

My dad ref'ed football for about 35 years. Did quite a few state championship games.

Never once did I ever hear him complain about linebackers stepping on his feet. I watched him work, and frankly, he just stayed out of their way. :)

The only problem I have with the Tanels is that they wear at the cushions at the top of the foot insert.

It has nothing to do with hustle. It has to do with focusing on line play, not looking around for players or worrying who might step on your feet. At umpire, you're in closer proximity to the players than any official in any other sport. You're going to have contact with players. I've worked state championships in football and basketball, so hustle is not an issue. I'm sure that if you ask your daddy, he'll tell you that he got his foot stepped from time to time.

The thread isn't about anything but "what shoe would work best?" Sorry that was too much for you.

But thanks for the excellent advice.

EDIT: My bad! I had forgotten that rei was banned by the NFHS forum administrator on the NFHS site. Since I'm a moderator on that site, he blames me because he was banned, because he daddy never loved him, because he's a failure...the list goes on and on. He responds with stupidity almost every time I post on this forum. He's now on my Ignore list, so I won't be bothered with him again.

Thanks again to everyone else.

Thanks for the advice, fellas. I appreciate it. I'll give'em a try.

I'll bet if he worked umpire that he got slammed to the turf a time or two though. They use the umpire as a pick whenever possible.

BktBallRef,

You are not the only football umpire experiencing this problem. In fact, Reebok is coming out with a football/baseball shoe that was originally made for the same reason you talk about. It will be out in the next couple months and Honigs should be the first to carry it. MLB umpire Tim Tschida has been testing it out for baseball and I'm sure you will see NFL Umpires wearing a similar version as well in the fall.

I would NOT buy the Tanel's until you see this model first. As I said, it has been specifically designed for football and baseball umpires. Basically, I think it will be like the NB plate shoe except in a low top version and with a more aggressive/studded sole designed for grass and/or dirt. Hope this helps

U.E.S.

LOL! Well, it's coming. If you're 4 - 7 yards from the snap, both will happen sooner or later. I've only gone down once. Kid stepped on my foot, pinning it to the ground. Nowhere to go but down as I was backing away from the run.

Thanks UES. That helps a lot, although I might still have to go with the Tanel for now, since the Reebok is a couple of months away. First scrimmages are 3 weeks away.