new balance plate shoes
 

any opinions on the new balance plate shoes now that they have been around for a couple of years? how is the durability? i'm sure they are lightweight and comfortable. i'm really not sure about the look. i don't like the look of the rivets on the front of the shoe. are they covered by your plate pants?? thx.

I like them overall.. They are a bit snug putting them on for some reason tho. I feel like I can barely get the laces loose enuff to put them on.

Maybe you bought a too small size.

I've bought two pairs for friends of mine, both a half size over their normal shoe size. Both rave about comfort and performance. Everyone I know that has these shoes love them. The looks are a personal preference, but they're starting to grow on me. I've switched to the NB 350 shoes for the bases, and they are fabulous.

No one I know of has complained about any sort of break down in the shoes.

1. They come small. Order at least a half size larger.

2. If you have a high instep, they are difficult to put on.

3. Several MiLB umpire who wore them this year reported tearing of the leather where the metatarsal plate attaches to the shoe. I have seen four pairs so torn. (Mine aren't) One theory...the difficulty with which they go on creates the need to bend the plate back too far.

4. They are extemely comfortable and light.

Durability suffers to comfort and lightweight on all surfaces.

ugly
 

i'm sure they are comfortable - i love their base shoes- but the area of rivets looks terrible.

I wore the NB plate shoes for 34 plates this year. They are very comfortable, light and offer great protection.

I've never noticed the rivets, myself. I had to go out to my equipment bag and take a look. Yep, they are black just like most of the shoe. I guess that's why I never noticed them.

Get a pair, you'll love 'em!

A longtime fan of the look and protection of the Davis plate shoes--I wore the high tops--I switched this year to the NB ones. In my 30-year career, they are by far the best plate shoes I have ever worn.

They do have a nice sheen to them, and they're the lightest, most comfortable ones I've ever worn. I've taken some hard shots off them in some D-I and independent pro ball games and have suffered no negative consequences.

Take Garth's and others' advice: order the next size up, and even the next width. I take 3E in width but went with 4Es on these and am glad I did, because the 3E ones were too tight.

i have the Davis plates now. you guys have convinced me to give these a try.
thx.

I love mine. Just make sure you get the proper width also. As already mentioned, they run a little small, so at least a half size larger than normal. There was a problem in the past with the plate, however NB re-designed them from what I was told. I haven't had any problem with mine.

New Balance 450 Plate Shoes
 

Great, light shoe. They take a great shine with liquid kiwi regular OR something I just discovered, liquid Kiwi Honor Guard-spit shine quality. Works great. Ditto on the sizing comments. I usually wear a 9 D, I got a 9.5 D. I am ordering a 10 D this winter and will sell the 9.5 D's on e-bay after the new ones are broken in. I routinely challenge catchers to a race to first and can keep up with most in these shoes. They wear like a running shoe to me. The base shoes, NB 350's, feel like you can run and jump all day long, like the old PF Flyers. Get both. You wont be sorry.

New Balance
 

I've worn the NB 450 and 350 since they came out and find them very comfortable. Neither pair has had any shoe polish on them. I spray them down with a mild soapy solution and they shine up good as new.

I have never liked the hi-tops because it makes the ankle protectors on my shin guards splay out. However I am getting older and want to try them again. Who has the best price on these NB 450 plate shoes? Thanks in advance.

I went to the local place that sells New Balance shoes and had them measure my feet. They sell expensive shoes (think: Mephisto) in a connected store alongside their New Balance and their Stride Rite stores. They have a certified pedorthist (shoe fitter?) on staff there.

I was buying a 10.5 2E and the guy there said I was definitely an 11EEEE -- he also said most people buy shoes too small. I bought that size and it worked great, plate and bases.

I used my 350s for football this season (they are great unless the field is really wet or muddy), so I need to get a new pair or two before baseball season.

I wore my recently purchased New Balance high-top plate shoes yesterday at a high school jamboree for the first time. The comfort level was super, but by the end of the day (total of 16 innings), their weight was getting to be a factor. They are super heavy, but they are a size 13 4E. They do make the bottom of the shin guards splay just a bit. I took a shot to the top of my right foot and didn't even feel it. All in all, I think I'm going to be very happy with them. However, if I had the purchase to do over, I would have gotten the low tops due to the weight.

I bought mine last week from https://www.nbwebexpress.com. They were 10% off when I made my purchase. The price was $89. I'm not sure if they still offer the 10%

I used these yesterday in a 10 inning, 4 hour scrimmage. My feet felt fine after the game. I did have trouble getting them on. I'm going to try and find a long shoe horn to help with that. I did notice one peculiar thing. As I was walking back to my car on the asphalt, I could hear a whistling sound coming from my left shoe each time I took a step. Almost like air escaping from the sole.

after a 10 inning 4 hour scrimmage that was likely air escaping from your soul.

Heavy? They are measurably lighter than Davis or Honigs plate shoes. I have never worn as light a plate shoes as the New Balance.

I'm with Garth. How you could describe the NB as 'heavy' ?

I've used Honigs, Davis and now use the NB plate shoe. The older type plate shoes were heavy as concrete, but that was what we had to wear. When I switched to the Davis I thought I had died and gone to heaven. The first time I wore them was for a 18 inning double header!!

The NB plate shoe is much lighter then the Davis, though not as shiny and pretty! I'll sacrifice comfort for looks any day.

Forest, about those strange sounds coming from your feet... (sorry I couldn't be there for you!!)

Heavy compared to what? Plate shoes don't come much lighter than the 450s. Plus they don't make them in low tops, which is why I don't wear them. Are you sure you're wearing NB shoes?

Bob..you didn't miss much. 1st scrimmage game for both teams. Lots of coaching + lots of different pitchers equals long time behind the dish. All though it was great to get on the field after a long lay off.

The noise went like this....step step ssssss, step step ssssss, step step ssssss. I felt like George Costanza with a new suit.

Steve

"Costanza-Can't Stand Ya"
 

Like George with a new suit-whoosh, whoosh. Who's whooshing?

Great laugh.

I have had Davis hi-tops and now NB 450's-I try to beat catcher's down the line with no one on base. Some of them I do. I have finally found a polish that gets them near spit shine quality-Kiwi liquid Honor Guard. I used to use Kiwi paste Parade Gloss. Not as easy to look good like the Davis hi-tops but infinitely more comfortable. New Balance 450's for the plate combined with New Balance 350 hi-tops on the bases = 35 + innings for me on some summer tournament days. Legs hurt but nothing like before I had those two pairs of shoes. Now I have custom orthotics from a podiatrist so I'm looking forward to that many innings with less leg/foot pain.

NB Plate
 

I wear a 10 dress shoe and a 10.5 NB base shoe. I ordered a 10.5 NB plate shoe and then returned them for an 11. Can't wait to get in them during a game (next Saturday). I know of no one who has them that has a bad word to say about them, except "runs small".

nb plate shoes - good deal
 

http://pennsylvania.purchaseofficial...age=1&featured

$95 with a free shoe bag and shoe polish.

the store is run by a former minor league and current college ump - mike shields. good deals and excellent service.

Kessler's in GA and other places has them for $73
 

I just got this this week from my college assignor. I heard talk about this price at the NCAA clinic in Atlanta. I heard it as I was paying for my new 450's from Honig's table in lobby outside meeting room. I got a 10% ABUA discount and no shipping cost so it wasn't too bad-$89. These prices are better though. Pertinent info from PDF flyer below.



Kesslers NB Ump Returns, 5202A Brookhollow Pkwy, Norcross, GA 30071.

New Balance MU350LK Low Top Base Shoe $49.00
New Balance MU350MK Mid Cut Base Shoe $53.00
New Balance MU450MK Mid Cut Plate Shoe $73.00

GA, TN, MS, IN, IL, AR, IA, OH
residents add 6% GA sales tax

freight(add $5 per pair)

For more information, contact Eli Shackelford at [email protected] 770-723-9568.

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