While I never have cared what my shoes looked like after the first half inning, I do care what they look like at the pregame, and when I walk on the field. The shinier the better. Belt too!

Thick, patent leather high gloss belt behind the plate, thin, regular leather on the bases. Clean, shiny shoes at the pre-game.

New Balance has a semi-gloss pebble finish on the plate shoes, and the hair spray makes them a little more glossy. It is cleaned off every time you saddle soap them clean, or use Murphy's. So there's no build-up. It doesn't stay on hair when you wash it, why would it stay on shoes?

~Sigh~
 

As I have commented hundreds of times before:

I wouldn't get caught dead wearing patent leather anything.

I shine my shoes and wear a belt that shows little to no wear . . . patent leather is for little girl shoes.

Of course this is just an opinion.

Regards,

Patent leather belts are the only way to go.

OK guys, disregard my last post. I just had to relace them a little looser than what they were like when I got them. Now they feel great.

I was totally in agreement with the little-girls'-shoes impression when it came to patent leather shoes. I actually reveled in cleaning and shining pair after pair of standard leather shoes until I got the semi-gloss NB 450s and 350s. And I never even considered a patent leather belt. Then came my first four-man game and everybody had to wear a patent leather belt. One guy had two sizes, and lent me one. I now wear a patent leather belt behind the plate in the bigger games. I don't even know why... just to switch up I guess. It's a sharp look---especially at night.

Kevin

As I just posted under the New Balance post---those new NB 995 base shoes without all the white are now available for $69.99 and ships free (standard) till tomorrow at 4pm. They have them in 4E width if needed. How about checking them out (come on, you know you want a pair) and see if they fit true to size or whether you need a half size to full size bigger like most people suggest on the plate shoe. Did the old 350's run true to size?

Thanks, T !

The 350s are true-to-size, and I am a little wider than a D and a little narrower than the EE, so I get the EE and wear thick socks. I have Ds as a back-up, and they're almost just right with thin socks.

And I'll get back to you when I receive my new mid-cut 995s that we both know I have to try, because both pairs of my current base shoes are low cuts. :)