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Old Wed Dec 12, 2018, 02:06pm
LRZ LRZ is offline
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Shoes

I've seen more and more officials wearing mesh shoes. It would seem likely that they breathe well, but how about stretching across the toe box? With wide feet and a bunion, I have difficulty finding sufficiently wide, comfortable shoes. My current favorites are Reebok Zigs, a half-size large; I also have a pair of New Balance, but they are heavy.

Anyone have a shoe experience to share?

Last edited by LRZ; Wed Dec 12, 2018 at 02:23pm.
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Old Wed Dec 12, 2018, 02:18pm
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I have relatively flat feet so I'm always putting comfort first.

I found a pair of all black Nike Hurache for $50 on clearance...I scooped them up as they are some of the most comfortable shoes out there IMO.
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Old Wed Dec 12, 2018, 02:35pm
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I'm on my second year with a pair of mesh Under Armour shoes after wearing the Reebok Zigs for the previous 3 seasons. They were hot as heck and heavy. I love the new breathable and lightweight feel of the UAs.
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Old Wed Dec 12, 2018, 03:12pm
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History Of Basketball Officiating Shoes ...

There will be a quiz on this, so pay attention.

Styles change over the years. When I first started it was shoes that looked just like real street shoes (weighed a ton) but with a thick rubber waffle soul (Spot Bilts) that I actually got resoled every year. The uppers lasted forever and gave me great support. But they had to be polished every night.

Then we moved to sneaker like shoes, much lighter than the previous styles, and much more comfortable, but not very durable (replaced not resoled), with a flat finish that didn't have to be polished very often. And I could buy them in any store that sold athletic shoes, not just from an officiating dealer.

Then we moved to patent leather shoes (Zigs), and I paid more for these shoes than I ever paid for any kind of shoe in my entire life.

Now we're into mesh shoes, light, comfortable, and they breathe.

I had a pair of mesh training shoes for running on the treadmill at the gym, eventually my big toe tore though the mesh.
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Last edited by BillyMac; Wed Dec 12, 2018 at 03:47pm.
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Old Wed Dec 12, 2018, 03:19pm
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I'm eyeing these for next season. Hoping to find them less than 149.99 full price at some point in 2019.

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Old Thu Dec 13, 2018, 12:17am
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I wear running shoes and have for over a decade. That's probably the mesh shoe's you're seeing. I've said for years that shoes are very person specific so someone telling you that XYZ brand and model work well doesn't mean they'll work for you.

For the past 5 years or so in both hoops and football, I've worn insoles. It makes a WORLD of difference, for me anyway. I have a very high arch and need a neutral (pretty much straight up and down) shoe. So that means maximum cushioning. Others who's feet over pronate (turn inward) when they run don't need as much or any cushioning but possibly need some stability. Most of the classic trainer type shoes are made with some stability in mind, thus they don't work well for me. The insoles do keep my feet stable in the sense that there isn't too much movement when I run. What I had issues with wasn't the stability of the shoe but the fact that the outside of the ball of my foot and my back heel moved so much, I rubbed blisters and callouses. The insoles help that.

Finding all black running shoes is a bit of a chore, but it has gotten a little easier. Saucony had a pair out and Asics will put a pair out every so often. I pretty much wear black and white shoes since that's what I can find. The Hoka Cliftons come in black but have a white sole, but there is a leather version of Hokas (don't know model name) that might work well for neutral guys like me. It is more of a walking shoe but I bet it does better than the classic cross trainers.

I've never been a big fan of shining shoes. I keep them clean but the mesh doesn't prevent me from having any particular look. No supervisor or camp evaluator ever said a word to me.
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Old Thu Dec 13, 2018, 12:31am
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Don't mean to call anyone out on this statement, but most negative shoe critiques and searches for the ideal shoe brands are elicited by officals who are so far out-of-shape that even an pair of angel wings wouldn't grant them a pain-free exprience.

That said, I, for the first time in about 12 years, departed from my beloved Zigs and ordered a pair of an admittedly lower-end Aasics. They're mesh and they feel good, but they just don't have the cushion effect that the Zigs give me. I've been wearing the Aasics the first half, then my Zigs the second half for about 8 games thus far this season, and have been expriencing a pronounced relief from the "pounding" effect of foot-on-floor sensation with the Zigs after wearing the Aasics for a half.

Cushion beats breathability.

Just my take.

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Old Thu Dec 13, 2018, 01:29am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BillyMac View Post
There will be a quiz on this, so pay attention.

Styles change over the years. When I first started it was shoes that looked just like real street shoes (weighed a ton) but with a thick rubber waffle soul (Spot Bilts) that I actually got resoled every year. The uppers lasted forever and gave me great support. But they had to be polished every night.

Then we moved to sneaker like shoes, much lighter than the previous styles, and much more comfortable, but not very durable (replaced not resoled), with a flat finish that didn't have to be polished very often. And I could buy them in any store that sold athletic shoes, not just from an officiating dealer.

Then we moved to patent leather shoes (Zigs), and I paid more for these shoes than I ever paid for any kind of shoe in my entire life.

Now we're into mesh shoes, light, comfortable, and they breathe.

I had a pair of mesh training shoes for running on the treadmill at the gym, eventually my big toe tore though the mesh.

When I first started in 1971, Converse made a basketball officiating shoe. It was a low cut that all leather and needed to be shined at least after every other game but could not be resoled. I wore my one pair for my first two seasons of officiating. The low cuts were not good for my right ankle, which has since caused problems for my right knee and hip joints, but that is a story for another time. The sporting goods store that provided the Chuck Taylor All Stars to my H.S. for which I played and gave my right ankle, had one pair of black kangaroo leather high tops with a waffle sole. The leather was so soft and thin that I hardly knew I was wearing shoes. I would get them resoled every other year. That pair were my basketball officiating shoes until the start of the 1984-85 season. The leather was starting to stretch because it was so thin and the mileage was starting to shoe.

At the start of the 1984-85 season I managed to find two pair of all black leather Converse high tops basketball playing shoes and these two pair lasted through the 1994-95 season when I bought two pairs of the mid-highs that Converse started making. Once Converse stopped making them it has been a constant search for all leather black high top playing shoes. Currently, Mark, Jr., I have been wearing all leather black Nike high top playing shoes. We each own two pair and rotate them. We have had them for about 5 years now.

You can see a pattern. I am old school, and fortunately for me, Junior is also old school. We like the all leather look. Yes you have to keep them shined but they have a professional look that the mesh shoes do not have.

Right now, the base shoes that all of the show manufacturers are making are predominantly mesh, and they collect soil dust in them and they are a pain in the tuchus to clean. Fortunately, plate shoes are still all leather and yes they have to be shined but they have that professional look that we prefer.

MTD, Sr.
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Old Thu Dec 13, 2018, 07:30am
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High Tops ...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Freddy View Post
"I'm a Sole Man" -- Joliet Jake
You're one mean son of a gun. Don't tempt me. I'm trying to finish up the week on my best behavior.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. View Post
... black kangaroo leather high tops ... all leather black high top playing shoes ...
I remember a few kids on my high school track team wearing kangaroo skin track shoes, it was only the rich kids.

Black high tops? Bill Buckner wore black high tops playing first base for the Boston Red Sox in the 1986 World Series. How did that work out for him? I never want to hear the phrase "black high tops" ever again.
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“I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Matthew 25:36)

Last edited by BillyMac; Thu Dec 13, 2018 at 12:50pm.
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Old Thu Dec 13, 2018, 08:49am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BillyMac View Post
You're one mean son of a gun. Don't tempt me. I'm trying to finish up the week on my best behavior.



I remember a few kids on my high school track team wearing kangaroo skin track shoes, it was only the rich kids.

High tops? Bill Buckner wore black high tops playing first base for the Boston Red Sox in the 1986 World Series. How did that work out for him? I never want to hear the phrase "black high tops" ever again.


Boston Red Sox! Sorry, but Junior and I have never heard of them, LOL! We are loyal fans of the Cleveland Indians and the world famous Toledo Mud Hens!

MTD, Sr.
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Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.
Trumbull Co. (Warren, Ohio) Bkb. Off. Assn.
Wood Co. (Bowling Green, Ohio) Bkb. Off. Assn.
Ohio Assn. of Basketball Officials
International Assn. of Approved Bkb. Officials
Ohio High School Athletic Association
Toledo, Ohio
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Old Thu Dec 13, 2018, 04:38pm
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I just got Brooks running shoe. Its light flat breathes and supports my ankle. Get out there try stuff and do what you need to make you comfortable.
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