From what I understand, Oklahoma head office has stated they approve white on the shoes like NFL officials wear (i.e. black with white stripes) if the local association approves of it and if the entire crew wears it. Used to be that we could wear all black only.

I like the idea, tho the white could be a pain to keep that way.

Any thoughts?

White seems like a pain to keep white, all black is easy lol. ;)

White on shoes.
 

I use New Balance because I like the wider sizes they offer. (My feet are wide from going bare-foot as a young lad growing up in Hawaii).

New Balance has those white N's on each side. I clean my shoes with the "Shoe Magic" brand cleaner that Honig's used to sell, and then apply the black polish on the black areas only.

My question is this: if you want to cover the white area of your shoes, what is the best way to do this?

I'd love to get those New Balance shoes too (I wear the 4E running shoes all the time). The only reason I haven't bought a pair is because of that big white N and trying to get rid of it or cover it up.

I bought the reeboks which had a white "Reebok" on the side and a logo thing on the back. I covered mine using a permenant marker, then I went over it with shoe polish. No one would ever know that it wasn't black to begin with, even at close inspection.

my trusty old
Spot-Bilts had some white on the
tops of the tongues and on the back
of the shoe-- a little black dye did the
trick !!
I think all black is best.

Take them to a shoe repair shop and have them apply black dye to the white areas. The white then becomes permanently black.

Or you can go to the store and buy Black shoe dye.

Or you can go over the white area with a <i>Sharpie</i> (Fine point or wider) indelible marking pen and then black shoe polish.

Remember, the key to the Oklahoma statement isthat it includes:<b>...<u>only if the entire crew wears them...</b></u> This policy clearly eliminates <b>the lone ranger</b> yet allows crews to dress alike, I can live with that.
That being said, what they do in Oklahoma is jussss fiiiine! However, my new spotbilt shoes are all black as I used a <i>Sharpie</i> and black shoe polish as described above to remove all white areas.

I work the sideline crew (sticks) at the pro games in my city (Canada) and my shoes are not the same brand as the league sponsor so I have to cover up the logos on my shoes for all games. I found that the easiest way to cover up the white is with black spray paint that gets re-applied throughout the year...the sharpie thing didn't work at all.

Course, the league could just GIVE me a pair of branded shoes, but I'm not holding my breath....

If the white logo is sewn on to the shoe then you maybe able to remove the stitching and remove the logo without it being noticible. If it is embossed then a Sharpie or dye may work but sometimes it won't stick very well. It also doesn't need to look perfect from 1 foot away because the closest anybody who cares will look at your shoes is about 4 or 5 feet.

I just used black craft paint from Walmart and then polish over that. Lasted for a long, long time.

Am I the only one that thinks a little white is no big deal?

Of course I have bigger problems with my crew than a little white on the shoes :)

My crew for next year will all be wearing the new Reeboks with the white on the side. It is a comfortable shoe and we all plan on matching.

I have no problem with a little white on the shoe if the crew matches. There is another crew in the chapter that wears the Adidas with the white stripes.

That is something that doesn'T get any comments here in Germany, at least not in my area.
We don't have set crews, and are always mixed and matched. Uniforms have to be the same (R decides long sleaves or short), but as long as we all have 'mostly' black shoes, and keep them clean, there is no (or has been until now) no discussion about shoes.

James

You guys doing the sharpie/paint deal remind me of back in the days of the Southwest Conference (NCAA -- Texas schools and Arkansas), Converse supplied the basketball officials' shoes, as they did with several other small college Texas leagues. Nobody seemed to like the Converse, though. The logo was like the old NBA officials wore before they went all black with the white chevron and stars. Because of the contract with the league, and free shoes to just about anyone that even thought of working a league game (I got two pairs in successive years), the SWC made everyone wear them.

So, a few guys took their shoes (mostly Avia 800s) to shoemakers and had them sew white leather converse logos into the shoes. One guy took a pair of 20-25 year old Riddell ripple soled shoes and did the same thing.

I think FB and BB shoes should be all black. Why should we have a logo on them? It cheapens the professional look. And, there is a lack of consistency among officials. Keep it neat and professional looking. No need for the cheap look.

You mean like all the guys in the NFL?

AMEN.. I use the Reeboks myself as I prefer the brankd over Nike or any other one. I think the white on them looks good.

I went with a pair of Reebok cleats last season because I wanted more traction. The shoes worked great for me and yes they do have a small "Reebok" logo on the sides (kind of a cross between silver and white in color), and the word "Reebok" on the back. I think the logo on the sides looks fine, but I'm going to use one or more of the methods suggested earlier to "black out" the "Reebok" word on the back.

BTW: I use a "Leather Lube" product on them that removes dirt and grime, helps keep the uppers in shape, and gives the shoes an overall nice shiny look.

Best Way to Hide the White
 

I tried many things over the years and finally found THE BEST solution - Rustoleum. Use the paint on, not the spray on. Paint the white parts, but make sure it dries real well, about a day. Then polish the entire shoe, including the parts you covered with Rustoleum. One hint, try to be neat about it. If you cover too much of the black part of the shoe with Rustoleum, it tends to take on a bright finish that is not obvious until your shoes get dirty or wet. I suppose you could paint the whole shoe, but I've never had the guts to try that.

I think the white on the shoe looks 'cheap' and unprofessional for an official. By definition, a "uniform" means ONE look for the entire crew. Does allowing white mean we can have 5 different logos on the shoes now? At least with all black, the shoes look alike.

Never tried to look like the NFL. Never want to compare HS FB and what we do to a league where winning is all that matters and drugs and egos are rampant. I don't need to sport a logo on my shoes in order to look good in the eyes of a sponsor.

Being professional does not require you to make a living at what you do.

Rich-
When you get your invite from the NFL, they will provide you with the shoes you will be required to wear.
However, until that day arrives, <b><u>all black shoes ARE the proper attire!</u>
Exception:</b> <i>Your entire crew purchases the exact same shoe!</i>