Baseball shoes are different from other footwear. Shoes created specifically for baseball players are designed to deliver the most comfort while offering a good grip to allow for better traction when running, fielding, throwing and batting. Baseball shoes have evolved greatly since the game was first played in the 1800s.
First Baseball Shoes
When baseball was invented in the mid-1800s, baseball shoes resembled other athletic shoes. Athletic shoes at the time were high tops made from canvas. In the 1870s, shoemakers began using leather for athletic shoes to increase durability, because canvas wore out quickly. From the 1880s well into the 20th century, the National Baseball Hall of Fame reports, leather made from kangaroo hide was a popular material used in making baseball shoes. Very early baseball shoes did not have any cleats or spikes on the bottom.
Cleats
Players began putting metal spikes on the bottoms of their baseball shoes in the 1870s. The first metal spikes were similar to those found on golf shoes. In the 1880s, players began placing steel plates that were covered in spikes on the toe and heel of their baseball shoes. These plates resembled modern-day cleats and were cheaper and easier to use than individual metal spikes. In 1976, metal spikes of the kind found on track and golf shoes were banned from professional baseball.
Turf
Artificial turf was invented in the 1960s and soon began to show up on numerous baseball fields. Players stopped wearing metal cleats on artificial turf fields to avoid damaging the turf. Some players filed down their metal cleats, while other switched to flat-bottomed shoes. In the 1970s, shoemakers designed baseball shoes made just for playing on artificial turf fields. These turf shoes had small rubber bumps on the bottom to provide traction without causing damage. In the 1980s, shoe manufacturers introduced plastic cleats.
Modern Shoes
As of 2011, baseball shoes come in many varieties. You can buy baseball shoes made with rubber or metal cleats, depending on what your league allows. You can find shoes that have interchangeable metal and rubber cleats, which enables you to adapt your shoes easily if you play on a variety of different surfaces. Many athletic shoe companies make turf shoes that are designed especially for playing baseball on artificial turf.
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