Baseball is America's pastime, and baseball cleats have a rich history dating to the origins of the game. Baseball cleats provide added traction on both the dirt surface of the base paths and warning track, as well as the grass infield and outfield. Cleats have evolved from some remedial models in the 1800s to very advanced modern baseball spikes.
Orgins
Cleats can be traced to the origins of baseball in the 1840s. The first cleats were invented by a ballplayer named Paul Butler, who strapped spikes to soft leather shoes in an attempt to gain an advantage over his opponents. This led to other teams replicating his design, and cleats were soon a staple among all major league teams. This practice lasted, as players reported added traction on the base paths and while fielding balls on the playing surfaces.
Progress
The first baseball shoes were soft leather athletic models. Butler took spikes and attached one to the front and one to the back of the sole. This gave players an added advantage as they dug into the batter's box and on the pitcher's mound. Spike technology then advanced to players having metal smiths form a triangle of three spikes that they would attach at various points on the sole of the shoe. These provided added stability and support for the entire foot.
Movement to Rubber
It wasn't until the mid-1940s, according to Major League Baseball, that spikes were developed in a rubber version for youth leaguers and college players. This was meant as a safer alternative to the metal spikes worn by professional players. Sliding foot-first into the bases is a dangerous activity, and equipment manufacturers sought to protect professional players. Still, most pro ball players continued to prefer the metal version and did not wear rubber-soled, rubber-spiked baseball shoes.
Cleats Today
Baseball cleats have been adapted to a variety of playing surfaces facing professional players. In the major leagues, players face long grass fields, short grass fields, artificial turf fields and the newest A1 Field Turf surfaces. There are different types of cleats for each surface. It is not uncommon for professional equipment managers to change players' cleats daily, or for players to be issued different pairs of shoes. Typically, modern cleats are longer for longer grasses and shortest for artificial surfaces.
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