Playing baseball on artificial turf can be like a slip and slide if you do not have the proper shoes. Regular baseball shoes have spikes made of metal or molded plastic, which are both designed to grip the grass and dirt surfaces of baseball fields. However those shoes can be slippery on a turf surface, hence the need for a special turf shoe.
Turf Fields
The types of turf fields differ, but the most common and newest forms are field turfs designed to mimic grass fields. On those field fields, some players choose to wear turf shoes while others will wear their regular spikes. Long spikes can be slippery on turf and usually can only be worn on newer field turf that is in excellent shape. On any older turf fields, turf shoes are the best option for traction and stability for a player. Turf shoes come with tiny ridges for grip on the bottom and allow better traction for starting, stopping and planting on turf.
Batting Practice
Most baseball batting cages have concrete bottoms with turf over the top of the concrete surface. Players need turf shoes to hit on this surface because they would slide around and have no traction in cleats. In addition, when teams take live batting practice on the field, most stadiums place turf overlays over the batter's boxes to prevent them from being dug out or damaged before the game. These overlays are turf strips and players need turf shoes to plant and swing on them.
Training
When players train for baseball they do a lot of running, especially if they are pitchers. Running on surfaces other than grass and dirt will damage spikes so turf shoes are often the shoe of choice for running on concrete or asphalt. In addition, turf shoes are lighter so players like to train, lift weights, stretch and warm up in lighter, more comfortable shoes that are easier on their feet. Many times pitchers who are not pitching wear turf shoes in the dugout instead of their spikes if they do not expect to play.
Coaching
Very few baseball coaches wear metal or molded cleats during the game. For comfort, price and style, turf shoes are usually the coaching shoe of choice. Coaches really have no need for spikes as they can do any drills or practices just fine with the traction from a turf shoe. Coaches do not have to worry about damaging spikes while walking in the concrete dugout and they do not have to worry about changing shoes after the game since turf shoes fit the bill for all coaching activities.
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