Baseball cleats are specially designed shoes to be worn while playing baseball. Baseball shoes or cleats are made with special spikes on the bottom to help with grip and traction. Baseball is played on a variety of surfaces and certain types of cleats work better on some surfaces. In addition, some leagues have rules that require the use of molded cleats for safety reasons.
Metal Cleats
Metal or steel cleats are worn at the higher levels of baseball, by high school, college and professional players. These shoes usually have six spikes, all of which are made of steel or metal. To avoid injury, younger players are typically not allowed to use metal cleats. According to Nova Scotia Girls Baseball, metal cleats allow for better stops, starts, turns and allow the best traction on grass fields and dirt surfaces. Metal cleats are sharper and better able to penetrate harder, natural fields. Metal cleats are usually lighter on the feet and more comfortable than molded cleats.
Molded Cleats
Molded or rubber cleats have spikes like metal cleats, but these spikes are made of rubber or a synthetic material. Molded cleats are usually worn by younger players because they lead to fewer injuries. The traction from molded cleats is not as good as from metal. Molded cleats work better on looser dirt, or other places where it's easier for the cleat to penetrate the field surface. Molded cleats are usually larger and heavier on the bottom than metal spikes.
Turf Cleats
Turf spikes or turf shoes are specially designed to be worn on artificial turf surfaces. Using regular cleats on artificial turf can actually make players slip, because the cleats do not have anything to grip or grab onto. Turf shoes are made with dozens of raised rubber mini-spikes on the bottom for grip. These spikes are much smaller than metal or molded spikes and are designed like cross-training shoes so that they provide traction on turf and other hard surfaces. Turf shoes are usually light like regular shoes. They don't provide much traction on dirt or grass surfaces.
Shoe Height Options
Baseball cleats of all types come in different height options including low-top, mid-cut and high-top shoes. According to Dr. Keith Rebar of the Foot & Ankle Institute, ankle support is increased with mid-cut and high-top shoes. The added stability for mids and high-tops is true regardless of the cleat type, but the increased stability is achieved by adding material that also adds weight. Therefore, low-top cleats of all types are much lighter and more flexible than mid- and high-top options.
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