The MU460 Umpire Plate Shoes came in today, two weeks earlier than we expected! That doesn't happen very often. I had a chance to put a pair on for the first time and walk around a bit.Someone said that working at Ump-Attire.com has got to be like Christmas every day. Well, not every day but today, yes, it felt somewhat like that.
Note to Peter Crawford (our New Balance rep): Thanks for playing Santa Claus.I took three pairs you would most be interested in and compared them on look and feel:
You'll see some side-by-side comparisons below on look, but I'll share my initial thoughts on feel and comfort.
FEEL/COMFORT
The older MU450s were always harder for my in-between D and EE foot to fit into. They were too tight for me at the instep so I would have needed not just to size up number-wise but in width.
So I was was very excited to feel that with the new MU460s, my foot just easily slid right into it like a Converse hi-top I used to wear in high school. There was no tightness. New Balance promised a larger toe box, and they certainly delivered as the fit is similar to the Reebok plate shoe's fit. We have always recommended that you size up a number or width with the MU450s but with my feet as an example, I don't see the need.
From a comfort perspective, the new MU460s felt most like a real shoe than anything else I've ever tried. They were certainly lighter, 10% than the MU450s.
"Softer" might also be an appropriate conservative explanation of how they felt compared to MU450s. Saying they felt like a pair of comfortable slippers would be overstating it, but I'd put the metaphor somewhere in the middle of those two extremes. It might not be too much of a stretch if you tried on a pair to say "you know, those are the most comfortable plate shoes I've ever tried".
To me the Reebok RPLOs are more comfortable than the older MU450s. Some will say the Reeboks still are the most comfortable to them than the new MU460s. I'll let you be the judge, but an obvious difference was that the New Balance felt, appropriately so, more "balanced". In other words, it didn't feel heavy anywhere on the shoe whereas the Reebok can best be described in my opinion as a little front heavy.
The official feature from New Balance regarding comfort is as follows:
ABZORB® - a blend of Dupont™ Engage® and Isoprene rubber - in heel and forefoot provides superior shock absorption and cushioning throughout the game.
As a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll refrain from typing that many and let you see the differences visually. (BTW - Please do not start calling in asking where you can get umpire pants made of blue jean material. They are not yet available.)
LOOK
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| The MU460s have 40% more coverage than the MU450s. You'll want to, of course, pull your pants over your tongue, but I wanted you to see the differences old and new there. |
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| The MU460s have a darker look with perhaps a little more shine than the RPLOs (flash went off so maybe less shine than appears) with a more seamless look with the toe and plate cap. With pants in proper position, those concerned with white on your shoes need not be as concerned as the white MLB logo will be covered. |
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| Side shot with RPLOs. Some have been concerned with the N placement in the back of the shoe. It's barely noticeable with pants on. Note: Always wear pants when umpiring. |
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| Small white logo on back of MU460s compared to style number and "New Balance" on MU450s |
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| MLB logo vs larger Reebok logo |
What did I miss? Give me your thoughts.
7 comments:
For one you left out price comparrison. I have the reeboks and they are "so far" The most comfortable plate shoe I've ever worn. I'll give the NB a shot but I'd have to see "at what cost" if it's similar i'll try them if not it's Reebok. Bruce Roderick SMBUA
Bruce, the New Balance MU460s are in the same price range as the Reebok shoes given their costs are about the same. That does mean because of the greater cost (to us) that they will also be priced higher that what you are used to seeing with New Balance plate shoes.
Thanks for your comments. Would love for you to give them a try and tell everyone what you think.
I do love my Reeboks. Once I found out that you can get rid of that strange looking "bulge" where the top plate connects in the front, near toe box, I loved them even more!
Just lace up the shoe like a normal shoe, without running the laces through the holes in the top plate. Then, after you've run the laces through the uppermost eyelets, run them through the holes in the plate last. When you pull the laces tight, the top plate will acually pull back and lay flat agaist the shoe. No more ugly bulge! This greatly improves the look of an already comfortable shoe.
I also wanted my "all black" Reebok shoe to really be "all black". Nail polish remover and a little elbow grease will effectively wipe out the big white "REEBOK" on the back of the shoe. If you go that route, flush the area well with water afterwards to remove any residual nail polish remover- if left behind it may damage the vinyl material of the shoe.
The white MLB logo on the front of the shoe is a little harder to get rid of, since its a plastic insert, not a screen-printed logo. I used black leather dye and it's now basically invisible.
I'd be interested in trying the New Balance shoe (I love their base shoes). But so far my Reeboks have held up so well after two seasons that I probably won't need to replace them for awhile.
Bret, thanks so much for your insights on the Reebok shoes. Glad you like those. Very interested in hearing more feedback once the new NB shoes are worn on-field. Keep sharing your insights anytime here or on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/umpattirecom).
Thanks for the side-by-side pics, that really helps. What about the attachment method / location of the top plate? It appears that the Reebok is a smaller attachment, so perhaps a point of failure? What is the attachment / location of the top plate on the MU460s?
The MU460's have double eyelets at the top of the plate for attachment. Basically run your laces through the eyelets and snug the fit. You can see them pretty clearly in the first picture Jim posted.
Now on the other hand, if you consider the top of the plate to be located at the toe of the shoe, there is a strip of heavy duty nylon that is very heavily stitched to the top of the shoe. This strip runs up the middle of the plate and reinforces the eyelets, at the "other top" for extra durability.
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