How To Break In Baseball Cleats

Breaking in baseball cleats is essential for comfort and performance on the diamond. Let’s lace up and explore the most effective ways to get your new cleats game-ready, ensuring you can round the bases with ease and speed.

Before breaking in cleats

Before you begin the break-in process for your cleats, you should ensure these are the right ones for you. Make sure they aren’t too tight or too big. Assure yourself that you feel comfortable and lightweight in them. Once you begin the break-in process, you will no longer be able to return the cleats. 

If you have metal cleats, it can be a little tricky to break in your cleats. This is because you can’t really wear them around the house due to the metal spikes. You can always put on the cleats and go relax on the couch. It will also help if you go outside and run a couple of laps around your house. 

When I used to play, we would break in our new cleats at practice. We would wear our new cleats the entire practice to break them in. Surprisingly enough, breaking them in would only take one or two full practices. The process is relatively quick as long as you run and walk in them. 

The critical part is having the cleats on your feet as much as possible. The cleat will be able to adjust to your specific foot size and shape. You will feel much better at the end of the process.

Steps for breaking in baseball cleats

When breaking in baseball cleats, there are a couple of ways you can go about it. One thing you want to focus on is the amount of time you are wearing the cleats. Spending more time in them will only lead to a quicker break-in. 

When you have free time at home, put on your new cleats and just have them on. As long as you have them on, the cleat will begin adjusting to your foot. You can also go outside with your cleats to start moving around in them. Try some light jogs or even some sprints if you feel comfortable doing so. 

You can also try doing some baseball activities in your cleats, such as hitting, throwing, and catching. This will help you get used to baseball-like movements in your new cleats. 

It is important to gradually increase the intensity and duration. You don’t want to jump into a game with brand-new cleats immediately. First, you can start walking around in them outside your house. Those walks can eventually turn into runs. After being comfortable moving around in them, you can start integrating baseball-like activities. 

After going through all of these, you can try them out in practice. This process isn’t necessarily a quick one, as it should take up to a couple of weeks to fully break in your baseball cleats. You don’t want to rush this process to ensure the quality and durability of your new cleats.

Tips for breaking in baseball cleats

Baseball cleats can be pretty tough to break in. You can help speed up the process by including a few things in your everyday routine. 

Before putting on your new cleats, use your hands to carefully stretch out the shoe. You might notice the top of the shoe fits pretty tight. To fix this, use your hands to stretch out the tongue and surrounding laces. 

Many sporting goods stores sell leather conditioners. While it is primarily used for gloves, it can be used on any kind of leather. If your cleats are mostly leather, this could be great for you! Use the conditioner to lightly apply to your cleats. Use a towel or brush to apply the solution. The leather conditioner will soften up the leather, which will speed up the break-in process. 

This conditioner also increases the durability of your cleats. If your cleats fit a little loose, try wearing an extra pair of socks in them. You might find that this is exactly what you need. An extra pair of socks can provide the perfect amount of cushioning while also helping your foot fit correctly in the cleat. 

We all can get a little eager to get going quickly in baseball. However, it is important to take your time breaking in your cleats. You risk injury to yourself or the cleats by jumping straight into the action. Use some of the steps listed in this guide to gradually break in your baseball cleats.

Conclusion

It can be easy to rush into things when you buy a new pair of baseball cleats. I am sure you want to wear them in your next game to show them off. However, that’s not the right way to do it. 

Baseball cleats are like anything else in baseball in the sense that they have to be broken in. They are a little bit easier to break in than an actual glove. But you must follow a few steps to get them broken in properly. By doing things such as wearing them often and running in them, you can break in your cleats, so they fit you perfectly! 

When you break in baseball cleats, you are helping them soften up while also adjusting them to your foot shape. After wearing them multiple times, you will most surely feel a difference.