What Are Turf Shoes In Baseball

Turf shoes in baseball are designed for artificial turf fields, offering players optimal traction and comfort without the deep cleats needed for natural grass. Understand their unique construction and when they’re the right choice for your game.

What are turf shoes for baseball?

Some athletes may be used to the traditional dirt and grass baseball field. However, another playing surface is part of the game. 

Artificial turf fields have become abundant across the game of baseball. These fields definitely have some differences from your traditional baseball field. The fields are much slicker on turf, which means the ball will be moving a lot faster on the ground. A player will also slide a much greater distance on turf. 

With the playing surface being so different, cleats had to be designed to fit this kind of field. Turf shoes are now available to be worn on turf fields. These shoes do not have any metal spikes on the bottom of them, so they won’t damage the turf. 

They also have an increased amount of traction and grip so that the slippery playing surface won’t affect you. The bottoms are flat and have special protrusions to grip the turf. 

You might also notice that these cleats feel much more lightweight. A slick playing surface requires even more force for any quick movements. You need to have extra grip as well as a lightweight shoe to perform on a turf field. 

A turf playing surface will affect both infielders and outfielders the most. These players are required to constantly have quick bursts of movement. With that being said, any slipping or loss of grip could be the difference between a hit and an out. 

Benefits of turf shoes for baseball

Turf shoes have many benefits you’ll want to take advantage of. As mentioned earlier, artificial turf is a slick surface much different from a grass field. Turf shoes will provide the proper traction and stability to perform on this playing surface. 

A slick playing surface can also lead to injuries. By wearing turf shoes, you will greatly reduce your risk of injury when playing. Turf shoes are specifically designed for these fields and will give you a strong feeling of grip and flexibility. 

Turf shoes are also extremely lightweight in comparison to metal cleats. To have better traction, the shoes needed to be made light and flexible. You’ll barely notice you’re even wearing them. 

Another good thing about these shoes is that they rarely get dirty. There is no dirt on a turf field, so the dirt stains will no longer happen. 

The only thing you will need to worry about is the typical wear and tear on a cleat. This is normal for all cleats and occurs with repeated and long-term usage. Turf cleats will face minimal wear and tear since the playing surface is much different. You can expect a new pair of turf shoes to last you for at least a few seasons.

Choosing the right turf shoes for baseball

Before purchasing a pair of turf shoes, you’ll want to confirm a few things. What playing surface will you be playing on? If your answer is a dirt field, you don’t need turf shoes. If your answer is a turf field, then it’s time for you to grab a pair of turf shoes. You can follow the same guidelines you would follow with any other shoe. 

Try on a couple of different brands and styles to have a full list of choices. You might notice that one brand fits you better than the other. You might fall in love with one style as soon as you put it on. When you try on a pair, stand up and walk around in them. Do you feel comfortable in them? If you feel comfortable, that’s a huge plus. 

Once you find a shoe you like, you can do some research on that specific style. Google and other sites will have many different reviews that will give you multiple angles on the shoe. You will likely see many things you would have never known. It is important to hear reviews on the shoes before buying them. It is impossible to know how a cleat feels until you play with them on. 

A couple of other things to keep in mind include the position you are playing as well as your age. An infielder or outfielder will want to prioritize lightweight shoes. It won’t be easy to move around with heavy shoes on a turf surface. If you are a pitcher or catcher, you might not worry about having heavier, thicker shoes. 

Conclusion

Turf shoes were designed to prevent injuries for baseball players. When playing on a turf surface, you will notice how slick it is and how fast the ball moves on it. Everything is quicker on a turf field than on a dirt field. That said, you will need specially designed shoes to play on a turf field. 

Turf shoes are available in many different brands and styles to accompany you. These shoes have flat bottoms that are designed to grip the slick surface. There are no spikes or metal on the bottom of these cleats. 

Many benefits come from wearing turf shoes. It is imperative to know that turf shoes are much cheaper and last a much longer time.