3N2 Reaction Pro Patent Leather Low Umpire Plate Shoes

Great umpire plate shoes.

The shoe size is 1/2 too small. Wear a 9, buy a 9.5. The shoe is also narrow. I have average foot but deemed that being uncomfortable just wearing around the house for 15 minutes vs 2 hours behind a hot plate was not worth the investment. Returned. Hated to do it because it looks really good but didn't work for me.

I appreciate the lightweight style and I love the traction and look of the shoe. I am able to get out from behind the plate with cat like reflexes. I have not had any instances were I was hit and the shoe did not absorb the blow. I believe they are more than adequate for most levels of baseball and I find myself wearing them more than any other shoe I have. I guess time will tell how durable and truly protective they are. Up to now I feel they were a great investment.

I feel these are comfortable and lightweight. I wore them everyday for about 15-16 days during a tournament in Florida. The advantages you gain can be offset by lack of protection at the upper levels. I enjoy the look of the shoe, and the bottom gives great traction. However, I was hit in the upper toe, instep, and lower ankle. The upper toe shot should have been protected by the thermo-molded toe, but it split my toenail. The instep shot left a tiny bruise, because it hit in a bald spot where the toe plate and carbon fiber plate did not cover. The lower ankle was tender for 2-3 days due to the low-cut shoe and Force3 shinguard not meeting. These were three specific shots, but I decided to relegate these shoes to High School ball or below. In summation, these are much more comfortable and lighter than the New Balance low-cut patent leather, but you do sacrifice a bit of safety.