Umpire Tips Archives

It's no big secret that appearance is significant to an umpire, and shining your shoes is no exception. No matter what level of the game you will be umpiring, your shoes are a big part of looking good. To clean and polish your umpire shoes: Start by removing any loose dirt and debris with a soft-bristled brush. Use a damp cloth and mild soap to wipe down the shoes gently. Allow them to air dry completely. Once dry, apply a small amount of shoe polish or cream to a soft cloth and rub it onto the shoes in circular motions. Buff the shoes with a clean, dry cloth to remove excess polish. Store your shoes in a cool, dry place to prevent them from getting damaged or discolored over time. How Often Do I Need To Clean My Shoes? The short answer is after every game. The more often you clean your shoes, the easier it is to keep them looking good. It's one of the first things people notice when you walk on the field. Dirty shoes give the sign of laziness and a not caring attitude. Keeping your shoes clean is easy and takes only a few minutes each time if you keep up with it. I want my shoes to look good when I arrive at my next assignment, so it's one less thing I have to worry about when I arrive at the game site, so I clean my shoes after every game, whether it be base or plate. What Works For Me. Usually, immediately after the game, during my post-game meeting with my partner, I will take a stiff bristle brush and remove all the dirt from my shoes. I like to do this at the game site because I am outside, and the dirt and mud stay out where it belongs, so I don't make a mess inside the house when I get home. I will then give them a quick wipe-off with a towel to remove the dust before I put them back into my shoe bag. The Cleaning Process. This is where the magic happens. I take my shoes to the sink, and the first thing I always do is to tuck my shoelaces inside my shoes. It helps keep my laces dry and out of the way. I don't want wet laces when I tie them up for the next game. Next, I'll take a soft bristle brush and scrub the entire shoe under running water. Include the bottoms since I want my shoes as clean as possible when finished. Scrubbing and elbow grease is the only way to clean your shoes. With regular dishwashing detergent, scrub and get all the dirt off. I replaced the regular dish soap with Dawn Powerwash. This is my new goto product. It works great. My shoes have a white logo on the sides, so I use an old toothbrush to scrub around the logo. You need to work in those cracks and crevices to get it nice and clean. After I clean my shoes, I wipe them down with a towel, leave them to sit out for a while, and make sure they are completely dry before polishing. Give your shoes the shine they deserve. Before applying polish to your shoes, I always double-check to ensure my freshly cleaned shoes are completely dry. Now this is where the payoff for that hard work of cleaning and scrubbing shows. You might ask, why don't I polish over the dirt on my shoe? After all, it will still shine. I've seen guys do this over the years. It just wears out their shoes and makes them look very unprofessional. Umpire shoes are expensive, and I like to keep mine around for several seasons. So, keeping them clean and caring for them is critical. I have used several "tricks" to get my shoes to shine over the years, but the Pedag cream works best for me. Pedag comes in two colors, clear and black. I use the black on my shoes. I dab it on the shoes and start painting it on. Note that a little goes a long way, so don't overdo it. Be careful, extremely careful. Take your time and paint around the white logo of your shoe if you have one. If you get any of the polish on the white logo, wipe it off immediately with a damp towel. Keep the area you painted to a minimum. Do not wipe it all over because that will make a bigger mess. Remember, use the cream sparingly. First, I polish the toe box and make it nice and shiny because that's what everyone will notice once you walk out on the field. I don't worry about the souls of the shoe because that's where you will be walking, and no one will see that. When you are finished polishing, make sure to let your shoes dry. They will stay wet for a while. I like to have my shoes sit out overnight so they can dry. Leaving my shoes sit out overnight guarantees they are dry, and no polish will get on anything. Before I store my shoes in my gear bag, I wipe them down with a dry microfiber cloth. I always store my shoes in a shoe bag to keep them separate from all my other gear. Game Prep My shoes look great when I get dressed for my next game. Sometimes, I will touch them up with a Shoe Sponge. This touch-up gives them a nice, fresh shine. There are many ways to clean your shoes, but after several hundred hours of scrubbing and cleaning my shoes, this is the process I use to ensure my shoes look great each game. Remember, appearance is essential. Take this small step to Take Your Game To The Next Level. There are several ways and several cleaning products out there. Regardless of what product you use, remember that once you have cleaned off the dirt and dust, it's time to give your shoes the shine they deserve. PRO TIP I like to keep extra towels, a water-filled spray bottle, and some shoe polish in my bag. If my partner didn't have the time or forgot to clean his shoes, I would have the basic supplies to help them out. It won't be perfect, but I want to ensure we look our best.