In the era of “Make Baseball Fun Again,” self-expression is all the rage in MLB. And since most of a baseball player’s attire is regimented (there’s only so much you can do with your pant length), many Major Leaguers are looking to stand out with their cleats.
A fascinating feature from The New York Times published Saturday explores the world of cleat customization. Apparently there are businesses out there devoted to either turning sneakers into cleats or painting over regular cleats with cool designs. Players who have spiced up their cleat game, according to The Times, include Bryce Harper, Adam Jones, Manny Machado, Nelson Cruz, Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis, Javy Baez, Josh Donaldson, Russell Martin, Kike Hernandez, Yasmani Grandal, Shin-Soo Choo, Matt Duffy and Ryan Buchter.
Baez is perhaps leading the charge, with what teammate Albert Almora Jr. called, “The best shoe game on the team, maybe in the entire league.” The Cubs’ breakout second baseman has a number of sneaker-turned cleats, including some KD Treys and some Air Jordan 1s that got sneakerheads excited earlier this month.
The only thing nicer than Javy Baez's homer was his Air Jordan 1 cleats (via @nicekicks) pic.twitter.com/oGGV1AcBeM
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) October 8, 2016
Wearing custom Jordan 1 cleats? IN CHICAGO???? That's swagger, and that's why Javy Baez hit the home run. pic.twitter.com/lWlJqqfg7O
— Tepid Participation (@TepidP) October 8, 2016
But while most shoe companies seem content with the flashy footwear as long as their logos remain visible, Nike is giving Baez some trouble. Via The Times:
However, Baez has encountered turbulence from Nike, which he has a shoe deal with. Baez said Nike contacted his agent to express its displeasure that Baez was wearing adapted cleats, not the ones issued by the company, even though, as Baez noted, the adapted ones are made from Nike sneakers.
Baez’s agent, Nick Chanock, declined to comment.
Nike, when contacted, issued a statement that said that it works “closely with our athletes to create product that fits their specific needs from an innovation, performance and inspiration standpoint.” It continued, “We encourage our athletes not to alter or modify our footwear as it could compromise the performance of the product on the field.”
So, for now, at least, Baez is putting his adapted cleats aside, although he called them “something I love.”
For a company that brands itself as being the epitome of cool, Nike is taking an awfully uncool stand here. Shouldn’t they enjoy the attention Baez is bringing them? Shouldn’t they love have everyone talking about how dope Baez’s Nike cleats look?
Come on Nike, help make baseball fun again.
