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When it comes to sports apparel and gear, you know just how pricey they all can be. However, if you take proper care of them, you’ll have them much longer, which means you’ll have to spend less money on this gear over time.
Doesn’t sound bad, right?
Unfortunately, that is far easier said than done. We toss our helmets or bats when we strike out, use our equipment in the blazing heat and the pouring rain, and simply overuse and abuse our gear until they wear out.
This certainly includes your outdoor gear for softball or baseball, but what about when you are training or even playing indoors? Your gear still requires proper care and maintenance to continue to serve you season after season– and that includes your turf shoes.
Regardless of if you have the highest quality options, like New Balance turf shoes, or other less popular and reliable brands, you need to take proper care of them, as they are more delicate than you might imagine.
What Are Turf Shoes?
Turf shoes are worn for baseball and softball but have a rubber tread or tread pattern on their soles instead of the spikes that cleats have. These treads feature rubber protrusions, which act as sole surface area extenders to increase your traction on turf.
These shoes provide ample grip and traction on normally relatively slippery turf to keep both you and the turf safe during play.
How to Properly Care for Your Turf Shoes
Before you head out (or go online to buy) turf shoes, you need to be aware of how to properly care and maintain them. Let’s take a look at the measures you’ll need to take with your new favorite indoor sports shoe!
Only Wear Them Indoors, Not Outdoors
One of the best ways of caring for your turf shoes to keep them working for you as long as possible is to wear them only in the proper settings. These shoes should only be worn indoors on artificial turf.
However, this point does come with a caveat. We recommend not wearing your turf shoes in any indoor setting, like a gymnasium. This is especially the case for those turf shoes that have small spikes (as many do) because these could limit your contact with the ground, leading to imbalance and increased instances of injury. On top of that, you could even damage the flooring.
But what about outdoors? Can you wear turf shoes outside? Well, no one is going to tell you what to do, but we highly recommend you don’t wear them outdoors.
If you do, you risk dulling the dread and even breaking off the delicate spikes. And, when that happens, you’ll simply ruin your shoes entirely! Just don’t do it– whether you are playing on grass and dirt or concrete!
Clean Off Turf Stains Right Away (Don’t Wait!)
Artificial turf can surprisingly lead to a good amount of stains! And that can be quite unbecoming. In order to avoid this and these stains potentially seeping into the leather (and staying forever), you should clean off your turf shoes after every game.
Lighter stains can simply be wiped away with a dry, clean cloth. For those darker and more stubborn stains, you’ll need to up your cleaning intensity.
You have two main options in terms of stain cleaning methods: liquid detergent and a damp rag or baking soda and water.
You can scrub your shoes’ exterior with a damp rag and liquid detergent (after removing the shoelaces) as many times as needed. You can also use a cleaning brush to assist you. Then, wipe excess water away and let them dry.
As for the baking soda method, mix ¼ cup of baking soda with 1 cup of warm water. Place this in a bucket and then soak your shoes in the mixture for 30 minutes, then brush the stains again. Rinse, wipe excess water as best you can, then let them dry and rub in some leather conditioner afterwards.
Clean Tread After Every Game
One of the unfortunately common issues that befall turf shoes is that their small spikes on their tread can break off. You can drastically reduce the chances of this happening by carefully cleaning the sole of your shoes after every game. Plus, by cleaning it so often, then you are providing yourself with unquestionable traction and less chances of slipping and/or causing injury.
Avoid Stepping on the Back of the Shoes to Take Them Off
Like any pair of shoes, it’s ill advised to step on the backs of the shoes when taking them off. This convenient behavior for you can lead to issues for your shoes. The back of the heel may separate from the upper, the lining may tear away, or the outsole may tear or separate. Simply untie the laces when taking them off!
Now that you know how to care for these shoes, be sure to browse all of our options, especially our New Balance turf shoes! All of our offerings are of the highest quality and are ready to serve you well on the turf! If you have any questions about our New Balance turf shoes or any of our other products, give us a call today at 888-540-BATS!
