OT: Your first pair of cleats

[zappaa]

Be them football or baseball.
I remember distinctly walking around my driveway and hearing that unmistakable sound.
What a moment for a little kid!

 

[rubaseball78]

Be them football or baseball.
I remember distinctly walking around my driveway and hearing that unmistakable sound.
What a moment for a little kid!

I don’t really remember my first pair of cleats. I do remember my first glove, Jerry Lynch model and my first bat, Yogi Berra model. The irony of having a Jerry Lynch globe was he was known for being a great pinch hitter.

 

[slyker]

Be them football or baseball.
I remember distinctly walking around my driveway and hearing that unmistakable sound.
What a moment for a little kid!

Dont remember the very first cleats but distinctly remember getting those spot-bilt football cleats at some time in the 70’s thinking I had hit the big time. They still weren’t enough to help me catch Butch Woolfolk! And the first pair of converse suede all-star b-ball sneakers. Those were the days

 

[ashokan]

I was thinking about these things the other day. In late August, the night becomes very noisy with crickets and other insects. July nights are quiet and full of lightening bugs. August nights are full of chirping. When I hear those chirps, I know football is at hand. The cleats I always recall because our HS teams had to walk down a long broken concrete path linking lockers and the field. We sounded like an army of tap dancers (metal tip cleats). The path was the same one the Jets used to walk down in their cleats (they practiced in my town and on my HS field). It was fun the first time I made the walk - like the Jets I remembered - with the click-clack walk down the path. This is the path:

 

[zappaa]

For me it was all about the sound, watching my brothers Montclair High football team walk from the field house to the field across the pavement.
The Mets player walking down the runway from the clubhouse to the dugout.

 

[hoquat63]

Don’t remember ever having cleats. Of course I never played anything higher than little league level and we all wore sneakers. (1950’s). Did have a Stan Musial globe and a Fred Hatfield bay - still have the bat.

 

[koleszar]

First pair were Mizuno's high tops because the summer before my first season of Pop Warner in the third grade I broke my ankle. My mom wanted me to have extra support on it. I was the only one to have them and felt like a dork thinking I'd be made fun of. Turned out to be a trend setter amongst the O and D lineman as everyone wanted a pair.

 

[zappaa]

This is ultimately a “get off my lawn” observation I guess.
I think about the shear joy and exhilaration
I felt when I got new books to start the school year, a new little league uniform, new glove, new football helmet, for my older brothers to include me in anything.
When I speak to kids today about the joy of little and simple things, there’s very little reaction .

 

[RUich]

My fondest memory of cleats was not my first pair, but in HS. I have wide feet and there was no decent pair available in the shoe bin. So my coach sends me to a shop in Newark that the school bought their stuff from.
The salesman tried a few different shoes on me but they were all too tight. Then he brings out this pair made with kangaroo leather that fit like the proverbial glove. Bingo!
I had no idea what they cost, but it turned out quite a bit. The HC said they blew the budget! Although the coach wore shoes smaller than mine, he said he was going to wear them after the season was over since I was a senior and leaving. They made me feel like I could run faster.
My first mit was a cheapy Andy Pafko model. I could never get a decent pocket formed. I have very fond memories of my first "real" Rawlings though.

 

[rufan3860]

Very funny to see this. I was walking my daughter to soccer practice in her cleats and got very nostalgic hearing them on the concrete. It made think of getting of getting my first uniform. In Little League we would get a T-shirt that we would have to wear with our own sweatpants. So when I was 10 we got a full uniform, stirrups and all. I think they were made from burlap and sandpaper, but I put it on anyway to go play stickball with the kids on my block. We'd play unsupervised until a mom would start yelling for their son to come home.

 

[zappaa]

My fondest memory of cleats was not my first pair, but in HS. I have wide feet and there was no decent pair available in the shoe bin. So my coach sends me to a shop in Newark that the school bought their stuff from.
The salesman tried a few different shoes on me but they were all too tight. Then he brings out this pair made with kangaroo leather that fit like the proverbial glove. Bingo!
I had no idea what they cost, but it turned out quite a bit. The HC said they blew the budget! Although the coach wore shoes smaller than mine, he said he was going to wear them after the season was over since I was a senior and leaving. They made me feel like I could run faster.
My first mit was a cheapy Andy Pafko model. I could never get a decent pocket formed. I have very fond memories of my first "real" Rawlings though.

“heart of the hide”

 

[alden1]

When I was 5 years old my Aunt bought me a Yankees uniform including shoes with rubber cleats. I remember wearing the uniform outside to play with my neighborhood friends and none of their mothers would let me in their houses with my cleats on.

 

[yesrutgers01]

My first pair of cleats were hand me downs from my older brother. First year pop warner and those things were 2 sizes too big and worn out pretty bad. The excitement from boiling my mouthpiece down a couple days earlier to putting on those cleats and being dropped off at my first practice where I thought I would f-ing throw up being so nervous. hahaha
Baseball- don't really remember first pair. Think I wore sneakers until babe ruth league.

Basketball- High Top Converse were the sneaker back then. Funny now when you think of how little ankle support they actually provided. But of couse, Dad being Dad...he hated name brands all his life, we had to go to Big Ben's Dept Store in Poughkeepsie and pick a couple of high tops out of the $2 bin. Didn't matter if they were your size or not and he preferred if they were always at least 2 sizes too big so we wouldnt have to do it again next year.

 

[Good-Knight]

I sold 20 Little League decals to small businesses downtown (try doing that today) to win my first pair of cleats. Got them a size too big so I could wear them over two seasons of baseball and football.

 

[RU85inFla]

I had the late ‘70’s version of these. They were cool.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

Be them football or baseball.
I remember distinctly walking around my driveway and hearing that unmistakable sound.
What a moment for a little kid!

Spotbuilt... thanks for the memory.. when you mention the sound it came back solid. I hated wearing cleats on frozen ground. I could feel the added weight focused on each spike on the bottom of my feet. But loved the sound of a bunch us moving from the lockerrooms to the practice field.

If I am any judge of what it felt like this time of year after my playing days were over... so many players are jonesing now for football.. 2020 sucks.

Something like this..

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

But of couse, Dad being Dad...he hated name brands all his life, we had to go to Big Ben's Dept Store in Poughkeepsie and pick a couple of high tops out of the $2 bin. Didn't matter if they were your size or not and he preferred if they were always at least 2 sizes too big so we wouldnt have to do it again next year.

We used to buy canvas sneakers at Grant's Dept Store.. not pay the Converse brand tax. Because we were on the poor side rather than because we were on the cheap side. Every dollar matttered. I still remember when picking sides for bball in gym class some kid calling out that he wanted the kid in the "red Cons" when he wanted me.. in my red Grants canvas low-tops. I felt thrilled. (converse probably made them.. I think the soles were the same)

 

[zappaa]

Low top Cons were $7.95, the high tops jumped all the way to $9.95...you could by them in colors other than white or black around 1972.
Then Adidas became popular, I remember getting my first pair...they were the green striped “Italia”

 

[Phi_1055]

“Joe Namath” white with green stripes, rubber football cleats. No metal cleats were allowed in youth sports in my town.

 

[greenknight]

Dont remember the very first cleats but distinctly remember getting those spot-bilt football cleats at some time in the 70’s thinking I had hit the big time. They still weren’t enough to help me catch Butch Woolfolk! And the first pair of converse suede all-star b-ball sneakers. Those were the days

100% spotbilt with the fold over flap. No self owned bat other than wood bat ,you had to use the little league bats so there was no purpose of buying bat. I did bring a wooden Mickey Mantle bat. Only brought that to games to put the glove on and sling over back

 

[greenknight]

We used to buy canvas sneakers at Grant's Dept Store.. not pay the Converse brand tax. Because we were on the poor side rather than because we were on the cheap side. Every dollar matttered. I still remember when picking sides for bball in gym class some kid calling out that he wanted the kid in the "red Cons" when he wanted me.. in my red Grants canvas low-tops. I felt thrilled.

Had a Grant"s in Roselle

 

[greenknight]

My 1st metal spike's in high school remembered being really excited to get them...was playing big boy ball now. Couldn't tell you how many times I tripped and stumbled my first month or 2 trying to get used to cleats in ground. Think they were banned my senior year

 

[slyker]

100% spotbilt with the fold over flap. No self owned bat other than wood bat you had to use the little league bats so there was no purpose of buying bat. I did bring a wooden Mickey Mantle bat. Only brought that to games to put the glove on and sling over back

Forgot about the fold over tongue flap on the spot bilts !! I also remember for football we had the interchangeable individual plastic cleats that screwed into the bottom of the shoes. Cant recall if that was the spot-bilts or another type. We had the longer cleats installed for the muddier / sloppier days. I remember our equipment guy kept a tight control and inventory of those longer cleats....as well as the special tool to remove the old ones and tighten the replacements. Remembering it being a big production when we flipped them over.

 

[greenknight]

I had the late ‘70’s version of these. They were cool.

This was my 1st HS pair mine were white

 

[greenknight]

Now I have to go to my favorite purchase of all time. My Wilson A2000 glove my sophomore year. I've sewed it together a number of times and relaced the fingers I think 3 times but I still have today and still use 38 yrs later. Everyone came to ne to lace their gloves i was good at it...though jabbed to tool into my hand about 500 times
It hurt but loved lacing the gloves

 

[Beancounter88]

Don’t remember 1st pair of baseball cleats, but I do remember buying my daughter her last pair of $200+ cleats last year! I should have just rolled over my 401k to Kicks N Sticks!

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

On bats I remember a big Willie McCovey bat.. a Roberto Clemente Louisville slugger and an Adirondack brand bad with some fancy grip. I do remember bats were relatively cheap back then compared to now.

On low-top vs high-top cons.. my middle school went through a rash of people giving each other "flat tires" by stepping your toe on the heel of the guy in front of you his shoe would slip off.... until you hit a high-top guy and there was a chance he'd rip us high top off his sole in back. I did that once, but it was a revenge "flat" so I got away with it.. if my parents had to pay for those shoes... for my shenanigans.. well, I wouldn't want to be me,

 

[greenknight]

Low top Cons were $7.95, the high tops jumped all the way to $9.95...you could by them in colors other than white or black around 1972.
Then Adidas became popular, I remember getting my first pair...they were the green striped “Italia”

1st leather were the high top Con's with the star and Chevron. My sister was an Adidas per

 

[rudad02]

First pair of football cleats was in high school, high tops with big rounded metal cleats. Getting kicked with those bad boys was a real thrill.
First pair of spikes was probably at 13 when I first played organized baseball.

Like Zappa, I really liked the sound of cleats & spikes on concrete.

 

[greenknight]

Anybody else wear 2 pair of socks playing hoops? Like that was going to prevent sprains.

 

[srru86]

Spotbuilt...

My high school football team inventory had only one pair of size 13 Spotbilts. They went to an older kid that was a starter. I was a freshman scrub. So I got some molded plastic cleats like the soccer team wore. Ugh.
I begged my Dad and he sprung for my own pair. What a difference that made in a least feeling like I was part of the team.

 

[ru66]

BBB (build better boys) baseball league

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

Be them football or baseball.
I remember distinctly walking around my driveway and hearing that unmistakable sound.
What a moment for a little kid!

My first pair of football cleats were puma high tops. My dad was a huge joe namath fan and insisted on me wearing pumas haha

 

[zappaa]

My high school football team inventory had only one pair of size 13 Spotbilts. They went to an older kid that was a starter. I was a freshman scrub. So I got some molded plastic cleats like the soccer team wore. Ugh.
I begged my Dad and he sprung for my own pair. What a difference that made in a least feeling like I was part of the team.

Anyone who played hockey seriously back in the day knew Bauer Supremes and CCM Tacks were the skates to have.
Somehow my dad brought home a pair of Supremes from Canada after playing the Expos.
I needed 3 pair of Wigwam socks for those.

 

[yesrutgers01]

My first pair of football cleats were puma high tops. My dad was a huge joe namath fan and insisted on me wearing pumas haha

Not in regard to cleats but wow, when Puma first became popular. I was in 6th grade and the damn things were $20
I remember my 2 best friends and I shoved driveways all winter to buy two items. Pair of pumas (blue) and a velour shirt.

 

[ashokan]

Regarding high priced shoes from back in the day - today kids want Yeezy sneakers (Kanye and Adidas) and they run 3-5 hundred dollars.

Ray Rice just came around to speak to the local youth league (who are still going to play their games). He was pretty good. Rice told them that academics and sports went together like "peanut butter and jelly" and that kids had to do well in school and not give up. He promised the kids that anyone who got a B average report card would get a pair of Yeezys from him. Rice described (as a kid) having to use duct tape on his single pair of sneakers

Rice told the kids "I was a C student that got Bs because I had an A attitude"

At the end, Rice highlights teamwork, and sends a little kid long after telling kids if pass isn't caught the whole crew would have to do push-ups

Press "Play" To View

 

[Zimm80]

Wore out a few pairs of cleats in my days, the cleats we wore in HS football in the late 70,s and 1980 were removable. I’ll never forget the sound of 30 of us doing laps in practice full gear , sounded like a heard of buffalo going around the track. Also coming out of the locker room into a long hallway before the start of the game , hearing that sound of clicking gives me goosebumps, patting that team emblem before running out to the sound of the band playing oh baby where’s my helmet. Also the smell of an oiled glove with a ball in the pocket under my pillow , glory days my friends, it’s like it was yesterday.

 

[greenknight]

Not in regard to cleats but wow, when Puma first became popular. I was in 6th grade and the damn things were $20
I remember my 2 best friends and I shoved driveways all winter to buy two items. Pair of pumas (blue) and a velour shirt.

As fast as they came they went

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

Rice told the kids "I was a C student that got Bs because I had an A attitude"

Ray Rice was a winner.. and then Ray Lewis took him under his wing... I'm sure the real Ray Rice is back and has that "A attitude" again.

 

[greenknight]

Anyone who played hockey seriously back in the day knew Bauer Supremes and CCM Tacks were the skates to have.
Somehow my dad brought home a pair of Supremes from Canada after playing the Expos.
I needed 3 pair of Wigwam socks for those.

I dont remember whether they were Bauer or CCM's or Bauer as I had both but I had super tacks. Just remember them as being sweet