When you get a new pair of baseball cleats the first thing you will want to do is break them in. Never play a game without breaking the cleats in first. If you do you will experience quite a bit of pain. When you break a baseball shoe in you are ensuring it will fit you the right way. Most people will associate new with being better. And while there is nothing wrong with buying something new, in the baseball world new usually means tight and uncomfortable.
If you wear new cleats during a tryout or during a game, you are doing yourself a big disadvantage. When the cleats don’t fit right it will be very hard for you to put your best game forward. That is why it is vital you break your cleats in before you do any in game activities.
To break in your baseball cleats you will need three things. 2 pairs of socks, some leather protector and a newspaper. Before putting on your cleats for the first time put on an extra pair of socks. Not only will this provide you with a little extra cushion, it will also stretch the leather.
Now take your new cleats and firmly bend the bottoms down. You are trying to flex the shoe just a little bit. Once you have done that you will take the leather protector and apply a coat to the shoes. Read the directions and apply the amount that is stated on the can. After you have applied the leather protector you can put the cleats on. Once you have the shoes on go soak your feet, with cleats on, in warm water.
By soaking your feet in warm water you will speed up the break in process. After a few minutes, step out of the warm water and take off the baseball cleats. Put them in a nice area where they can dry naturally. Do not apply any heat to speed up the drying process. Sit them out on the porch or in the garage and let them dry on their own. While the shoes are drying stuff them with newspaper.
This will help them keep their shape while they dry. Now you are ready to try to shoes out during practice. During practice you want to run hard and flex your foot to get the shoe into game shape. The idea is to get the shoe to move naturally in certain situations. When the shoe moves naturally it will be more comfortable to wear. Move the ridged materials as much as you can.
The more you move them the quicker they will conform to the way you need them to be. Once the cleats have been broken in you will be able to play a full game of baseball without any problems. Just remember to never go out on that field without first taking the time to break your new baseball cleats in. The result will be sore feet that can take a few days to heal.
A video for soccer cleats which can be applied to baseball as well:
