Turf shoes are essential equipment for softball players, especially for those playing on artificial turf field or hard surfaces. Softball is popular in the US for several reasons, including its accessibility, inclusivity, and the social aspects of the sport.
Softball is a relatively easy sport to learn and play, requiring minimal equipment and space compared to other sports. All you need is a ball, a bat, and a baseball field, making it accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. Softball welcomes participants of all skill levels, body types, and abilities.
There are various formats of the game, including slow-pitch and fast-pitch softball, allowing players to find a style that suits their preferences and abilities. Whether you’re playing in a serious league or just for fun, softball is a great way to get some exercise and hang out with your friends.
Softball shoes out on the diamond can vary greatly with turf fields. A lot of players use molded cleats (MCS), however, there are plenty of casual players who just use their running sneakers – from ON to Nike React. If you’re looking for the right footwear for softball, here are 8 of the best turf shoes for softball for the Spring/Summer season to help you make your final decision.
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Best Turf Shoes for Softball
Nike Air Zoom Diamond Elite Turf – $120
You can be game-ready with the Diamond Elites, or just wear them while spitting seeds and shooting the breeze with your teammates in the dugout. A Zoom Air unit gives you speed in warm-ups, while a forefoot strap helps keep you contained when shagging flies. And the traction pattern works on all pregame surfaces, helping you work on your takeoff from 1st to 2nd or lay out for line-drives in the outfield.
A forefoot Zoom Air unit offers velocity to your step for peak performance. Nike Air in the heel provides comfort and cushioning and makes this a versatile option for artificial turf surfaces. A durable rubber sole with a rubber midsole wrap has an aggressive traction pattern that grips well on all pregame surfaces. The Nike Drag-On toe overlay offers durability for pitching toe, and the plush molded collar feels soft and secure around your ankle.
New Balance 442 PRO TF V2 – $130
Made with premium materials and high-quality, with modern craftsmanship to deliver uncompromising performance on the pitch, the New Balance 442 Pro TF V2 features FuelCell foam, which delivers a propulsive feel to help drive you forward. The upper features a re-designed stitching pattern for a premium hand feel and unparalleled comfort. A tapered silhouette provides a fast feel and progressive look. The TF outsole is excellent for use on artificial surfaces and is ideal as a turf softball shoe.
These New Balance shoes also only weigh 278.6 grams (9.8 oz). They feature a premium genuine leather upper material with a responsive rubber outsole that provides dynamic traction on artificial surfaces. The upper features a re-designed stitching pattern for a premium hand feel and unparalleled comfort. A 3D molded insole provides comfort and security. The classic U-throat collar provides a familiar fit and feel. The floating tongue with lining adds comfort, as well as a heel and collar lining for an improved fit and overall comfort.
Mizuno Ambition 2 All Surface Sneaker – $85
With the new Ambition 2 AS Men’s Baseball Training Shoes, Mizuno has created a true all-surface shoe that is designed to maximize performance on real grass, artificial turf, and all common indoor surfaces.
High, dense, multi-directional studs are engineered to maximize performance of baseball and softball specific movements on a wide-range of playing surfaces. L-shaped studs offer enhanced grip and less deformation. A full-length midsole provides heel to toe cushioning for ultimate comfort. There is also an EVA midsole and a U4icX Strobel Lasting Board which ensures a comfortable underfoot feel.
Adidas Men’s Adizero Afterburner 9 – $130
With the Adizero Afterburner 9, the new wave of speed is here to stay. Lace up the light weight adidas baseball turf shoes and become a blur on the base paths.
They have a soft, breathable upper with LIGHTLOCK to keep your feet stable while you move. The Lightstrike midsole is incredibly responsive, whether you’re rounding second base to leg out a triple or tracking the ball in the outfield. The rubber outsole is firm and durable, so you can be a step ahead pitch after pitch.
Made with a series of recycled materials, this upper features at least 50% recycled content. This product represents just one of their solutions to help end plastic waste. They are a Regular fit with a widened lacing system with synthetic materials and are a top choice for baseball players and softball players.
New Balance Fuel Cell 4040v7 – $95
The New Balance FuelCell 4040v7 Turf Trainer is a reliable choice, meeting all the demands of elite ballplayers. FuelCell foam delivers an energetic liveliness underfoot designed to help propel you forward. With an aggressive rubber outsole, this training shoe can be used confidently in the gym, cages, or on turf and is a perfect option for taking some light grounders pre-game even on natural surfaces. The upper features a synthetic and mesh combo package for breathability, comfort and ankle support.
Rock these into any setting with the utmost confidence, and signal to your peers that you are a serious ballplayer. For pitchers with excessive toe drag, New Balance recommends using a toe-protection product to extend the life of your cleat.
New Balance FuelCell Lindor 2 Pre-Game – $110
The New Balance FuelCell Lindor 2 Pre-Game is the signature turf trainer of NB Athlete Francisco Lindor. Built for both performance and style, this baseball shoe is stacked with technology, including a plush FuelCell midsole for a propulsive feel and responsive cushioning.
The outsole pattern adds optimal traction, while the upper is made with sustainable materials. Speedlace combined with hook-and-loop straps, provide lockdown fit and easy adjustability. For pitchers with excessive toe drag, New Balance recommends using a toe-protection product to extend the life of your cleat.
Nike Air Diamond Varsity Turf – $75
Add some vibrant pop to your pregame routine, and put your opponents on notice that’s it going to be a long day once the first pitch is thrown. Whether you’re stepping into a long-toss session, jacking balls in the cage, doing softball drills, or working on your takeoff from 1st to 2nd, these Nike Air Diamond Varsity Turf shoes are an excellent choice to get you game-ready with flair on your feet.
Nike Air in the heel provides comfort and cushioning for a soft underfoot feel. Durable rubber sole with a rubber midsole wrap has an aggressive traction pattern that provides good traction on all pregame surfaces. The strategically placed toe overlays and a rubber wrap protect against abrasion. The synthetic mesh upper offers a lightweight construction that provides durability and breathability. And the soft collar feels comfortable around your ankle.
Custom Cleats – $190 to install plates on the bottom
If you’re not a fan of any of the above options, you can add custom cleats to your sneakers and turn them into baseball shoes or a turf baseball shoe. This is a great option of you want to flex on the field in a new pair of Jordan high tops or Kobes.
Custom Cleats was founded nearly 20 years ago in New York by former minor league baseball player Anthony Ambrosini. Custom Cleats pioneered a proprietary method of converting any sneaker into any cleat to enable athletes at all levels to express themselves through their footwear in unique and trendsetting ways on the playing field.
For the past two decades, Custom Cleats has converted thousands of sneakers into cleats for baseball, football, golf, softball, lacrosse, soccer and tennis shoes. Today, hundreds of professional athletes call on Custom Cleats for their cleat conversion needs. They take great pride in every conversion – whether for a professional athlete, a beer-league softball player, a Saturday golfer, or a little league slugger.
You send Custom Cleats the sneakers you want converted into cleats. After making your purchase, Custom Cleats will email you a pre-paid UPS shipping label and you will send your shoes to their Arizona facility or New York facility depending on where you live.
The good thing about Custom Cleats is that you DO NOT need to find spikes – they have the all the different type of cleats for you to choose from – for natural grass, dirt and artificial turf. You simply purchase the type and color of cleat bottoms that you want from their site. They will then convert your shoes into cleats by attaching the cleat bottoms to the shoes through their professional and proprietary conversion process.
Custom Cleats customer service will provide you with a prepaid UPS shipping label for you to send your shoes. Once they receive your sneakers, they convert them into cleats in about 3 weeks via their professional and proprietary process. They then ship the sneakers back to you via UPS ground shipping. In sum, count on about 4-5 weeks total.
