Alright, since this thread popped up (not in a good way) I will give my review so far on these soloman boots. I have had a game on Turf, on grass, on mud and in rain. Turf and grass they were really nice. They FEEL different then I am used to, I don't know if it a lower cut that I am not used to so they feel almost like they are going to just fall off if I plant hard and go, but they never do. They are MUCH lighter than the Mundails and I did get the Wide size and they feel fine. In the rain and in the mud I kept my traction very well, as well as the Mundails as well. Maybe even a bit better, but my last game in my Adidas was a REAL mud pit so my memory might be skewed after that performance. My only two gripes is that they are not (or maybe I didn't get) the waterproof ones. Feet were soaked after my game in the rain. Also, I am not sold on the little tie strap thing instead of laces. The peice of plastic slaps against the tongue while running, maybe I will get used to it, but I do notice it now. Also, I feel that after 2 games or so, I feel my toes are a little scrunched. Like making hard stops make my feet slide forward and after awhile they just feel sore. Overall, I am happy with the switch, the fact that they are so light probably outweighs the cons (although I would really like to see if there is a waterproof one). They did dry nice on the peat heater though. Not as tough as the Adidas afterward.
I’m having a very good experience with these turfs... https://www.zappos.com/p/diadora-maracana-18-tf-black-fluo-yellow/product/9033112/color/123766 Very light, good support and cushion for a turf, decently wide. Heel cup is very nicely shaped and no hot spots even the first time worn. Excellent grip on grass.
The Speedcross 4 GTX are Goretex which might do better in wet conditions. I've been eyeballing 'em...
I originally bought these to wear for futsal, but I have worn these the last 2-3 times I've either centered or run a 2-man on turf. https://www.reebok.com/us/zigwild-t...VQr7ACh2Z-AZNEAQYAiABEgJeEvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds These are very similar to the Reebok shoes I see a lot of basketball referees wear. They have worked very well. I've been nursing an ankle injury the last two weeks, and these shoes have provided some additional cushioning that my feet and ankle have needed on turf.
Now this is interesting ... that charge just disappeared from my account. Not an offsetting credit, it just disappeared entirely without explanation. Maybe Chase was really on the ball, but I usually get a security notice from them if they see something they don't like. Strange.
I've had that before with Citibank... a merchant's account (seller) got tagged as a scam or something and MC/Visa evidently cancelled all of their transactions. I just happened to notice the unknown charge while looking at another transaction on-line, but an hour later and before I could call them, *poof* it was gone . When I did call, CSR told me what had supposedly transpired.
Those shoes look awesome. Has anyone complained that your shoe has non-white logos? I'm usually pretty traditional when it comes to my referee shoes (in other words, I only wear black with white trim/logo), but I'd make an exception for those if they were comfortable.
Hey funny you mention that because I have sharpied all the yellow parts. I’m sure I’ll have to do it over and over but it only takes a minute. But these are soccer turfs, not trail runners like the solomons. I would say they have a little less cushion underneath the heel than the mundial teams (which I find to be way too narrow for me). I had these on for a women’s d1 spring game as AR1 the other day and even though it was drizzling, I had superb traction ((of course this is on an immaculate field) I was going to wear my studs but the other AR had just blown out the sides of his copas and was going to wear flats, so I let him use them). It was by far the most demanding AR I’ve had in these and they were excellent, no blackened toenails or hotspots.
I fully understand. I wear turf soccer shoes when I work as an AR unless I'm working multiple games in a tournament setting. I wear my trail runners in the middle. Because of past issues with plantar fasciitis, I don't wear soccer shoes of any type when I'm in the middle.
Thanks for posting this, I have a few additional things about them from my experience. First I recommend trail runners to everyone who referees. They are built for the type of movements we do in games, quick side to side movements starting, stopping, and a variation in your gait. Ickshter is right, the shoes (specifically the Speedcross) feel different than other running/activity shoes you are used to, they have a lower heel-drop than other shoes so they are closer to a minimalist shoe than other shoes. I also feel ref shoes are designed for comfort or making a soccer shoe all black more than running. The first time i used the Speed Cross I didn't realize there was a pouch so if you don't see that running with the plastic fastener untethered is really annoying. I was ready to return the shoes based on that alone until I looked closer at the shoe. I tried both wide and not-wide variations and with the wide shoe, there was just too much room on the sides for me. It felt comfortable at first but with more use my foot moved way too much in the shoe. My feet did not feel scrunched when i switched to the non-wide version and I found running in the was just more enjoyable. The shoes themselves clean and dry incredibly easy. They are designed to run through all terrains and when you get back from a mud run put them under a faucet brush them off and they are clean in 5 minutes and dry in the morning. I tried the Goretex version of other shoes and did not like how they felt, they were clunky. I really liked the Speedcrosses I got so i wasn't going to keep trying. The last point, trail runners are not "all-day" shoes. I only do 1 game, maybe two in a day (HS or College). I am a bigger guy 6'0" 220-230 lbs. When I actually trail run these shoes last me 6-8 miles depending on the trail, intensity, etc. I did a 12 mile trail run in early February and a 10 mile trail run in Mid-March, I wore different trail runners each time (Altra Lone peak 4.0 in Feb, Speedcross in March) It took me 2 weeks to recover from each race (knees). I ran a half marathon earlier in April (Brooks Adrenaline GTS 19s since you wondered, in 9:30 minute miles) and was fine immediately. If you are going to use trail runners remember that they do have variable use-time for each person, and it really sucks finding it out. Also I use non-prescription insoles that I know help with my knees, they fit in the Salomons, not the Altras. I personally feel faster in trail runners when I am on the field, probably because these shoes are designed for running and cleats are designed for playing soccer.
Lots of great information, I'll give some more. My resume: I've completed over a dozen ultra-marathons, including a 50-miler. Sufficed to say I've worn a lot of trail running shoes. For those of you who like trail running shoes for refereeing, I highlight recommend the Speedcross, it's been consistently one of the best products in trail running for years. The thing I would warn about is Salomon's have a "speed lace" system that isn't really noticeable on this pictures that puts about the same amount of force everywhere on the upper of the shoe. I don't run in them anymore because of that, actually. It caused some pretty significant tendinitis on the top of my foot after anything more than 5 or 6 miles. If the top of your foot is pretty tall, you might have similar issues. I typically keep those part a little looser with shoe laces, but Salomons don't really give you that ability. If you can get them without the speed laces, go for it. Another great option is Merrell All Out Peaks. Very similar shoe, but really sturdy support in the mid-foot and the heel. That does mean some turning mobility might be reduced, though. The outside of the toebox is more reinforced than the Speedcross, so I've noticed they typically last longer with the lateral movement we have a lot of. I've run 50k's in them, I've done games in them, I've gone on hikes in them. As long as you don't have really wide feet, they're great. RunRepeat is a great source of information, and most shoes get hundreds of reviews. A lot of them get persnickety and the most insignificant details aren't overlooked. If you want to find something perfect for you, I can't recommend using that site enough. Beware: it's a bit of a data rabbit-hole.
I wear Lems Primal 2s, they feel like slippers compared to most shoes. https://www.lemsshoes.com/products/mens-primal-2?variant=18552328224826
You could just leave the yellow logos and say that you are trying to be cool like the Italian referees.
They match your yellow ref jersey. but the next thing you know, USSF will want us to get five different pairs of shoes to match all of the jersey colors...
Based on your recommendation (and the fact that they go down to my size and they look like real soccer boots), I picked up a pair, and I am so far very happy with them. Five games in three days, both turf and grass, both lines and middles: I had no concerns about running or turning and I feel great afterwards. The laces are a bit of a pain - too thick (can be hard to lock down) and too long (I’m trying to find a way to tuck them in) - but otherwise thumbs up.
I just bought these. I have the running version and they are by far the most comfortable running shoe I have and I have quite a collection. Hopefully these will be good on those damp days.
These are probably more for turf or a futsal court, but I have a friend who officiates basketball and absolutely swears by these Asics shoes. https://www.ump-attire.com/Basketba...r/Shoes/GT-1000-7_Asics-GT-1000-7-Court-Shoes The shoe of choice for many basketball referees are still the Reebok Zigs (those shoes that have the huge outsoles that have cutouts), but I've seen more than a few switch to these shoes. I'm an Asics fan (I used to wear Asics turf shoes for a while when I umpired baseball), so this may be an option for turf, hard ground, or futsal.
I love the shoes I wound up getting. Potomac River Running helped me pick them out after studying my gait. They're great. It didn't occur to me until this season that they're gray. I'm reffing with a real stickler for uniforms in a couple of weeks, so I think I'll be ordering from Zappos.
I saw a photo of Mark Geiger in action as a part of one of his retirement/tribute articles. Mark's shoes were half gray and half black. I guess my thought is that if America's most accomplished referee can wear half-gray shoes, you'll probably be able to get away with what you're mentioning. I'm waiting to see if the new Speedcross 5s are going to have a wide version. I'm a big fan of the Speedcross 4s, but the wide version is a lot better for me.
I think the shoes have to be "primiarily" black now. I wish I could find the picture, but Geiger's shoes looked half black and half gray on the inside. I personally could not care less - I think the most important factor for referee shoes is if they are supportive and comfortable. I wear the Chris Penso Adidas Rockadia shoes a lot in the middle which have the full white midsole around the bottom of the shoe.