WPW is user-supported. When you shop through our links, we may earn money.

Master Fresh Michael Cuddyer and His Nike Air Max MVP Elite 2

michael-cuddyer-nike-air-mvp-pro-2-cleats

(Photography by @GeminiKeez)

Sick gear is not in short supply in the MLB.  Pretty much every guy, save a few misguided individuals, looks good in uniform.  Frankly, its hard to screw it up.  You’ve got the best manufacturers in the world working their tails off to get you the best performing and best looking gear they can dream up.  As a player at the Big League level, you pretty much just show up, take your pick, and the rest is taken care of.

However, far more rare (especially in baseball) is the player who goes the extra mile, and attends to the finest details to look their best, even if the viewers at home can’t see it.  Michael Cuddyer is one of those guys.

Cuddyer may not strike you as a guy known for his flair or flamboyance—he’s humble, busts his ass every day, and doesn’t draw attention to himself.  But look a little closer and this guy has some of the finest and most nuanced gear in the world.

Cuddy’s new Nike Air Max MVP Elite 2 cleats are the best example of that attention to detail.  If you look closely at these beauties, you can see that there are holograms of playing card suits (hearts, clubs, spades, diamonds), as well as a patch with playing cards to match his jersey number (#23).  You won’t see this type of treatment on anyone else’s cleats, and it isn’t the first time we’ve seen that playing card theme on Cuddy’s kicks.

@mcuddy23

@mcuddy23 (From his time on the Rockies)

We asked Cuddyer, who’s been a WPW follower for a few seasons, about these, and why the playing cards.  Here’s what he said:

“I do and have done many card tricks/illusions over the years.  So Nike Baseball (Trent Casper) took that theme and put it in my spikes the last couple of years.”

Freshest magician out?  No contest.  And it doesn’t hurt to have a shoe legend, Trent Casper, on your side.

Lets not stop at the shoes, though.  Check out this glove…

michael-cuddyer-rawlings-trap-glove

I look at a lot of gloves, and I can’t think of a better-looking piece of leather than that.  Just a work of art, and a great compliment to the cleats.

…ahhh, the life of a ballplayer.

Thanks to Michael Cuddyer for the quote, and thanks to Gemini Keez for the great photos.

2 comments

  1. Where’s the White Sox update you stated you would have??

  2. What kind of cleats are those with the playing cards? Are those huaraches?

Love it? Hate it? Notice an error? Hit us up!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

© 2024 WHAT PROS WEAR. All Rights reserved. For questions and corrections, please Contact Us. View our Privacy Policy.