Punxatawney, PA (AP)--Coming down the stretch run, the last thing the Punxatawney Groundhogs want
to deal with is injuries--especially the dreaded bruised heel which has kept
many players hurting for weeks and weeks, even for minor injuries. In order
to try and prevent any bruised heels to the Hogs, team GM Dan Shapiro signed
a special deal with Nike for new shoes for the team.
"We call them the Nike SafeHeel, the safest shoe made today," said a Nike
representative. "We know many players have bruised their heels badly this
year, and we were solicited to make some safer shoes for the Groundhogs."
The new shoe is a fairly standard athletic shoe, with both cleat and sneaker
style shoes for different types of turf. The SafeHeel has a special
cushioned heel area to provide great support and protection to the entire
foot, especially the heel area.
"Our players will start wearing these tomorrow. If any other teams are
interested, they can speak to Nike and get their own SafeHeels," Shapiro
said.
Third baseman Scott Rolen "fashioned" the new footwear, demonstrating that
not only does the shoe appear to provide better support for the heel, but
also does not hinder the running ability of wearers.
"They feel great, to be honest," Rolen said. "It still feels like a regular
shoe, but there's a bit more padding in the back so we can keep our heels
healthy."
Nike doesn't plan to market this particular shoe to the public, yet. For
now, it will be available only to teams or individual players who are
interested in improving their health while maintaining their running
ability.
"I bet some teams are interested, I'm sure," Shapiro joked. "Heck, right
now 7 guys are listed as hurting with these darn bruised heels."
