Accessorizing: LSU and Texas

Nike knows that advancing to Omaha is no small feat. It’s so important, in fact, that some of the teams contracted to don the swoosh received new, Omaha-specific cleats to wear while fighting for their College World Series lives.

Highlighting the custom kicks is an understated blue tag cut in the shape of Nebraska with a red star highlighting Omaha’s location. The logo is fastened neatly on the outer upper ankle and serves as a tiny reminder of the work that went into earning a trip to the CWS.

Both teams competing for the championship, LSU and Texas, will be proudly lacing up the cleats, which also have “Omaha” spelled out on the sole in distinguished team-colored laces.

“The guys love them,” said LSU senior equipment manager Matthew Montgomery, as he held a pair of the custom, black, white, purple and gold cleats. “They’re released exclusively to teams that make it to Omaha.”

Of the eight teams that competed in Omaha, all but Arkansas wear Nike cleats. However, not all of the teams received the spikes.

LSU, Texas, Arizona State, North Carolina and Southern Mississippi all had players who wore the cleats in tournament games.

Montgomery said Nike had 23 new pairs of the Omaha cleats waiting at their team hotel when the Tigers arrived in Nebraska.

“It’s a basic shoe, but the purple shoestrings just make them pop,” he said. “Nike does it for the guys, but also because they want their product to be seen.”

In addition to the cleats, North Carolina also had batting gloves made with the custom Nebraska logo on the underside of the elastic wristband.

Nate Yarborough, North Carolina’s equipment manager, said Nike goes out of its way to keep the players happy.

“It’s just one of the many things Nike has done for us,” Yarborough said. “We’ve got the custom cleats, custom gloves.

“The guys love it.” — Ross Boettcher