Hope everyone is having a great December and managing to stay warm.  We’re looking at the low thirties tonight in Orlando, which for us thin-skinned Floridians is like an arctic apocalypse!  We wish the best of luck to all of our local citrus farmers, who I know have their collective eyes on the thermometer.

Over the last several weeks, we have received many inquiries related to 2011 footwear product availability along with re-fills on certain existing styles.  This Friday, December 10^th, the following footwear styles will be available for sale on the 3N2 website:

New 2011 Products:

Reaction Mid Plate Umpire Shoes (EE Width)

Momentum Turf Trainer Mid – Black/White – Patent leather

Momentum Turf Trainer Low – Black/White – Patent leather

Momentum Turf Trainer Mid – Royal/White

Momentum Turf Trainer Low – Royal/White

Existing Product Refills:

Reaction Field Umpire Shoes (D Width)

Reaction Field Umpire Shoes (EE Width)

Reaction Plate Umpire Shoes (D Width)

Reaction Plate Umpire Shoes (EE Width)

Momentum Turf Trainer Low – Red/Black

Momentum Turf Trainer Mid – Red/Black

Be sure to take advantage by getting free shipping until the end of the month on any product including the new 2011 products.

Check back or subscribe to the blog to receive more info on 2011 product releases, including the new 3N2 Viper Baseball Cleats and 3N2 Rally Fastpitch Softball Cleats and Baseball Cleats.

Everybody’s doing it.  Name a heavyweight company and chances are that they are offering some type of free shipping during the holidays.  Nike, Under Armour, Toys-R-Us? They all have a free shipping promotion in place. Many of these shipping promotions are one–day offerings or lead-ins to Christmas to attempt to drive more volume during the holiday season, and for the majority of the big guys, the higher sales realized through these promotions more than offset the small loss in shipping charges they incur.

Keep in mind that large retailers and manufacturers have the lowest shipping rates in the world.  Through their huge volume of shipping, they are able to negotiate far superior rates to smaller competitors and ship at a fraction of what you would be charged by FedEx or USPS.  However, these savings are not always passed along to you, the customer.  After negotiating their rates down, many large companies keep their shipping rates fairly standard, using the margin they gain as a revenue stream.

Basically, when it comes to shipping costs, the playing field is not always even.  Smaller companies pay more than larger companies.  This is perfectly understandable and I don’t believe it to be unfair, but the reality is that it can be a burden for smaller companies like 3N2 when competing against the giants.

3N2 does occasionally receive complaints about shipping costs but they are almost always related to delivering to remote locations or overseas. In any case, it’s always troublesome to us as we have never viewed shipping as a revenue stream.  We offer our customers the very lowest shipping rates we can, which includes the discounts we receive from our shippers. The rates you see reflected on the 3N2 website are automatically fed directly into the site from FedEx and USPS.  They are what they are.

In light of the season, 3N2 is offering free standard shipping on all purchases beginning Cyber Monday all the way through the New Year. This is not a one-day offer and it is not tied to a minimum purchase amount. It’s a simple gift to you and we hope it is well received.

Given we do not receive the deep shipping discounts of a Nike or Under Armour, the pain of free shipping hurts a bit, but we know that everyone is hurting a bit these days and want to do our part to help during the holidays. Enjoy the holiday shopping season and feel free to share your opinions on shipping!

Check back soon – I’ll be introducing our new products for 2011, including revamped baseball cleats and fastpitch softball cleats.

Yessir.  Congratulations Neftali on winning Major League Baseball’s AL Rookie of the Year for 2010!

For those of you who are unaware, Neftali is a rookie closer for the Texas Rangers who rode a record setting season to a World Series appearance against the Giants.  Neftali Feliz is 3N2 baseball.  He is a fantastic talent that is called upon to perform in clutch situations, and succeeds in spectacular fashion.  We are very proud of what Neftali has been able to accomplish thus far in his career and feel he can truly become one of Major League Baseball’s all time greats.

The partnership between 3N2 and Feliz began almost 3 years ago, right around the time that the 3N2 brand was relaunched.  We have grown with Neftali through his Single A ball at Clinton and Double A ball at Frisco.  We knew he had an All Star caliber skill set but I must be frank in that I did not expect him to accomplish what he has so early in his career.  Some of the highlights from this season:

·     All Time Rookie Saves Leader

·     American League All Star

·     American League Rookie of Year

·     Closed out the Yankees to win the ALCS

·     Recorded a save in the only win against the Giants in the World Series

We take our partnership with Feliz seriously and know that not any cleat will work for a player of Feliz’s caliber. Our baseball cleats are purpose built to perform and Feliz confirmed that 3N2 footwear excels at the highest level of baseball.

Throughout Feliz’s young career he has worn both the HAMR and a prototype of our 2011 Viper, which he wore during the end of the regular season and this year in the playoffs.

So again, thanks Feliz for taking us on this journey with you and we look forward to working with you over the next three years and beyond.

Read more about Neftali Feliz’s recent 3N2 endorsement extension.

Neftali Feliz competed in the Viper for the Texas Rangers this year so it has seen significant field time at the highest levels of the game, and proven itself more than up to the test.  It is a highly durable and super lightweight spike that provides the comfort, support and performance that 3N2 is known for.

There has been a good deal of buzz surrounding the shoe, and as such Eastbay snatched it up as an exclusive item.  This means that it will only be available for purchase via Eastbay.  I’ll keep you up to speed regarding the how’s, where’s and when’s, but expect to be able to purchase on Eastbay.com on January 1st, 2010.

If you haven’t seen the Viper, you can get a sneak peek on our Facebook page.

If you haven’t checked out my overview of 3N2’s line of Reaction Umpire Shoes, I go into all of the gory details regarding why we have one of the lightest, toughest umpire shoes on the market.  As mentioned in that post, I’m a bit obsessed with quality control and testing.   I require that we meet all protection related standards and our Reaction line goes through a full battery of official and rigorous crush and impact tests.  To take it one step further, we videotaped (is it still called videotaping?) our own in-house tests as well, which we call the “jackass” tests.  Obviously, these tests are just for kicks, but do visibly show how rugged the carbon plate on the Reaction is.  Official tests – like our vice test – that are performed in conjunction with our factory partners really prove our product’s toughness, but they’re not quite as fun as letting our staff take out their frustration on a couple of pairs of Reactions.  Thanks to our great team in Florida, who I know had a helluva good time putting this together.

As part of our commitment to our customers, 3N2 strives to be completely transparent in all of our business practices. This means communicating the positives as well as the negatives of our product offerings.  We have recently been tracking a defect that has been affecting our Pro Turf Trainer Lows & Mids.  

Unfortunately, we have not been able to isolate the batch at this point, but it has been verified as a defect and we wanted to make our customers aware ASAP.

What is the issue?  We have several reported cases of the outsole (the bottom of the shoe) of the Pro Turf Trainer separating from the midsole (the cushion between the top of the shoe and the bottom).  The cause for this has been determined to be a glue breakdown related to a chemical reaction between the glue and the midsole material.  This has only affected limited batches of the Pro Turf Trainer.  Our Momentum Turf Trainer has not had any issues.

We also know that this issue stems from a former supplier we no longer work with.  We discontinued working with the outsole/midsole supplier in question over a year ago.   This supplier was responsible for the stock fitting or bonding of the midsole and outsole.  We have since brought the stock fitting in-house for better quality control.  So the good news out of the bad is that the problem has been rectified as it was confined to isolated issues related to a legacy supplier.

We take this issue very seriously as our quality commitment to our customers is top priority. Given this, I felt it was of the utmost importance to inform you of the potential defect issue.  I also want to lay out the simple no-questions asked return process if you happen to experience this defect:

Go to: 3n2sports.com

Click on the Customer Service Tab in yellow at the top of the screen

Scroll over Returns/Exchanges and click

Or, go directly to http://www.3n2sports.com/cs-returnex.aspx

Fill out the form in its entirety and submit

A 3N2 representative will get back with you within 24 hours to request a picture of the defect

After reviewing the submission and picture, 3n2 will coordinate the shipment of a new pair directly to you at no charge

Again, we sincerely apologize to any customers that have experienced this defect.  Our intention is to get you back on the field with a high quality pair of 3N2 Turfs.  As stated before, this is only affecting a limited number of Pro Turf Trainer Lows and Mids from our old supplier.  The vast majority of our customers should still be experiencing the high performance benefits of our classic turf.

First things first.  I want to give a big thanks to the officiating community at large for rallying around the 2010 launch of our Reaction Pro Plate Umpire Shoe. We truly appreciate your support as well as the continued, and often pointed, feedback that has made the Reaction one of our most well received product lines ever.  I’ve just been told by our good friend Dennis Mader – the Supervisor of Officials for the NPF – that many of the NPF officials who worked NCAA post season play wore the Reaction Pro Plate and Reaction Base Shoe and that they “love them.”  Great to hear, guys.

Many of you have asked what separates the 3N2 Reaction line of officiating shoes from other brands?  It boils down to price, function, weight and comfort.
 
You will find the Reaction line is very competitively priced and uses the existing proprietary last and midsole technology that is found in our successful Turf Line.  These proven technologies reduce stress on the knees, joints and back and allow you to officiate multiple games over a day or weekend without feeling the aches and pains associated with other footwear brands.

The weight and function of our officiating shoes are two sides of the same coin.  Our Reaction footwear is by far the lightest on the market.  How do we do this?  It’s not by reducing function and protection. It really comes down to modern technology. For years, a steel-toe plate was the only option for industrial, military, police/fire services and behind-the-plate umpires. Steel toes result in a much heavier shoe that can provide a great deal of discomfort as – no surprise here – there is a piece of steel wrapped around your toe.

Modern advancements in protective technology have enabled 3N2 to provide a composite carbon fiber toe and plate that provides the needed protection for umpires without the extra weight, foot rub and pain associated with a steel toe.

Although we’ve had a lot of tremendously good input on the Reaction Pro Plate, I understand that there are those who question our use of carbon fiber.  I completely understand the concern.  Steel toes have been in use for many, many years and still serve a purpose in very specialized fields.  However, that purpose no longer involves the ball field.

The truth is that today steel is really only necessary for industrial jobs involving heavy moving objects or machinery.  Today’s advanced carbon fiber composite materials provide far more protection than you’ll ever need behind the plate, while being infinitely lighter and more comfortable than steel. The proprietary carbon toe and plate we’ve developed for the Reaction is fashioned from a material that is basically identical to that of our factory partner, which produces footwear for the FBI, Police, Fire and Military services. Their material rates at ASTMF 2413.05.  In addition to a superior strength to weight ratio, carbon fiber also provides added protection from electrical hazards.

If you love steel toe shoes and/or are OK with the added weight and discomfort, I say stick with them.  There is no questioning the toughness of steel.  However, unless a piece of airplane engine falls from the sky and onto your foot, a steel toe isn’t going to do anything more for you on the ball field than today’s modern carbon fiber composites.

Funny story.  I’m a serious stickler for testing.  For our products, I require that we meet all protection related standards and the Reaction goes through a battery of official and rigorous crush and impact tests, such as the vice test.  To take it one step further, we undertook and documented our own in-house test as well.  Let’s call it the “Jackass” test.  We asked for volunteers among the 3N2 staff to put on a pair of Reaction Pro Plates and let one of our 200 pound office brutes wearing Pro Metal Baseball Spikes jump from a ledge spike first on to the carbon toe of the Reaction.  The result?

Partial amputation and workers comp claims?

Not at all.  Volunteers reported what we knew would be the case.  There was virtually no pressure from the direct impact of the cleat on the toe. I hope to pop up a video showing our “Jackass” Reaction test soon. No interns were injured during the filming of the test and please, please do not try it at home!

What’s the bottom line?  The carbon composite protective toe technology in our Reaction Plate Umpire Shoe provides above-and-beyond protection for officials, without the weight and discomfort of an outdated steel toe.

So, if you’re a baseball or softball official struggling with steel toe shoes, you should really give the Reaction Pro Plate a look.  The carbon fiber Reaction Pro Plate is likely less expensive, more comfortable and just as protective as those steel toe dinosaurs.

You can learn more about the Reaction Pro Plate Umpire Shoe on our website which will also be available in a Mid Cut and EE width in 2011.

What a great time of year. The weather is warming up, buds are breaking and spring training is in full swing. I’m writing this post on a flight to Arizona to meet with current and prospective 3N2 players and help facilitate one of our annual 3N2 photo shoots. Our player photo shoots help provide the player images you see on the 3N2 website and in Product Catalogs.  Our 2011 catalog will go to print in less than 4 weeks – just in time for the retail pre-book season – and many of the photos from Arizona will make their way into the pages.

I missed the Arizona trip last year as I crashed a scooter the day before my flight (thank goodness for helmets – please wear them). This year, I vowed to stay off any two-wheeled toys in lead up to this trip.

Marty Graham, our President and Director of Player Relations, has done a great job solidifying the ranks of the 3N2 player line-up for 2010.  Marty has long been a baseball stats junkie and working closely with players is a role he is perfectly suited for.

This year, many of the big-name baseball brands dropped a significant portion of their endorsed players, which produced a surplus of quality players without deals.  This depressed the value of the player endorsement deals, which really helps smaller companies like 3N2.

Our cornerstone guys, Neftali Feliz and Michael Taylor, are suiting up for the Texas Rangers and Oakland A’s respectively, while new addition Reggie Willits is playing for the California Angels.  We have also added a handful of other strong, big-league guys to our roster.  Check our roster page on the website for the full roster.

In addition, there are a couple of other big names we are still pursuing and hope to have further clarity before the season starts in April.

I will be feeding updates from Arizona through our 3N2 Facebook and Twitter pages so please become a fan if you have not already!

Today was a much anticipated day for us at 3N2, as well as for our very, very patient dealers who have been waiting on the first shipment of the new 3N2 Reaction Pro-Plate Umpire Shoe.

Despite unforeseen production delays and an unexpected and unusually long customs examination delay in Miami, the Pro Plates have finally arrived! All I can say is that they are well worth the wait.

I would like to give a nod to our warehouse crew for doing a bang-up job of unloading, checking in and packaging pre-book orders to go out the same day. No better motivation than some NY-style pizza on the bosses’ tab. It was a complete team effort in which I even got to spend some quality time on the loading dock and staging area.

As the cartons were being unloaded, I was spot-checking the plate shoes and I have to say I am a truly, truly excited about this product. Every last detail discussed on my last visit to Asia was perfectly executed. I tried on a pair of plate shoes and I am still amazed by the lightness of the shoe. Umpires will not even feel the weight of the plate due to the material and construction of the shoe. We employed several proprietary technologies to develop not only a light shoe but a lighter toe and plate that provide ultimate protection for an umpire.

Fortunately, but unfortunately, we have sold through most of this first shipment. We are protecting our dealers who pre-booked so if you did not pre-book you may have to wait a few weeks.  The second shipment will be arriving in 2 weeks so more are on the way!

If you need a Reaction Pro-Plate yesterday – like our dealers – please contact one of our valued dealers today who pre-booked this product and should have inventory:

1 ) GeorgeTown Sporting Goods: Georgetown, TX (512) 863-9379
2 ) Purchase Officials Supplies Northeast: Sewickly, PA (412)-749-9949
3 ) Ump-attire.com: Crestwood, KY (502) 243-1421
4 ) Mordecai Sporting Goods: Gardendale, Al (205) 631-4172
5 ) Keller Sporting Goods: Atlanta, Ga (404) 755-8212
6 ) Impact Team Sports: Naples, FL (239) 513-1212
7 ) Hopkins Sporting Goods: Des Moines, IA (515) 270-0132
8 ) Play it Again Sports Columbia: Columbia, Mo (573) 442-9291

If you would like more information on 3N2 umpire shoes please visit the 3N2 Website.

Happy New Year! Things are still fast and furious at 3N2 Headquarters in Orlando. One of our flagship products for 2010 – the Accelerate PT – has arrived! We’re very excited about this product. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Accelerate, it is 3N2’s premiere line of women’s fastpitch footwear. The PT in Accelerate PT stands for Pitching Toe and we’ve managed to create one helluva pitching toe on the Accelerate PT. We worked with our professional fastpitch athletes to test prototypes for over a year and feel we’ve created the absolutely best pair of fastpitch pitching toe cleats on the market. I’ve posted a video here of Michele Smith who had a chance to break down the Accelerate PT at the NFCA show in Nashville. I’ll shut up and let her walk you through what makes the PT special.

P.S. The Accelerate PT is currently for sale on the 3N2 website.