On a sunny afternoon in San Diego, you’ll usually find the Leonard family at a ballfield. KC, the dad, is coaching from the dugout. Thirteen-year-old Jace is patrolling center field. Nine-year-old Asher is crouched behind the plate, ready to block a pitch in the dirt.
Like most parents who coach their kids, KC has a front-row seat to every stride, swing, and stumble. He knows how much the right habits matter, and he knows how much the right equipment can set a young player up for success. It’s why, when it came to cleats, he didn’t leave the decision to chance.
A Connection That Started on the Golf Course
KC’s relationship with SQAIRZ didn’t begin on a baseball diamond, it actually started with golf. Years ago, he won a GolfWRX contest to test a brand-new pair of SQAIRZ golf shoes. He noticed a difference in his swing almost immediately: better balance, a more grounded stance, and more consistency in his strike. That first pair turned into a lasting relationship with the brand, and KC now owns close to a dozen.
When his sons’ baseball seasons started heating up, he thought about the same performance edge he’d experienced in golf. He knew how much a stable, well-designed shoe could change the way an athlete moves. And he knew his boys could benefit from that same advantage, even at their age.
Asher’s Growing Game
Asher may only be nine, but he talks about the game with the focus of someone much older. His favorite position is catcher, though he loves stepping into the batter’s box too. His favorite moment from this past season was hitting a home run during a recent tournament—a swing that left him grinning from ear to ear.
When asked about his cleats, his answer is simple: they feel better. “They feel comfortable and better on my feet than other shoes,” he says. But he noticed something even more important—before SQAIRZ, he had been dealing with heel pain from his old cleats. Once he switched, that pain was gone. Now, he wears them for every practice and game.
“They help me stick in the ground a little bit more,” Asher says, a subtle way of describing the kind of stability that lets him swing without holding back. For a young player building his mechanics, that connection to the ground is everything.
Jace Finds His Power
Jace’s baseball journey has a defining moment, too—the day he hit his first over-the-fence home run. It wasn’t in a game-winning scenario, but it was the kind of moment that changes how a player sees themselves. And he was wearing SQAIRZ molded cleats when it happened.
“With other cleats, I felt like my back foot was slipping in the batter’s box,” Jace says. “Now I feel way more balanced and way more springy. At the end of the day, my feet feel really nice. They don’t feel sore or tired.”
That combination of balance and comfort has carried over into the field, where he covers ground in center with confidence. He’s noticed extra distance on his hits, and his fielding has improved since switching. For a player working to add strength and power, every inch counts.
Why It Matters at This Age
KC has seen both boys grow in skill and confidence over the past year, and he believes their footwear plays a role in that. At their age, every rep is an opportunity to build habits that will carry into high school, college, or beyond.
“The earlier they get used to feeling balanced, the more natural it becomes,” KC says. “You can see it in how they move.”
SQAIRZ GFP™ cleats use a patented roomier toe box design that allows toes to spread naturally, creating a stronger connection to the ground. The SmartTraction™ system provides consistent grip without uncomfortable pressure points, and the comfort level holds up through long tournaments and back-to-back games. For players like Asher and Jace, that means they can focus entirely on their game, not their gear.
Proven at Every Level
The same technology trusted by elite players is available to the next generation. SQAIRZ is the Official Footwear Partner of Perfect Game, the Official Shoe of Diamond Allegiance, and the Official Footwear Partner of the High School Baseball National Championship Series.
Over 25 MLB Players are now wearing SQAIRZ with the most recent news of becoming an official on-field footwear partner of Minor League Baseball players and official partner of MLB Players, Inc. through a first-of-its-kind deal with Major League Baseball Players Inc. (MLBPI).
Whether it’s a Major Leaguer at the plate or a young player stepping in for their first at-bat of the day, the fundamentals don’t change: stability fuels power, and comfort supports confidence.
Looking Ahead
The Leonard family still has many seasons ahead—more road trips, more tournaments, more moments they’ll talk about for years. And as the boys chase their baseball goals, they’ll be doing it in cleats that KC knows can keep up.
Asher puts it in his own words: “They help you stick to the ground. And that’s power.”
For KC, it’s about giving his sons every tool possible to play the game they love and knowing that each step is helping them build toward the players they’re becoming.
