In fastpitch softball, the line between a clutch hit and an easy out can be razor thin. A fraction of a second. A few extra feet in the air. Just enough speed off the bat to split the outfielders.
This summer, the Softball Alliance set out to measure something that’s often felt but rarely quantified: whether what’s on your feet can actually change how hard you hit the ball.
The results are a story worth telling.
The Experiment
It happened on a July day in 2025. Thirty athletes from the 14U fastpitch division gathered for a simple test. No pitching machines, no fielders—just a tee, their own bats, and two different pairs of shoes.
Step 1: Each player took three swings wearing the cleats they normally play in. Every exit velocity was clocked with a Stalker radar gun.
Step 2: They laced up in SQAIRZ GFP™. Same bat. Same tee. Three more swings.
The setup was designed to strip away all variables except the shoes and let the numbers speak.
What the Numbers Said
When the radar readings were tallied, the trend was impossible to ignore.
That 2.89 mph gain might not seem like much at first glance. But in softball, it’s huge. A ball leaving the bat nearly 3 mph faster reaches the defense sooner, carries further, and turns near-outs into hits. Over a season, it could be the difference between a .280 batting average and a .320.
Standout Performers
While most players improved, some saw jaw-dropping jumps:
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Player 1: +9 mph
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Player 2: +7.33 mph
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Player 3: +5.67 mph
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Player 4: +5.67 mph
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Player 5: +4 mph
For these hitters, the switch felt like turning the dial on their power to a new setting.
Why Footwear Matters
In softball, hitting power starts with your feet. Every swing begins with a plant, a push, and a transfer of force through the legs into the torso and arms.
The GFP™ design is built around that chain of movement. The geometry of the toe box gives all five toes room to engage the ground, creating a more stable base. The cleat pattern grips without restricting, allowing players to load and explode through the ball without losing balance.
It’s physics. The more efficiently you can transfer energy from your body to the bat, the faster the ball comes off it. And the better you end up playing. When 21 out of 30 players (70%) hit the ball harder just by changing shoes, the case for footwear as a performance factor becomes hard to ignore.
From Data to Diamond
For years, players have talked about the “feel” of their favorite cleats—the way they grip in the box or let them dig in on a hard swing. This study takes that conversation from anecdote to evidence.
Think about what a 3 mph increase in exit velocity means over a full season:
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More line drives sneaking past infielders
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More outfield balls finding the gap
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More confidence stepping into the box knowing you can drive the ball with authority
Final Pitch: Results That Matter
The Softball Alliance study may have focused on 14u players, but its implications reach every level of the sport. Your cleats are a piece of your swing.
For these players, SQAIRZ footwear changed what was possible at the plate.
Want to see what SQAIRZ can do for your swing?