Akadema gloves have a solid reputation in the industry, and seeing the craftsmen at work gives you an idea of the time and effort that goes into making these high quality baseball gloves.

What do you think of Akadema’s gloves?

We couldn’t help but notice the look of supple glove leather - these shoes gave us sneaker-envy.

The shoe was highlighted on Sneaker News a while back.

We’re all about baseball gloves around here, but these glove-inspired kicks are so cool we had to share. We like the homage to Bo Jackson, too.

It’s definitely among the greatest catches we’ve ever seen. Nice glove work… nice footwork….

This short clip is a must watch.

We’re trying out a few new gloves, and, while we’re excited about the new ones, they need to be broken in.

There’s been talk on the forum about this, of course. Everyone has their own take on it. How do you break in your gloves?

In the meantime, here’s a taste of what’s coming - a few words from someone who loves his baseball glove as much as we love ours.

In his application to the U.S. Patent Office, this enterprising businessman designed a glove that used padding for the “prevention of the bruising of the hands when catching the ball.”

Though it doesn’t much resemble the gloves we use today, it’s fascinating to see the mind of George Rawlings at work.

I knew catchers used a special mitt for pitchers who throw knuckleballs, but I didn’t know the pitcher generally supplies it. Did you know that?

The special mitt has a big surface area, larger than that of a normal catcher’s mitt, and it’s a lot lighter and more flexible. So light and flexible, in fact, that durability can be a problem, so it’s good to have its successor waiting in the wings.

Here’s an interesting take on getting a deeper pocket in your glove. It’s all technique: shift your fingers over one spot in the glove, et voila!

Feels a little strange, but heck, it’s worth a try!

When the Brooklyn Atlantics faced the New York Mutuals earlier this month in Islip, they played by the rules of 1864.

The most obvious difference between 1864 and the modern era? No gloves and hand-made balls. Home plate was round!

Any reachable ball was in the strike zone. Foul balls weren’t strikes. Catching the ball on one hop? That’s an out!!

While some of these rules may seem arcane, it’s pretty easy to see the appeal of Vintage Baseball. Some leagues play by the  The Atlantics and Mutuals are among the approximately 250 teams competing in Vintage Baseball Leagues across the country.

Different teams and leagues play by different rules. Some use the early style of gloves, some use none at all. Check out the VBBA for information about teams playing in your area.

Learn more about the early days of baseball here. And be grateful for your glove!