Elly De La Cruz's Custom Cleats Paying Homage to His Speed Are Awesome

De La Cruz's Gingerbread Man cleats are awesome.
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) walks back to grab his gloves after being stranded on second in the fourth inning of the MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024.
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) walks back to grab his gloves after being stranded on second in the fourth inning of the MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024. / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
In this story:

Elly De La Cruz is one of the fastest players in Major League Baseball, and now he has cleats that pay homage to his speed.

Over the weekend, De La Cruz debuted gingerbread man-themed cleats that embrace his speed and create a connection to the subject of 1875's St. Nicholas tale's speedy hero.

These cleats match the gingerbread man sliding gloves the Cincinnati Reds shortstop has been sporting for a while.

There's no word on whether De La Cruz can run away from a little old woman, a little old man, or if a fox could eventually catch him.

De La Cruz entered Wednesday's action leading MLB with 59 stolen bases. That's 21 more than Shohei Ohtani, who occupies second place with 38. The 22-year-old is more than just a fast runner. So far this season he's slashing .258/.341/.484, with 21 home runs, 53 RBIs, 28 doubles, eight triples, and an OPS of .825. He has produced 4.0 WAR, which ranks eighth in the National League.

While all those numbers are great, the custom cleats really put the whole package over the top.


Published |Modified
Ryan Phillips

RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.