July 30, 2024

With Bryce Harper releasing his new Under Armour cleats, here's a ranking of the top shoes he's worn with the Phillies

The stylish slugger has paid homage to Wawa, the Phanatic and his mom with special footwear.

By Franki Rudnesky
PhillyVoice Staff

Things may have gotten ugly for the Phillies in the opening game of their series against the Yankees — when they lost 14-4 — but there was something eye-catching on display: Bryce Harper's new cleats.

On Monday, Harper unveiled his new Gem Mint Harper 9 cleats, a collaboration between the Phillies first baseman, Under Armour and the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) card grading company. The mint-colored turf shoes feature holographic detailing and PSA's well-known grading label, marking the first time the logo has been used on apparel.

MORE: From painted nails to game day fits, Jared McCain makes stylish addition to Sixers roster

The Gem Mint cleats will be available to purchase on the Under Armour website starting Thursday, Aug. 1. Each pair comes with a "Bryce Harper x PSA Harper 9 custom slabbed schematic card." There will be only 500 pairs available to buy, and 20 random customers will receive a Harper-signed card with their purchase.

Harper first signed a multi-year contract with Under Armour in 2011 when he was on the Nationals. In 2016, he inked a historic 10-year extension with the company, which has continued to release signature shoes and cleats in Harper's collection — including this summer's Wawa-themed colorway version of his UA Harper 9 signature cleats.

Harper, nicknamed "The Showman," has shown off his fashion sense — and his undying love for Philadelphia — through on-field fashion choices — especially his footwear. Here are my rankings of the best and boldest Under Armour cleats Harper has worn since joining the Phillies five years ago:

6. Gem Mint Harper 9

Newest does not always equal best, but I have to admit the bright color on the Gem Mint cleats packed a punch on an otherwise dull Monday evening game. I'm not a sports card trader — although I did enjoy collecting Pokémon cards growing up — so I can't fully appreciate the historic inclusion of the PSA grading label. But the holographic elements are stunning, and it's not often that you get a gift with your cleats, like the free card you receive with the purchase of these.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Under Armour (@underarmour)

5. Harper 6 customized by Camden youth team

These custom cleats debuted in 2021, a couple years after $15,000 worth of food and equipment was stolen from the concession stand of the North Camden Pirates youth baseball team, putting their season in jeopardy. The sad story caught the attention of Harper, who donated money, equipment and Phillies tickets to the Camden-based team. In 2021, members of the team worked with Under Armour and Dick's Sporting Goods to congratulate Harper on his second league MVP award with one-of-a-kind Harper 6 cleats. The Philly-centric designs by the kids, along with the heartwarming story behind them, make these cleats crack the top 5.

Under Armour unveiled these cleats in recognition of Bryce Harper winning the NL MVP. They were designed by the Camden Pirates, a youth baseball team that Harper visited in 2019 after their concession stand was robbed. pic.twitter.com/rFOcb5BpBw
— Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) November 23, 2021

4. Mother's Day Harper 3

In 2019, Harper's first season with the Phillies, he commemorated Mother's Day by giving his mom, Sheri, some beautiful flowers — on his feet. Harper wore a special hot-pink pair of his signature Harper 3 cleats decorated with a floral pattern around the heel and insole. Harper looked pretty in pink and was a few years ahead of his time in celebrating "Barbie summer." Plus, via Under Armour, he had a sweet message for his mom: "My mom has always supported my dreams in every way that she knew how; through her love, her selflessness and by being there for me when I needed her most." Aww!

Bryce Harper’s Mother’s Day cleats pic.twitter.com/Aceai7tHiD
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 10, 2019

3. Wawa-themed Harper 9

In his years with the Phillies, Harper has earned himself the reputation of a true Philadelphian. While some may consider his loud love for Philly as "pandering," I think he just is enjoying acclimating himself with the quirky culture here. Let the man have fun — after all, he does have the bat to back it up! Take for instance his pregame tradition of going to Wawa; there's nothing more Philly than that. Harper marked his love for the local convenience store with his Wawa-themed Harper 9 cleats that debuted in June. They feature a mix of colors from the original Wawa branding, plus a Wawa barcode logo reading "Gottahava Harper." He most recently wore the special shoes Saturday against the Guardians, and Harper perfectly complemented them with a Wawa headband that looked an awful lot like a hoagie wrapper.

Bryce Harper is wearing a custom Wawa headband and cleats tonight pic.twitter.com/F8gZMabTRC
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 27, 2024

2. Philly sports-themed Harper 9

It may seem impossible to get even more Philly-fied than Wawa cleats, but Harper somehow achieved the feat on Opening Day this year. Harper went 4-for-4 with his special Harper 9 cleats, which paid tribute to the city's four major sports teams. To add to the drip, he even wore a matching jacket. The next day, Harper got retired Eagles center Jason Kelce to sign the Philly-themed cleats. With the Phillies working through a midseason slump of sorts, perhaps Harper should bring these back to activate the full power of the team.

These cleats and jacket that Bryce Harper got are INSANE.

All four Philly teams logos/colors are somewhere in the cleats and jacket🔥

(📸: Phillies / TikTok) pic.twitter.com/g9L6mFHC2t
— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) March 28, 2024

1. Phillie Phanatic cleats

Drumroll, please. My favorite pair of cleats that Harper has ever worn is not just one pair, but rather every time Harper has paid tribute to the Phillie Phanatic with bright green cleats. Harper has a well-documented friendship with the fuzzy green guy, even gifting him a Phanatic-sized glove for his birthday this year. Harper made his Citizens Bank Park debut in 2019 wearing Phanatic cleats and has continued to wear some iteration of them year after year. My personal favorite Phanatic cleats? On Opening Day in 2021, Harper welcomed fans back to the ballpark after COVID-19 restrictions had lifted with outrageous cleats featuring green fur and the Phanatic's head and feet dangling off. They were so kooky and fun that they have to be No. 1 on this list, even though he only wore them during warmups since they were too unwieldy to wear in the actual game.