Rob Carr/Getty
Hundreds of NFL players are wearing colorful, customized cleats during Week 13 of the NFL as a way to support and raise awareness for their favorite charities.
This reverses a controversial stance by the NFL, which is usually extremely strict when it comes to its uniform code. Players are often fined for wearing unapproved uniform elements, even when there are good intentions. In 2013, the NFL fined Brandon Marshall $10,500 for wearing green cleats that were supporting mental illness.
This year, the league and the players found a compromise, allowing players one week to wear customized cleats to support their favorite charities. The promotion has been labeled with the hashtag, #MyCauseMyCleats.
Here are some examples:
.@89SteveSmith will wear these cleats tomorrow for #MyCauseMyCleats. 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/SSDwTOcsrI
- Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 3, 2016
Custom cleats this Sunday for Washington TE Vernon Davis. pic.twitter.com/8wQ0KlECaE
- Paul Lukas (@UniWatch) December 1, 2016
Von Miller's #mycausemycleats for this weekend pic.twitter.com/H641VVSwYS
- Phil Hecken (@PhilHecken) November 29, 2016Custom cleats this Sunday for Texans QB Brock Osweiler, spotlighting Ronald McDonald House. McD's arch formed when shoes placed together. pic.twitter.com/7rd2gNJxAR
- Paul Lukas (@UniWatch) December 1, 2016As Paul Lukas of ESPN noted, there's no "best" cleats this week. Every pair is supporting a great cause, and the colorful kicks are popping on the TV.