Wilson Adds A1000 Glove To Customizer Site
Image credit: (Photo Courtesy of Wilson)
Creative young ballplayers have a new canvas, as Wilson has added the popular A1000 glove to its customization site.
The most popular Wilson glove series among players aged 10 to 14, the A1000 gives the brand’s growing customization capabilities the opportunity to attract younger players.
“Early feedback from ballplayers has been overwhelmingly positive that we can extend these services to younger travel ball players looking up to older players and big leaguers who are expressing themselves through their gear,” Aaron Gillette, Wilson senior brand marketing manager, told Baseball America.
The A1000 joins the A2000 and A2K on the customizer site, but at a much lower price point: $230 for the A1000 compared to the $400 of the A2000 and $580 of the A2K.
The full-grain leather in the A1000 has made it a popular glove for the younger players. It requires minimal break-in but is still built to the exact specifications of the A2000 pattern and created in the same factories with the same craftsmanship.
“Players can pick it up off the shelf or take it out of the box and to practice that same day and know they’ll be able to get it into a game that week,” Gillette said. “It really is the perfect model for a serious travel ball player looking to step up their defensive game and get ready to transition into the Pro Stock gloves.”
New for the A1000, the custom glove options will include the ability to add SuperSkin, turn any pattern into a lefty, change the fit of the wrist and more, just like the A2K and A2000 options. The only difference will be some colors will vary because of the softer full-grain leather used in the A1000, which is different than the Pro Stock Select and Pro Stock leathers designed for the rugged play of the older athletes.
With a range of pro-style patterns and the Pedroia Fit option, which Gillette says is “ideal for 10- to 12-year-olds and players with smaller hands,” the versatility of the A1000 is popular with younger players.
The ability to customize will open up a new world of A1000 designs.
“We’ve learned over the last few years to not be surprised by rapidly changing tastes and trends,” Gillette said about what to expect from the early days of customization. “We’re going into this new phase of A1000 gloves with an open mind and are excited to see what younger ballplayers start designing, but we anticipate that our full palette of colors across leather, SuperSkin, lacing, stitching and more will come into play.”
Tim Newcomb covers gear and business for Baseball America.
