In Wilt Chamberlain’s autobiography, “Wilt: Larger than Life,” he credits his “popularity” with his 20,000 admirers to his height — but why are people so fascinated with height? 

The Tall Order team recently attended a fundraiser for the Harold and Carole Pump Foundation, which raises money for the Cancer Center at Northridge Hospital in Los Angeles. Among the many attendees were current and retired athletes, including John Salley, Artis Gilmore, Michael Phelps, John McEnroe, and Drew Brees, to name a few. 

However, regardless of their fame or familiarity, people typically gravitate to the tallest in the room.

Mamadou Ndiaye (7’6”) and Tacko Fall (7’6”) were speaking in the corner, and there was a line that formed of people asking for photographs. One by one, they would step up and politely ask for a picture with them.

Let’s digress for a minute.

A parallel infatuation does not exist for average-height people. Nobody would walk up to them and ask, “How short are you?” Similarly, people who are out of shape or unusually overweight would rarely be asked, “How much do you weigh?” That would be a terrible insult.

Yet, with height, it’s the exact opposite. If you’re an extra tall individual, you’ve probably heard or been asked all of the following questions:

• “Wow, you are tall!”
• “How’s the air up there?”
• “How tall are you?”

For whatever reason, it is socially acceptable to admire and even request pictures with the unusually tall.

Those of us who fit that bill have gotten used to the questions and attention, and some of us actually look at it as a positive — at least people care about us!

Tall Order’s partner, New York Yankees Captain, AL Home Run King, and 2022 AL MVP Aaron Judge, is one such athlete with a similar build and propensity to attract attention for much more than just being tall. Yet Aaron Judge’s height, like that of other vertically gifted people, is still a topic of discussion wherever he goes.

Let’s dive into a little bit more about Aaron Judge, his height, and what he wears to accommodate his lengthy build.

Aaron Judge: A Baseball Star

Aaron Judge is tall! At 6’7” and 280 pounds of pure muscle, whether you are a baseball fan or not, you notice him when he walks into a room. On the field, however, being tall can be both a benefit and a possible curse.

Height can have benefits and drawbacks when it comes to playing sports. In some sports, being tall helps athletes see the field/court and a tall person is a bigger target to play against, especially in basketball and football.

However, height can be a problem due to balance issues, posture, and increased use of force when playing sports. This can lead to being easily fatigued and not as effective in comparison to smaller athletes. Baseball is no exception. While Aaron doesn’t have stamina issues, his comfort on the field is of paramount importance.

What Aaron Judge Wears to Accommodate His Height

In the summer of 2020, Tall Order received a call that would change the trajectory of the company. According to the Yankees Assistant Equipment Manager, Joe Lee, Aaron’s on-field socks did not fit properly. They were too small, his toes were curled, and his heels would consistently slip out of his shoes. 

Solving this problem required us to listen to Aaron and figure out what he wanted: cushioning, compression, extra length (he prefers size 20+ in the over-the-knee silhouette), and stability. He didn’t want his foot to move in his shoe.

Tall Order, along with their partner United Legwear and Apparel, was able to develop a pair of custom compression, cushioned, gripper socks that exceeded Aaron’s expectations.

On April 6, 2021, Judge donned the socks for the first time in a game at Yankee Stadium, and the results were astounding. He had 3 hits in 5 at-bats with 4 RBIs and a mammoth home run.

Since that day, these are the only socks he’s worn on the field, and his record speaks for itself. To quote Aaron, the stability provided by the grippers and compression technology was a “game-changer”! 

Since Aaron’s endorsement, more MLB teams have started offering these socks to their players, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, and Atlanta Braves. 

The Aaron Judge Top Drawer Collection with Tall Order

This fall (of 2023), Tall Order will be releasing the Aaron Judge Top Drawer Collection, which includes the same gripper technology as the socks he wears on the field but in a lower-cut form.

These socks are made for performance; the grippers provide more stability regardless of the activity. Whether you are playing basketball, golf, pickleball, football, tennis, or simply walking, these socks will truly be a game-changer for your success!  

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