Iron-clad provenance comes in the form of authenticator John Taube's LOA and our consignor's LOA, which reads "As a 1975 Padres front office employee, I became friends with Willie McCovey who joined the team in 1974. During the 1975 season McCovey still had his San Francisco Giants black cleats with orange trim in his locker. Since the Padres that season were wearing white cleats I asked him what he was planning to do with them. He gave me the right answer, 'Give them to you.'" Taube acknowledges the Giants origins, writing, "Vestiges of orange shoe polish or paint [Giants Colors] can be seen on the Adidas stripes on the sides and the cleats as well as on the heel." The size 12.5 cleats show excellent wear with the sole of the right cleat still retaining infield dirt. In addition, McCovey's number "44" is lightly notated on the Adidas label attached to each lace guard. Opening Bid $200.