The Right Type of Shin Guard for You

Ah Shin Guards… you either love them or hate them as a soccer player. They seem like God’s gift to you when you are cleated in the shin, but otherwise they are those annoying little pieces of plastic that you are repeatedly pulling up throughout the game. There are numerous different types of shin guards out there, and I am here to tell you about my experiences with two types I have worn in the past years: strapless and detachable shin guards with ankle protectors.

Nike Mercurial Blade Shin Guards

Currently I wear what I would describe as strapless shin guards because they are the ones that you just slide into place under your socks. The exact style of shin guards that I wear is the Mercurial Blade by Nike. One aspect about these shin guards that I really like is that they are easy to put on, then take off, and you don’t have to mess around with numerous Velcro straps. But, my big dilemma with these strapless shin guards is that they fall down your shins too easily and bring your socks right along with them. To prevent that problem, many of my teammates put tape around their calves to hold the shin guard in place, but I don’t really like that solution because the tight tape around my legs is uncomfortable for me. This style of shin guards seems to be all the rage in the soccer community and you can see many professional players who wear them.

Adidas Shin Guards with Ankle Protectors

Before I wore the strapless shin guards, I wore the detachable shin guards. These shin guards are like a plain shin guard with one Velcro strap on top, and then an attachable ankle guard that connects to the shin guard with Velcro and then is secured by a second strap of Velcro that went around your leg. These shin guards that I wore were by far my most favorite during my many years spent playing and they were created by Adidas, but have since been discontinued within the past few years. I would have never gotten rid of them, but they were falling apart since I had worn them for 4+ years. I really like the detachable aspect of these shin guards because it was easy to remove the main part of the shin guard when you wanted to roll down your socks after a game. Also I personally really like having an ankle guard on because it seems that I get kicked in the ankle more often than I do in the shin. If you are able to find a set of shin guards that have this detachable aspect, I would highly recommend buying them because with my past experiences they have seemed to work the best.

 When purchasing shin guards there are a few aspects that you need to take into consideration to make sure you are getting what’s best for you. First off is size. When trying to decide which ones fit best, I don’t really pay attention to the measurement provided on the back, I just quickly try them on. Most shin guards come in cases that are closed by zippers, so it is really easy to just open them up and quickly try them on. Just on a personal note: MAKE SURE YOU GET A SIZE THAT COVERS A MAJORITY OF YOUR SHIN. My biggest pet peeve as a player is when my teammates complain about all these bruises they have on their shins and the reason why is because they are wearing a xtra-small size shin guard that only covers 1/3 of their shin. Also if you are looking at buying shin guards that come with the ankle protector but you want the detachable kind, make sure that is an option because many ankle protectors today are permanently attached to the shin guard.

           Deciding which type of shin guard best suits you as a player ultimately comes down to your own personal preference. I sometimes feel like I am in the minority of those who don’t really like the strapless shin guards without ankle protectors, but that’s just me. Experiment with many different types until you’ve seen all their pros and cons to make your final decision on which one you like best. Also note that shin guards don’t have to have a fancy design on them because they are covered by your socks anyways. So get what’s most comfortable for you not the ones that have the coolest design or are the most popular because in the end you don’t want to have to worry about them during the game.

 

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