As a beginner wanting to play soccer, what's a good recommendation for me? The Mercurial Lite 3s or shin socks with a built in shins? Is there a big difference between the two? I saw the Mercurials at Sport Chalet for $20 but I didn't see the elasticated sleeve. If I were to get those, would I have to get an elasticated sleeve or a guard stay, then soccer socks over everything. Or can I get soccer socks over my shin guards? How do shin guards and soccer socks come into play?
Wear a pair of athletic socks first, drop the guard on and then pull on the soccer socks and the shoes; or You can put the soccer sock on first, put the shin guard on second and as long as you have enough sock you can fold it over and cover the shin guard.
i use shin guards with straps, but cut the top strap off. if i have anything to bandage (which is almost always: toes to tape together, damaged nails to protect, blisters) i cover that with a thin ankle sock, taped around the top so it doesn't slip back down under the heel, but otherwise it's just the soccer sock over the shinguard and that's that. the one strap and the sock hold everything in place fine. i just bought a new pair because the old ones were grotty, i just bought the cheapest they had (3€). they're not metallic, have any cool stripes or anything, but hey, they're just shin guards. you can find even cheaper: my first pair (30 years ago) i made myself from a plastic 5 gallon can and some upholstery foam (both out of the same dumpster).
Mercurial Lites offer the best protection while not being overly huge, in my opinion. Most Adidas guards fit funny, to me. Nike J Guard is good if you really want the bare minimum of protection. I would go with the Mercurial Lites.
When I started, I just bought the cheapest ones the store had. They don't have any straps, but they did have the elastic sleeves in the box. But I've never used the sleeves. I just stick them under my soccer socks and that holds them in place just fine.
I prefer light shin guards, and have been using the Nike Mercurial Lite for about three years. I really like them. They come with a little elastic sleeve which works okay, but I got a "compression sleeve" that is is about twice as long, and you put it on first, then it folds up and covers the guards so they can't slip down at all. If you don't need ankle protection, highly recommended.
Nike J Guard is the way to go. Cheap and work well enough. Don't waste money on Shinguards. Also whatever you do stay away from anything with ankle protection. They don't offer any additional protection. Also, they will add bulk and will be very uncomfortable.
Like the guys mention above something that just slides into your sock and is lightweight don't get too crazy spending too much money on them.
does anyone have the measurements for the nike j guard in sizes small and medium please? im looking to buy one online but i cant seem to find the measurements anywhere.
i agree with several of the opinions above, specially as a beginner you want something light and on the smallish side, you definitely do not want something that is going to get in your way