General Shinguard Thread

Discussion in 'Apparel & Training Gear' started by illdthedj, Mar 10, 2009.

  1. illdthedj

    illdthedj Member

    Jan 15, 2009
    Bay Area, Ca
    Club:
    AC Milan
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Now i know the mods arn't keen on new threads being started if a like one exists, so i searched for 'shinguards' went back a few pages and didnt see anything....

    So i was curious....
    what shinguards do you wear, and why?
    your opinion on shinguards? and brand you loyal to? what style do you prefer? with or without ankle support? etc.

    give your honest reviews here.

    Personally, I wear the Sondico OSI, paired with some S1 Sport Ankle supports:
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    i picked the sondico after looking thru quite a few pairs of guards because I was interested in the OSI technology. beats me what it stands for, but basically they are custom fit shingaurds. They come flat with some gauze wrap...i forget the exact procedure, but it involved soaking them a good amount of time in warm water i believe, then they become softer and plyable, then you place them exactly where you want them and wrap the gauze around them tightly (i added atheletic tape to make sure it was wrapped well) and letting them dry naturally. When they are dry, they are rock solid and fit your shins perfectly.

    also, they dont seem to slip around much because the fit is custom, even without socks covering them! (at least, for me)

    Other reasons i prefer these shin guards: out of all the shin guards i looked up for tall/large players, these were the longest, the adult size being 10 inches long. I am 6'3 and all legs so i like to cover as much of my shins as possible. some other adidas large shingaurds barely covered half my shins.

    Also, they are VERY LIGHT WEIGHT....they weigh practically nothing (at least compared to others i have worn), BUT at the same time, they are EXTREMELY durable and protective. i think i could stop bullets with these things (not testing that anytime soon lol). i have been kicked in the shins with these, and they are up to my standards. its suprising, considering they are the thinnest shinguards i have ever worn. must be the material.

    copy/pasted info:
    WEIGHT: 3.7oz
    SIZES: JR (8.5), SR (10”)
    MRSP: $36.00

    Sondico’s Osi personal fit shinguard is medically tested using moldable fiberglass shells that are personally fitted. Perforated 3mm EVA foam backing gives comfort and impact dispersion. Double Velcro strapping secures the guard. Packaged in ziplock poly bag with header card.

    About the ankle guards:
    Some people hate ankle guards...i prefer them. i seem to get kicked a bunch (someone put a kick me sign on me i assume every game). whats nice about these is they are your standard ankle guard, yes, but they have some extra padding sown down the achiles tendon, which is nice. also, the large is kind of small for a large, which actually i dont mind....i prefer them a bit tight.


    and now my NEGATIVE review:
    [​IMG]
    a friend got these for my birthday when we decided to get back into soccer (we were ex-highschool varsity players). thanks friend...but these suck (well, at least for me). they were size large....i think technically they do sell xtra large, but xtra large ones seem to be harder to find than a needle in a haystack. these are the guards i was saying covered barely half my shin. on top of that, they seem SUPER thick, like they are protruding out two inches, as opposed to a quarter inch thick like the sondicos. the plastic feels chinzy. also, they seem like they were made for people with thin shins, because it felt like they were pinching onto my shins rather than sitting snug.

    opposite that, the ankle guards felt XXL! they felt clumsy and loose. the band stretched quite a bit.

    im normally a huge fan of adidas products, but im def. not a fan of these.
    perhaps that would be different if i was a midget with thin shins and super fat ankles lol
     
  2. dejansavicevic10

    Jun 12, 2009
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Nigeria
    I have had the Sondico titaniums for more than 5 years now. As a defender, I needed something that was a little bit more heavier, because I get stuck in. In addition, the shin guards come with ankle support, so I have never had to tape my ankles.
     
  3. ryan-c

    ryan-c Member

    Mar 17, 2009
    Club:
    Hull City AFC
    Good thread i'm always curious about shin pads.

    I change between shinpads. Because i live in the UK in winter it can be horrendous so i wear shinpads with ankle guards. extra protection. In summer i just wear a a shin guard taped to keep it in place.

    I use nike shinpads but with or without ankle protect, i like the fit of them. Can't remember names of them etc, got them a quite a while ago.

    Them sondico's sound good, i'm about 6'4 so i have the same problem with trying to get a pad that protects a good portion of my shin. I may have to look into them as i'm due a new pair.

    Also has any tries this shinpads with the sock thing to slide the pad into without the ankle protection vvvvvvvvv

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  4. shrtysskat8

    shrtysskat8 Member

    Aug 3, 2005
    Chicago
    i have been wearing the nike j-guard and the vapor guards for the last couple of years now, light, dont have to tape em and they do the job really. need some news ones soon though because mine are pretty beat up.
     
  5. dejansavicevic10

    Jun 12, 2009
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Nigeria
    I don't do OSI shinguards, because they tend to move a lot, but as far as the Sondico's go, I would recommend the Titaniums or their equivalent.
     
  6. illdthedj

    illdthedj Member

    Jan 15, 2009
    Bay Area, Ca
    Club:
    AC Milan
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    move a lot? really? mine stay in place the best out of any shinguard i wear. i would think they would too, considering they are fiberglass that is custom molded to your shin.
     
  7. CanadianBlue

    CanadianBlue New Member

    Feb 15, 2009
    Ontario
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Poland
    I plan to get new shinguards eventually, but right now I've got Nike T90 with ankle guards. Only complaint is that occasionally after a hard tackle you have to readjust, but no problems for the most part.
     
  8. C-dub57

    C-dub57 Member

    Jun 4, 2008
    Iowa
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I've gotten 12 yellow cards (yes, i've counted) for not wearing proper equipment. I use the mercurial alpha lite shin guard in a M. While it is small, it is NOCSAE, or whatever it is, approved, it just doesn't have the tag on it. It says it's NOCSAE approved on the box. I started carry around the box and showing it to referees before the games, yet 2 have still given me cards. If you get them, get them in a L. The mediums are about 4 1/2 inches long.
     
  9. ringtone

    ringtone New Member

    May 26, 2009
    Wichita, KS
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    For the last season I got the Nike First2 fit shield. You can take off the padding part on the back and just use the hard shell part slipped into the sleeve (and tape it) and it works great. I pretty much hate shineguards because I feel like they get in the way, but when you take off the padding part, not only does the shinguard not get in the way at all, it also is abnormally protective.
    I like it a lot for a few reasons:
    -these are very very flat against your legs since the padding part is removable.
    -Even with the padding removed, they are extremely durable, and I dunno what they are made out of, but getting whammed in the shin doesn't hurt at all (with just the hardshell and sleeve, it's weird)
    -Although I'd guess that taking out the padding would make them no longer nocsae approved, the approval tag is on the shell part so it's still ~technically approved.
    -With just the shell part, the shinguards don't ever start to smell and washing the sleeves is easy

    Great shinguard, though I'll probably try those sondico OSI ones next time around.
     
  10. Ihateusernames

    May 16, 2007
    Merriam, KS
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I've had some OSI ones (Lanzera I think they are called) and I love them. They move a bit but only on really hard tackles and then it's no more than any other guard I've used. I don't do the ankle things as mine don't have the option and I wouldn't use it anyway. They are so lightweight. The only problem I've had is that I took a cheapshot and my lower leg was so swollen I couldn't put them on the next game. If anyone is curious, they DO remold if you need. I have had mine for about 7 years now and had a late growth spurt - at 22 no less - and had to remold them. No biggie.
     
  11. wovsk8r

    wovsk8r Member

    Sep 6, 2008
    Norfolk Va/san diego
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    can anyone state the guard rules again. I'm 5'8 and I wear the adidas slip in ones size small haha
     
  12. jeremy2912

    jeremy2912 Member

    Aug 1, 2008
    Brussels
    Club:
    RSC Anderlecht
    Nat'l Team:
    Belgium
    anyone playing with mercurial lite II ?
    how are they, especially that slip in sock thing
     
  13. Jingleheimer Schmidt

    May 28, 2009
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    i just got the mercurial lite IIs for this season
    havent tried them yet though
     
  14. akosimachineman

    akosimachineman New Member

    Nov 6, 2009
    Club:
    AC Ajaccio
    i have always wear nike shin guard its comfortable and i felt like im always protected. i also wear wristband
    to be protected and avoid injuries
     
  15. tonygravato

    tonygravato New Member

    Nov 10, 2009
    Little Egg Harbor,NJ
    Nat'l Team:
    Portugal
    My son (he is 7) has the originals (picked them up at a Nike outlet for $5) and loves them. He just slips them in his socks (doesn't use the sleeve.) Depending on the socks he is wearing he may have to tape the bottom. We just saw the II at a Sports Authority and really liked them. They seem a little lighter then the originals (but not by much).
    He was using a Umbro slip in. He doesn't like the ankle guards at all.
    I think Nike does a great job with these guards.
     
  16. hclori

    hclori New Member

    Feb 28, 2010
    Club:
    AC Milan
    If you wont the best shinguard now avaliable ..fiber carbon and inside in neoprene 100%hand made and personal grafic service..
    Visit the italian website WWW.GLSPORT.EU
     
  17. endlesswinterco

    endlesswinterco BigSoccer Supporter

    Apr 1, 2008
    East Coast
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    they have to be NOCSAE approved, on the tag, with the size range. as long as you are within the size range on the tag of the shinguard, you are good to go. again, the tag must be on the shinguard with NOCSAE and the size range. this is for high school soccer. in college we never got checked for size, only to see if you had them on.
     
  18. tubby_butter

    tubby_butter Member

    Mar 22, 2002
    Providence
    i have these also. I really like them, they are light and can really take a whack without problem. I use a Osi sleeve and go through a couple of pairs per year, but the guards have held up great. They are a good compromise between protection and lightweight. If you wear J-guard, or oppositely, like full protection with ankle guards, then you probably won't like these.

    What size do you wear? I'm 6'0" and want to get some J guards for indoor, and only because they are required. I basically want to feel like I'm not wearing any, so not looking for much coverage. I'm thinking about going medium.
     
  19. C-dub57

    C-dub57 Member

    Jun 4, 2008
    Iowa
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Large starts at 5'7 for most of nike guards i've seen, sadly. I'm in the same boat as you at 5'8 but I just go with mediums because who's going to get my height on field?
     
  20. chaz2526

    chaz2526 Member

    Nov 13, 2005
    anyone had any experience with the s1 sport shinguards? the whole system they have seems like a great idea.
     
  21. chivamex10

    chivamex10 Member+

    Mar 1, 2010
    your mom's house
    Club:
    CD Chivas de Guadalajara
    Nat'l Team:
    Mexico
    i don't even remember the last time i wore shin guards lol. I can't stand em. Especially if they have the ankle guard and stuff. They're just so bulky. I just wear the smallest ones i can find and secure them with ankle tape. I hate shin guards with straps.
    these are the ones i use
    [​IMG]
    If i had money to blow i'd love to get the carbon fiber ones. They hella wet. But $100 for shin guards is down right ridicoulous.
     
  22. vanjory

    vanjory Member

    Dec 9, 2008
    Singapore
    Wow not sure if this thread is still alive, last post 4+ years ago. Anyway, can't believe all these CF shinguards cost a bomb! They look really nice tbh, sleek design and customizable but wow mad price.

    [​IMG]

    http://sak-shinguards.com/#home
     
  23. FireZealot

    FireZealot New Member

    Feb 19, 2015
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Is this thread still alive?

    I wanted advice on a potentially getting a new pair of shin guards.

    Historically I've used Nike Charge (http://www.sportsauthority.com/NIKE-Charge-Adult-Shin-Guards/product.jsp?productId=16557816). These were good, but rather bulky and started to break down. So, for my next purchase I went with the Storelli Leg Guard (http://www.storelli.com/soccer-protection-shop/bodyshield-legguard.html) coupled with adidas f50 pro lite (http://www.bloomfieldsportsshop.com...id=867&zenid=f58c964cd5a0e74dbf454d642a9c562f).

    I liked the increase mobility and feel, but last week I did a strong tackle and really messed up my shin. Not exactly sure how, but the pressure punched through the guard and heavily bruised my tibia and shin muscle. A week in it still hurts to walk.

    I tend to play defence/defensive mid, so I'm wondering if I went with too 'weak' of a shin guard. I do really like the storellis though, so ideally I'd find something that can partner with them. Any suggestions? I've never hurt myself like this while wearing shin guards...
     

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