Coach Vic, Coach Vic, Coach Vic!!!!
WHAT KIND OF SHIN GUARDS SHOULD I BUY?
You have to take into consideration a few factors:
Your experience and training goals?
Body type?
How well conditioned your shins are (Are you fairly new or an experienced boxer?)
Budget? Do you want to keep cost minimal or do you want to treat yourself?
Intro:
This is a pretty straight forward explanation as to what equipment you should invest in.
Unlike gloves, There aren’t too many variables to consider when we are purchasing shin guards.
The few things to consider are construction/material and dimensions. Always check the sizing guides to make sure you are buying the correct length and dimensions for your body type.
Other than that, make sure they always have foot padding. I like a non-detachable kind.
Experience and Training Goals:
Are you deep in the game and committed? Are you competing often?
If this is the case then I would suggest having two pairs of shin guards.
One pair made of hard firm material for sparring and drilling. A second cloth pair for competing, or to replicate competition environments for training purposes.
The Argument for Cloth Shin Guards:
Alright- This is an area of much contention. I have read (mostly in the r/MuayThai) that people are against using cloth shin guards.
The argument being that you will end up hurting your training partners.
While that MAY be true, it isn’t always the case.
The counterpoint to this argument is what’s your training style? Does your gym do hard sparring?
Hard sparring being near 100% follow through of strikes. If this is the case, maybe get some leather pads.
If you are in a gym that does ‘playful’ style sparring, cloth shin guards are fine. More so, I believe cloth shin guards are excellent training tools to develop shin bone conditioning.
If by chance you are sparring and accidentally kick a little harder or perhaps maybe kick a knee (the most likely scenario), the times I’ve seen this happen, the injury happens to the striker rather than the defender, thus, you are more likely to hurt yourself while wearing cloth shin guards.
And on that note, if by chance your shins are injured or even a little tender- You can always double up on the shin guards.
If this is the rare case for me, I will put a cloth shin guard under a leather shin guard, thus providing me with an extra layer of protection. 🙂
The last counter to the ‘cloth shin guard’ debate is that if you are competing and the competition asks for cloth shin guard to be worn, I believe it’s important to simulate that competitive environment for training purposes. Perhaps once or twice a week of sparring with cloth shin guards and maybe taper that off closer to the event to prevent any pre-fight injuries.
So, in summary, cloth shin guards are rad! 🤘
Body Type:
I am of a slighter build (5’ 7 3/4” 145 lbs) and my preference to training equipment is tighter, more form fitting gear, so I usually opt for The Fairtex SP3 shin guards or more recently the Twins Special competition shin guards. Or even cloth shin guards depending on my mood!
For bigger people, I recommend the Fairtex Sp5. These are way too bulky and heavy for my preference- But if you need the added protection: You do you!
Shin Conditioning:
Are you new? Cloth shin guards have a high learning curve as they can be the most painful option for beginners.
In this case I would advise to use something with a little more padding or firmness to it.
Budget:
What’s your budget? There are ton of brands out there for shin guards. I listed my favorites and what I recommend people purchase. They can be pricey, but will last you a really long time if you take care of your equipment.
Wipe it down, let them dry, air them out and your shin guards should last you a few years.
I mean- You can buy a budget pair of shin guards- I don’t have any to recommend but what I have notice is that these ‘budget’ brands are made cheaply, thus they will need replacing after maybe a few months.
Go ahead and buy some, your mileage may vary- But don’t say I didn’t warn you!
If you’re deadass broke? Shit- I guess loaner pairs are in your future until you can save up for a good pair!
If you’re willing to pay with pain, then go for cloth pads.
If you are serious about the sport: Invest in yourself. Maybe eat in a few times a week. Maybe not go to a bar a few weekends, or maybe kick back on smoking bud. Whatever your vice may be, turn to the alternative:
Investing in yourself for the sport you’re learning.
Stay way from:
Neoprene sock shinguards. Mainly made for use in MMA. Good luck getting those off, or keeping them fresh. They stink like a motherfucker after a few uses. 😂
Outro:
And well, that’s basically it! Good luck and enjoy the pain! 😉😈
In summary:
Top pick:
(Twins is currently not vending at the moment, so good luck finding a pair 😭)
Twins Special Competition Shin Guards
Fairtex SP3 Pro Style Shin Guards
For bigger people:
Fairtex Competition Muay Thai Shin Guards, SP5
Cloth shin Guards?
Fancy Fairtex:
Cheaper Alternative:
Combat Sports Washable Training Instep Padded Shin Guards