With hundreds of options buying your next pair of gloves can be a daunting process. We’ve simplified your buying experience into 3 great tips!
1. Find Your Size
One of the hardest things for a goalkeeper to do with all the glove options available is find their appropriate size. The factors that go into glove sizing are often unique to each glove brand like the fit of a t-shirt from one store to the next. Unfortunately, until you find the right glove for your style you will always be playing a bit of a guessing game when bouncing from one brand to the next.
We suggest using the sizing charts provided for the brand you’re targeting so that you follow their guidelines as closely as possible. At Renegade GK we have developed a rather comprehensive approach to glove sizing and how we feel it is most accurately done. To find your approximate glove size, measure from the base of the palm to the tip of the middle finger to find your hand’s length. You can also measure the circumference of your hand around the widest part of your hand for a more accurate sizing. Then use the size chart linked below to estimate your glove size.
Renegade GK: How to Find Your Size
Our Tip: Your gloves should allow 1-2 cm of space past your fingertips.
2. Choose Your Cut
One the hurdles in the buying process comes down to deciphering the many different styles of gloves available. With new improvements in design and functionality, it doesn’t look like the evolution of the modern-day keeper glove will be slowing down anytime soon. First, let us remind you of one critical aspect. A keeper is only as good as the hands in the gloves, not the other way around. We encourage you to lean towards fit, feel, and personal preference when it comes to your preferred cut, as opposed to the logo on the backhand of the gloves or the pro you saw on TV last weekend.
With different style cuts, you’re going to get a different feel when performing in them. Roll Finger and Negative cut gloves tend to be a bit tighter around the fingers, whereas Flat Cut gloves tend to be a bit more lose all around. Your style and preferred feel are what should dictate your cut of a glove and nothing else. Though it can be a bit pricey we always encourage keepers trying to try as many styles as they can before making their lifetime “cut” decision. Make sure when purchasing gloves across different brands to always pay attention to the cuts they offer. Many times, that may even help you determine which brand to purchase from.
3. Select Your Brand
Now, we may be a bit biased, but we will try our best to stay neutral. When selecting a brand, we suggest one method to the madness. Always base your decision on the feel of your hands in the gloves. So many times we see keepers on the training grounds wearing gloves that are either too large or too small simply because of the logo on the backhand that drove their buying decision. We sincerely encourage keepers and their parents to do your homework on not only the brand but also the specs of the gloves you or your player may be targeting.
We suggest considering the following factors when selecting a glove or glove brand:
- What palm latex is used?
- What are the available cuts?
- Do you need Fingersaves? Are they removable?
- What is the intended use of the glove? (I.e. Turf, Grass, Wet, Dry)
- Most importantly, do you have the option of a similar style or cut in both a match level pair and a training pair. Remember, training in one style and playing gloves in another is an ill-advised approach.
