Despite big competition from brands like adidas and Nike, Select march on regardless and keep delivering gloves of the highest order – and the best part is they don’t use funds on marketing, so the gloves are INSANE value for money…
08.12.2016
Despite big competition from brands like adidas and Nike, Select march on regardless and keep delivering gloves of the highest order – and the best part is they don’t use funds on marketing, so the gloves are INSANE value for money…
77, 88 or 99?
The categorisation of Select’s gloves seems quite straight forward at first glance, because the gloves appear to increase in quality the higher the number and price goes. It is however a little more complicated than that. It isn’t just the quality that changes – it is also the fit and cut. The 77 is for example made with Rollfinger Cut, while 88 has a Negative Cut and 99 has Flat Cut. The 99 also has Selects Protect System, which protects the finger from abrasions and sprains.
The three gloves have the same latex on the inside, but the outer foam is slightly different. It is small things that separate the three gloves quality-wise really, and your choice of glove should ultimately be down to your preference of cut, fit and whether or not you want finger protect.
77 – Rollfinger Cut and Super Soft Latex
The glove has a nice and pretty tight fit on the hand, which is something I have always found Rollfinger gloves missing. It was very clear that the SuperSoft-latex needed to be kept moist throughout the games I wore it in, because otherwise it really didn’t reach its full potential. The glove performed satisfactory – especially in dry weather. I’d say if you want a Rollfinger glove at a very manageable price, then the 77 is among the strongest in the world.
88 – Negative Cut & Nova Grip Latex
As some of you maybe already know, then I am a big fan of the Negative Cut, and I therefore had high hopes for the 88. Sky high in fact, but not too high it would seem. The glove managed to far exceed my expectations by having a sublime grip in both dry weather and rain. It also had very tight fit that never felt like it restricted my movement. This glove is in my opinion one that can compete with the very best available, especially because of the competitive price. It is a fantastic, durable glove that has plenty of good hours in it.
99 Flat Cut, Contact Latex & Protect System
As with all other fingersave-gloves, they do restrict the gloves and your hands flexibility quite a lot, which is one of the major drawbacks to all gloves that feature this protection. One of the clear advantages is however the way they keep your fingers safe and free from injury. It’s simply down to what you prefer yourself – I can’t stand finger save and could never play with it, but many others like it. On the 99 it can be removed, so you can give it a go and if you end up disliking it you can simply pull it out. Apart from the Finger Protect, the Select 99 goalkeeper gloves are exactly as you would imagine their most expensive glove is. Excellent grip, a comfortable fit and a high quality construction is what you want and what you get.