11.03.2021
It goes without saying that a solid pair of goalkeeper gloves is the single most important football equipment for every goalkeeper (besides football boots, obviously), and there are a lot of things to keep in mind when you are looking for your new goalkeeper gloves. In Unisport’s goalkeeper glove guide, we will take you through the most common things to consider in the process so that you will be able to find the perfect goalkeeper gloves.
There are a lot of different brands to choose from when it comes to goalie gloves. You can take your pick from either the major sportswear brands such as Nike, adidas and PUMA or perhaps look to more specialized goalkeeper brands like Uhlsport and Reusch.
The gloves from Nike are some of the best on the market - especially the lightweight gloves featuring the Nike Vapor Grip 3, which provides you with an excellent grip, ergonomic fit and basically perfect handling of the ball.
See our selection of Nike goalkeeper gloves here
A pair of goalie gloves from adidas will definitely help you out in order to keep a clean sheet. The adidas gloves come in various colourways and cuts featuring the latest technology with no sewing to irritate the wrists as well as an increased catching area. Thus, the adi gloves perfectly combine comfort and functionality.
Check out our huge selection of adidas goalkeeper gloves right here
See our wide assorment of PUMA goalkeeper gloves
Browse through our selection of Uhlsport goalkeeper gloves
Have a look at our assortment of Reusch goalkeeper gloves right here
No goalkeeper glove guide without mentioning glove cuts. When you’re trying to decide on your new goalkeeper gloves, you have to choose from a vast number of glove cuts. Below, you will see a few rules of thumb regarding each cut:
Flat cut is a traditional cut where the seams are on the outside of the fingers and the palm is completely flat. This gives a large catching area with spacious fingers. If you want a looser fit, this cut is an excellent choice.
Negative Cut is a newer cut where the seams are on the inside of the glove. This cut provides a tight fit and a great ball control as if you were catching bare handed.
Roll Finger Cut is a popular cut where the latex is rolled around the fingers, causing a larger amount of latex and a better latex-to-ball-contact. This cut also gives a tight fit and great ball control.
Hybrid Cuts are very different but they all have in common that they combine different glove cuts to improve the grip.
Choosing the right cut is a matter of preferences and you might have to try the different kinds to really know what you prefer.
Read the full guide on how to choose the right glove cut here
The latex is a very important feature in goalkeeper gloves, but it can seem like quite a jungle to navigate through the many different types.
Important rules of thumb are:
Often latex types are divided into Soft Grip, Super Soft Grip, Mega/Giga Grip and Contact/Supreme Grip.
The Soft Grip latex is mainly for starters and juniors. The latex is durable and comfortable but doesn’t provide the best grip. This however can help the young goalkeepers work on improving their catching skills.
The Super Soft Grip latex is the natural upgrade from the Soft Grip. It’s suitable for ambitious beginners and advanced goalkeepers. The grip is way better than that of the Soft Grip and the comfort and durability is just as good.
The Mega/Giga Grip latex is an elite latex used in the top models and many of the best takedowns. Again, the grip is way better than the Super Soft Grip. The latex is very sticky and comfortable but not very resistant.
The Contact/Supreme Grip has the absolute best grip available and the latex is sticky and very comfortable. This latex is naturally the most expensive but also the least durable. Some brands add granulates to the latex to enhance the grip even further.
The Aqua Grip latex is amazing when the rain is pouring, and it’s a great idea to add a pair of Aqua Grip Gloves to your glove collection.
Fingersave is a feature that is available in some goalkeeper gloves, most often Flat Cut-gloves. Fingersave comes in different shapes, but common to them all is that they help to prevent your fingers from bending backwards.
Fingersave adds great finger protection but it comes at a price. Gloves with fingersave are less flexible and you might feel like you’re missing some control and flexibility.
Some goalkeeper gloves have fingersave systems that can be removed if you prefer. Some gloves even allow you to only have protection for some specific fingers. That way, you can choose exactly where you want protection and regain some of the ball control.
It’s no secret that artificial grass is not a goalkeeper glove's best friend. The hard surfaces can shorten the lifetime of your gloves. Therefore it’s important to take good care of your gloves and wash them to keep the latex soft and clean. That being said, there are some important things to consider when you buy new gloves. If you often play on AG, you should consider buying two pairs of goalkeeper gloves. One pair for matches and one pair for training. Depending on your budget, you can choose two identical pairs of match gloves or a good pair of match gloves and a less expensive pair of training gloves.
Do you spend a lot of hours on artificial grass? This guide gives you the solutions you need.
It’s very important that you take excellent care of your goalkeeper gloves. Gloves aren’t like boots that you can wash when they’re dirty. They need to be washed very often and preferably every time you’ve used them. Make it your most important habit to bring the gloves to the shower after training, wash them gently with and let them dry on a hanger until your next training session. That way, you keep them fresh, damp and ready to perform for a very long time.
Read our full guide on how to take care of your goalkeeper gloves here.
Need to have or nice to have? Except from gloves and boots, a goalkeeper doesn’t need anything else. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any accessories that are nice to have. For instance it is always a great idea to bring a towel to the pitch in case of rain. Sells Technical Aqua is a stroke of genius for this purpose. Other useful accessories are finger tape, glove bags and Glove Glu.
If you want to know more about the most handy goalkeeper accessories, check out this guide.
Last but not least, there are a couple of sizing guidelines to keep in mind when you are on the look-out for kids goalkeeper gloves. The sizes for kids goalkeeper gloves is usually between 4 and 7, while the sizes for adult goalie gloves run from 8 to 12. Below is a quick overview of the goalkeeper glove sizes suitable for the different kids age groups:
You will find a wide selection of kids goalkeeper gloves in all sizes right here.
Check out Unisport's full assortment of goalkeeper gloves here