Goalkeepers are usually left behind when people in the internet review soccer gear. Here at Master Soccer Mind we actually care about you and understand how complicated it might be to choose a pair of gloves. Also, goalkeepers usually have to extra money in gear that other players don’t need to buy, and I believe you won’t want to waste your hard-earned money.
In this article, I tried to make your life easier and I put together what I believe are the best goalkeeper gloves right now. I’m not a goalkeeper myself, but I do love goalkeeping at practice, and usually, I am the one that takes the goal if something happens to our goalie So, I know what I like in my gloves.
My #1 Pick
If I had to buy goalkeepers glove I would go with the Reusch Attrakt G3 Fusion Evolution. Reusch is always making gloves with really complicated names, but don’t worry, you won’t have to write down that name because I conveniently found them for you at soccer.com in this link.
These gloves combine everything a goalkeeper. The fingers are one of the best things as they are very padded but at the same time offer a very close to finger feel for the ball. Reusch is characterized for making the most technical gloves in the market and this are no exception.
Another thing I think that makes them special is the back. Most brands get the palm done pretty well, however, the back part is what sets apart good from great gloves. Another thing they’ve considerably improve is the wrist, to which they have introduced a more modern feel and elastic band. These gloves are the only to guarantee to be worth the price you are paying for them.
A second cheaper option
For less than half the price you can get the Puma Future Grip 5.1. This is the best glove from the top 3 brands (Nike, Adidas, and Puma) by far. Just as the last gloves, they are very complete. The palm is amazing and one of the best grips in the market.
As I mentioned before, the back part of the gloves is very important too, and Puma has done a great job here with no doubt. Plus, the wrist has an elastic band that makes the gloves fit seamlessly. You can see their price here at soccer.com.
How to choose Goalkeeper gloves: The Basics
I want to make a quick guide that can help beginner goalkeepers to choose the best goalkeeper gloves for them. The world of GK’s gloves is huge, and very different from what field players are accustomed to. Gloves come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. They have countless innovative technologies, cuts, and latex types that can make it very confusing for new goalkeepers to buy a pair.
It is true that big brands like Nike, Adidas, and Puma do make great goalkeeper gloves. However, I would say that if you want to get the best gloves in the market, you should buy them from brands that specialize exclusively in this area. Among them are: “Reusch”, “Uhlsport”, “SP”, “HO Soccer”, and “Rinat”.
A common mistake that newbie goalkeepers do when they are going to buy a new pair of gloves is that they buy a pair because of its color. They prefer having gloves that match with the color of the uniform or their cleats than a pair that performs well. This a common mistake not only buying gloves but also soccer cleats. Just make sure to know the basics so you do a better choice at the time you pick a pair of gloves for you.
Latex Types
Among the different latex types we can find at goalkeeper gloves we have:
- Natural latex 80%-90%
- Natural latex 50%
- Synthetic Latex
Natural Latex 80%-90% we could say are like high-end gloves. They offer the best quality of all goalkeeper gloves, but they are also the most expensive ones. They are a soft, cushioned, and have great grip in wet conditions. One point against them is that they are extremely delicate. They can easily wear off quickly, meaning they don’t offer the best durability.
Natural latex 50% on the other hand, is kind of like a take-down model from the 80% variations. They still offer a premium, but less cushioned feel. They are also notably cheaper but are a lot more durable. If you don’t have the money to buy a pair of gloves every once in a while, this would be a great pick for you.
Synthetic latex gloves are the cheapest of them all. They are very different from the natural latex gloves in that they are less cushioned, and it’s hard to play with them in wet playing conditions, although they perform decently when dry. The best thing about them is that they are the most durable of them all. They are super resistant to friction and erosion with the surface.
Now, which ones are the best for you? It depends on what you need. If you are a player that plays soccer just once in a while, not so much in a competitive aspect, and is not willing to spend too much money in gloves, then the Synthetic gloves will work for you. If you want the best feel from them all, and comfort is very important for you, then the natural latex 80%-90% gloves are the best for you.
But, what happens if you want the best feel, but you are not willing to spend on new gloves every time the latex wears off? A great tip, if you are in this situation, is to buy a pair of natural latex 80%-90% for competitive games, and synthetic gloves for training sessions.
Different Cuts
There are 3 different cuts we can find at goalkeeper gloves:
- Negative cut
- Roll Finger
- Flat
Flat cut Is the most simple type of cut we’ve seen. It’s the one that has been used since the beginning. The latex palm of the hand is cutted, and sewed to the rest of the glove.When using these gloves you feel a very standard sensation.
In the other hand, Roll finger is a type of cut that gives more protection to the fingers. There is much more latex material rolling around the finger. This cut makes gloves be very bulky in comparison to other gloves. They will also be the most cushioned gloves. If you like the bulky sensation in your hands, this are great for you.
Finally, the negative cut is a more modern type of glove. Is similar to the flat cut, but the difference is that they are stitched together from the inside. With them, we have a sensation like we were wearing a surgeon glove, because they have a very close to hand fit.
Which is one is best? Again, the answer depends on what is that you like the most. If you like having a bulky sensation with great protection, then a roll finger will be great for you. If you like a more close to hand fit, you like having great sensibility when having the ball in your hands, but don’t care too much about protection, a negative cut will work. If you are not sure, you can always choose the flat cut, or a hybrid model that combines to different cuts like the roll-negative and roll-flat.
Other Protection Gear for goalkeepers
Goalkeepers are constantly diving and making contact with the surface. They are the players that suffer from skin abrasions the most times. To prevent this, they must some type of protective clothing to reduce the friction between the surface and them. For me, the item that does this the best in the entire market is the Storelli BodyShield Goalkeeper (available at amazon.com).
Why you should buy it at Soccer.com?
It’s totally okay to buy soccer gear at Amazon. The problem with buying on Amazon for us, the soccer gear buyers, is that we run out of options quickly. The variety Amazon has related to soccer gear is decent, but very limited in comparison to online soccer stores. Most of the time, when I want to buy specific soccer gear that I’ve seen on the web, it won’t be available on Amazon.
If I was going to buy soccer gear at this moment, the last place I would do it is at Amazon. Online soccer stores are notably superior to amazon’s offer. In fact, I’m not even trusting Amazon anymore when buying soccer cleats because there are retailers that sell fake soccer cleats and because Amazon is only targeting to sell cheap takedown models.
Usually, what we’ll find on Amazon is not necessarily the best gear, but commercial gear that the average person is willing to buy, which is understandable considering Amazon is not an online soccer store.
That’s why most of the time I prefer to buy gear at online stores specific for soccer. The one I trust the most are soccer.com. Online soccer stores simply offer all the soccer gear that is available for us, the soccer player. They sell the soccer gear that we will usually not find physically at any store or at Amazon. Here are some advantages of buying in online soccer stores:
- You have greater variety: They will usually have all the soccer gear that is available in the market at the recommended price brands wants them to sell. You’ll have more options in colors and sizes, an area in which Amazon is insufficient.
- You can filter your searches: It is easy to look for the gear that you need because the stores will usually have everything well-organized in the site. For example, you can look for soccer cleats depending on their playing surface (FG, SG, AG), to their brand (Nike, Adidas, Puma, etc), collections, age, and many others.
- Discounts: Online soccer stores will usually have great discounts on high-end soccer gear all year long on old models or colorways. Especially on buying seasons like Christmas or thanksgiving, their discounts are gold for soccer players.
- Personalization: At online soccer stores, you are able to personalize your gear if you wish to with your name, numbers, or flags. I bought a pair of soccer cleats with my name and my date of birth on it last year. It’s a nice detail anyone would like on their gear.
- Better service overall: It’s totally different to deal with amazon when you have complains or doubts about a product, from talking to someone at an online soccer store that is an expert in soccer gear, that knows about the game as much as you do, and that truly understands the player’s needs.
What I like the most about buying at online soccer stores is that you can filter the searches of your cleats. For example, if you want cleats for artificial grass, you can search at the store for cleats only for this surface (you can do the same with FG, SG, indoor, and turf). Or you can also search for a specific brand or collection you like. The user experience is simply a lot better.
The only place where you’ll be able to have all the options of soccer cleats that are currently on the market are these online stores specific for soccer. Amazon’s offer is very bad, and I couldn’t find any good retailer that sold the boots I liked the most. Besides, you’ll probably be able to buy them discounted boots for cheaper at these stores.