Things to Consider When Buying Greaves:
1. Size and Weight – The more protection the shin guard provides, the heavier the shin guard will be. The balance between total protection and agility protection is excellent, with total protection taking away your agility and mobility, and less protection causing your shin and ankle to be damaged.
2. Hook-and-Loop vs Sleeve – The two types of shin guards are hook-and-loop and sleeve. Hook-and-loop shin guards (the most common type) have straps on the back of the shin guard, while stepped or sleeve shin guards require you to slide your legs through them. The sleeves usually look like large socks that you can slide your feet into.
3. Material – Usually, you can choose leather or synthetic leather. Leather is more durable and more comfortable, while synthetic leather is cheaper (but may have more technical improvements)
4. Foot and Ankle Protection – Some shin guards don’t provide much protection around the ankle. This means that if you kick the wrong opponent’s area during training, your ankle will swell
5. Quality vs. Price – If you buy the cheapest shin guards on the market, expect to get a substandard product. One thing I’ve learned over the years is to choose quality over price. This is especially true for greaves. A cheap pair of shin guards will most likely require constant adjustment during sparring as they will not stay in place and may not provide adequate protection for your shin guards.
