We’ll all ask ourselves this question at some point in our careers. The reality is that there are moments when it’s going to be worth it. There are other situations where it’s just not going to make a lot of sense. I want to go over each situation in this article while also talking about some of the traps that we fall into when buying goalkeeper gloves.
One of the more common traps has to do with buying the goalkeeper gloves that your favorite goalkeeper wears. That may be fine for cleats because you could potentially buy a version of the shoes that works for you. When it comes to goalkeeper gloves, that’s not always going to be an option. The problem is buying gloves that don’t cater to your needs can lead to injuries or just you feeling insecure while wearing them.
Speaking of insecurities, that sense of confidence that some of these top gloves can provide is something that’s hard to explain but can’t be overlooked. It’s one of the many reasons why it does make sense to look into expensive options. There are a lot of sayings out there about you dress like you feel or dress for the job that you want to have is one of the popular ones. To me those have always spoken to the confidence that dressing well can provide.
There’s an element of that with goalkeeper gear in general and goalkeeper gloves in specific. There are also instances where there are tangible benefits with the way that the gloves fit and the grip that they provide. All of these things need to be added up and weighed in with the price to figure out if the purchase makes sense.
Benefits of Buying Expensive Goalkeeper Gloves
The gloves are typically going to have better grip. This is where the goalkeeper glove market has gone these days. If you buy a pair of 100 dollar plus gloves that don’t have a good grip what are you doing? More importantly perhaps there’s probably no brand selling these types of gloves. Especially since all of the videos to promote goalkeeper gloves tend to put a heavy emphasis on the grip. You can manufacture good grip with middle priced gloves now though, so this advantage may not be huge in some cases.
Most of the expensive options on the market today are going to prioritize mobility. Very rarely will you see an expensive pair of goalkeeper gloves that’s thick and bulky. Most of the gloves that are in the top price range will be thin, and you’re not even going to feel like you have them on. Another situation that can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on who you ask!
The last idea is that expensive goalkeeper gloves are going to be made from quality materials. Very rarely again would you see an expensive pair of goalkeeper gloves that use rough latex on the palm areas. That’s not great for grip so those two things sink up there. At the same time the finger cuts have to be precise. The way that expensive gloves fit on the hand so perfectly is usually the main difference that sets them apart from lower tier options.
How Expensive is Too Expensive?
This is a personal question that’s going to depend on each person’s budget. To have an argument to make I’m going to be talking about gloves that sell for over 100 dollars, which is basically what I’ve been doing up to this point. The problem with the gloves in that price range is that you can find pairs that will look and feel similar to ones that you can get for maybe 50 dollars.
Since I started doing reviews for different gloves I’ve really been able to grasp just how small the margins are between some of the options on the market. Yet, the price difference could literally be 50 dollars. Let me throw out an example here.
The Rinat Egotiko Stellar Pro Goalkeeper Gloves are a pair of gloves from the Rinat brand that are currently being sold for 100 dollars. They are the gloves pictured above. The gloves pictured below are the Rinat Xtreme Guard Zhero SEMI Goalkeeper Gloves Size. These gloves currently go for 63 dollars. There’s a clear difference in the design and these gloves don’t feature a strap.
We could objectively say that the Egotiko pro version of the gloves are a better model. Does that justify the almost 30 dollar price difference? That’s the main issue with goalkeeper glove pricing. If you’re not playing at the top levels of competition it really becomes hard to justify a 100 dollar purchase for many budgets. Expensive gloves then become more of a luxury than a necessity for goalkeepers.
Why Buying Expensive Gloves for Kids Doesn’t Make Sense
I was trying to find a comparison here, and I was going to say like you don’t get the best bike in your first bike. It’s a good idea though for kids who are trying to learn how to ride to get a bike that’s not so heavy or difficult. When it comes to goalkeeper gloves I would almost say the opposite is true.
If I had to go back and do it all over again I would start out with thicker goalkeeper gloves that gave enough protection. When you don’t have the proper technique down you want to have as much protection as you can. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to look for a thicker glove with a strap around the wrist area. The most important thing I would look for though are gloves with poor grip. Yes, you read that one right I would intentionally look for gloves with poor grip.
The idea is simple: when you play with gloves that have poor natural grip you’re going to have to work on your technique to make clean catches. When you have the proper technique down you’re going to be less reliant on the gloves to make saves. The good thing is if you start out young in goal you’re not going to have too much trouble if you give up a goal here and there. It’s part of the process anyway.
Parents out there who still think they want to give their kids the best tools from the start, fair enough. I would then recommend that you get them training gloves that feature poor natural grip. Then have them play in games with the gloves that have better grip.
Some Brands Overvalue Their Gloves
This is something that I talk a lot about on the site. The top brands like Nike or Adidas have a price range that they stick to, especially for their premium. That doesn’t mean that the gloves are going to be worth it. This is especially true in those years when we get a completely new model that aims to reshape where the goalkeeper glove market is going.
A couple of years ago someone told me that you should never buy a new car in the year that there’s a massive change in the design of that model. Since it’s essentially a new car, those first-year models tend to have a lot of unsolved issues that you’re going to have to deal with. I think the same thing can be said about goalkeeper gloves. Don’t chase the shiny new model the first year it comes out.
We saw that happen recently when all of the major brands went with strapless skin-tight goalkeeper glove options. The gloves looked futuristic and promised to provide a ton of mobility with an over-the-top grip. The problem was the wrist area wasn’t sturdy enough for some of us and that led to plenty of injuries. That’s why we’re seeing wrist straps being reintroduced in many of these modern gloves.
This is not a warning to say don’t buy premium gloves from the top brands. It’s a way to say that if you do, there’s a chance that you’re going to be overpaying for that item. If you’re a loyalist of that particular brand, and you’re comfortable with a particular type of glove then it’s your gift and your curse.
Why More Expensive Gloves Aren’t Necessarily More Durable
This is not a general rule, but it’s pretty common, so I think it’s a good idea to throw it out here. The reason why more expensive gloves are usually not that durable is because they feature softer latex palms. With softer latex palms usually comes better grip. What also comes with softer latex is less durability. Again I can’t say that this is a general rule, but there are not too many exceptions to the rule.
Even the Rinat line that is meant to offer more durable palms called the turf line is not the expensive one that the brand offers. It’s odd to think about it like this, but if you want to buy more durable gloves, you may find better options in the medium-tier price range than you would with the premium options that most brands offer. Those are the gloves that are going to feature harder palms that are, therefore, more durable.
There is where you may want to ask yourself: do you want your gloves to be more durable? The truth is when you’re picking goalkeeper gloves, you’ll likely see that the premium options are made to wear out quickly. That’s why I talk a lot about having practice gloves and game gloves. Especially if you don’t have an unlimited budget for goalkeeper gloves. Wear the hard palm ones for training and save the ones with the best grip for the games.
Where You Play Also Factors Into The Decision
Are you going to be playing mostly on turf and dirt fields? Then it’s probably not the best idea to buy the 200-dollar gloves. You’ll get the benefit of the added grip for about a game. There’s a chance though that you’ll end up with ripped gloves by the end of the first match or training session. That goes back to what I said about more expensive gloves being generally softer.
Expensive gloves are usually meant to be used on top-quality fields. That’s why you’ll see pretty much every single pro goalkeeper wearing the best gloves that their sponsor has to offer. The thing is when you’re playing top-flight football in this day and age you’re not going to have to worry too much about the quality of the field that you’re going to be playing in.
A goalkeeper who usually plays on turf or dirt fields may benefit way more from harder gloves. Yes, there’s a chance that you won’t get the grip that some of the top options provide. What you could get is a middle-of-the-pack grip that’s going to last for a longer period of time. If you really think about that, it’s preferable to top grip for 90 minutes. Still, glove care is going to be essential to keeping your gloves in the best shape for a long time.
Are Expensive Goalkeeper Gloves Worth it or Not?
They are going to be worth it for some goalkeepers. The reality is that the added grip is something that can impact the outcome of the game. You can produce grip these days with some of the additives that we have out there. Nothing really beats natural grip though. Sadly, in most cases, the gloves that have the best natural grip are the ones that cost the most.
At the same time, there are going to be players who will not benefit at all from buying expensive gloves. Especially gloves that have very soft palms. If you play on a rough surface all of the time, the reality is that it’s going to take a toll on the gloves. It may not make sense financially to buy 150 to 200-dollar goalkeeper gloves every couple of weeks. That’s something that you want to take into account before making a purchase.
It’s a personal evaluation that you have to make. What’s also true is that not all of the top goalkeeper gloves are worth it! I have an article on some of the top gloves that I like this year. You may want to give those a look to see if you can find an option that works for you!
