Goalkeeper leggings are something that has certainly taken the goalkeeper fashion market by storm. In sports in general the use of undergarments has become more and more popular. Being honest one of the reasons why this type of gear didn’t become popular sooner may have been due to certain gender stereotypes. Don’t worry though, I’m not going to go down that rabbit hole here. These days though, we have virtually all of the top goalkeeper equipment manufacturers making goalkeeper leggings. On a personal level I’ve been looking for a comfortable model that I can wear consistently. Therefore, my personal journey certainly helped develop this particular article.
If we look at goalkeeper gear through the years we can see that what we wear is completely out of fashion these days. In general goalkeeper gear used to be loose. Especially if you wanted to copy Jorge Campos’ style. Which was certainly something that a lot of us wanted to do back in the day. Now, virtually all of the gear that you can find is super tight. Naturally goalkeeper leggings are a part of the trend as I mentioned. Ultimately whether you should wear goalkeeper leggings or not is going to come down to how comfortable you feel in the pants. Still, I’m going to go over some of the most important pros and cons of wearing this type of gear. Hopefully by the end of the article you’ll have a good idea as to whether or not you should be looking for leggings or you can stay how you are.
Are Goalkeeper Leggings Comfortable?
I have to be honest here, when I started wearing these as someone who came up in the old school days with shorts, long socks or long pants are the only 2 options there was an adjustment period with these. Some of the first days that I wore them it was hot so they got itchy. As a man they got itchy in certain parts that you don’t typically like to get itchy in. For me what ultimately sold me on goalkeeper leggings though was the level of protection. If you’ve never worn anything that’s this tight there’s going to be an adjustment period for you no doubt.
If you’re worried about the comfort level of goalkeeper leggings it could be a good idea to ease into something that is super tight. I know that if you don’t wear leggings tight it kind of loses the whole point of wearing them in the first place. You can start out though at a level that you’re comfortable with. Some people love skin tight leggings. I’m still not there. Also, you can try a looser option so that you can actually wear underwear below the leggings. That helped with the itching for sure. Also, there are different models available for a wide range of manufacturers. We can’t assume that all of them fit the same way.
Should You Look For Goalkeeper Leggings With Extra Protection?
I do have goalkeeper leggings with extra protection and I would recommend them to anyone who would listen. That being said, they work for me because I play in very hard turf fields. You really do appreciate the extra protection not only against the dreaded rugs burns in those types of fields. Also when you come down hard on your knees in hard ground it helps to have a little extra. I would understand if other people have different feelings about this. In fact, in seeing what’s out there as options for folks to buy it seems that people aren’t flocking towards the goalkeeper leggings with protection. That could be a mistake from the manufacturer. It could also be that 1st world countries have better fields!
Ultimately it can come down to where you play and even what type of other gear you use when you play. If you use knee pads for example, then it really doesn’t make a lot of sense to go out and get pants that are going to give you extra protection in that area that you’re already adding protection to. From my experience the extra protection can certainly help. Especially those of us who don’t love the idea of adding extra protective gear to our outfits. Though we can use some help protecting the knees. I’m not as happy to deal with even a minor scrape these days as I
was in my younger years to be honest! I just can’t bring myself to wear knee pads though.
The Difference In The Gear That Popular Brands Are Offering
It’s true that not all of the gear that you’ll find out there is going to be exactly the same. That’s why you can find different opinions from goalkeepers when they talk about their experience with leggings. That being said, an important aspect in finding the right goalkeeper leggings is choosing materials that you can feel comfortable in. There’s no question that this is going to vary from person to person. Some people like fabric that’s able to stretch more. That’s typically a good idea when it comes to goalkeeper gear. Yet, you’re going to want to make sure that you don’t use something that feels itchy. That can feel really uncomfortable.
There are essentially two main types of leggings. You’re going to have the ones that are very spandex like and the protection on those goalkeeper leggings is going to be minimal. There are other leggings that are not going to be as stretch fit. These are a little “harder” if you will. As was mentioned before it’s a good idea to be clear on the type of fabric that you’re looking for.
Where You Usually Play Should Influence Your Decision
How you dress as a goalkeeper is something that should definitely be influenced by the type of places that you play most in. I would love to always play in the perfect grass fields so that I can rock different types of shorts and t-shirt outfits. Knowing that even with minimal protection on myself I’m going to be alright. If I’m going to be playing on a dirt field or one of those turf fields that is known for being overly stiff then I need to adjust my outfit accordingly. It’s usually a better idea to adjust your outfit before you get to those rough fields. Making these types of purchases with scrapes and bruises can make you go a bit extra safe.
When it comes to goalkeeper leggings you’re usually going to have the option with protection and the option with no protection. Which option works best? I believe it depends on why you’re using these leggings. I’ve seen keepers that wear leggings without protection just for the cold. Others do want their leggings to serve the same purpose of the old school goalkeeper pants. At one point in goalkeeping we realized there was no benefit to wearing short shorts. Although, it took a long time for us to get there. As I always say when talking about gear you’re typically looking for a balance between protection and comfort.
Can You Use Goalkeeper Leggings In An Actual Game?
This is actually a very good question. Up until recently, at least in the pros, I’d see a lot of goalkeeper leggings in training, and not that many in games. My theory is that the reason why they are not as popular, yet in games, is because of shin guards. The problem is that if you’re being forced to wear shin guards it can be uncomfortable to do so with full leggings. Why is this? Well, you’re going to have to find a way to put the shin guard under your leggings or over. What I have seen actually is that some goalkeepers will wear the leggings and put shin guards on top of the leggings and then socks to hold the shin guards in place.
I actually tried it myself before. Again, a theory on why we still don’t see more of that on TV on the weekends is because it gets bulky. It can be uncomfortable to have to wear shin guards over the leggings and then literally put a sock in it. I don’t love the idea because I don’t love heavy legs at any point in goalkeeping. If anything in training it could be a good idea to get the sense that you’re training with a little more weight on you. When you get to the game you’re going to feel lighter. At least that’s the theory. Technically though you can wear them in games. The problem is that your legs could get heavy. Is that something that you want?
Is It Worth It To Spend Good Money On Goalkeeper Leggings?
It really comes down to whether or not you find them comfortable and they work for you. That being said, you don’t have to go out and buy the most expensive goalkeeper leggings that you can find. With new goalkeeper gear, even gloves, buying online on your first purchase can be a mistake. Especially with something like goalkeeper leggings. Here’s why, you need to get a sense for the fabric. What you don’t want is to buy a pair and feel that they’re itchy and never wear them again. By the way, there’s no guarantee that something like that won’t happen. Even with the most expensive goalkeeper leggings on the market.
Now, the problem for people in many countries, like frankly the United States, is that there are not a lot of stores that you can go to, and find goalkeeper gear. Therefore if you have to buy your first pair of goalkeeper leggings online I would say it’s important to go into this with an open mind. If they’re itchy make sure that you’re washing them properly. Make sure you get the right size as well. So that you’re not too tight all the way across. Which is something that can happen, and for folks who aren’t necessarily used to wearing tights that can be uncomfortable.
When you take into account those different aspects and you’re able to find a pair of goalkeeper leggings that you like you’ll certainly feel that they are a good buy. Plus, if you find the right type of protection and things like that you’re going to want to wear them to training everyday. In fact, who wouldn’t they be a good buy for? Well, basically only people who always play on perfect fields and aren’t necessarily worried about getting too scratched up or banged up.
Goalkeeper Leggings Conclusion
The trend of goalkeeper leggings potentially comes in to solve an issue that I feel a lot of younger goalkeepers had. We have to admit that some of the goalkeeper pants that were worn back in the day didn’t necessarily allow goalkeepers to move as freely as many people would have hoped. So with that in mind, it makes sense that goalkeepers started looking towards not necessarily spandex, but other types of materials that could be more flexible, and therefore comfortable to wear while you’re playing goalkeeper. With all of this in mind I would certainly say goalkeepers of all levels could give this type of gear a whirl. Now, I have to be honest and talk about a downside to goalkeeper leggings. I would say I don’t love that they can get a little heavy.
This is going to depend on the fabric that your particular goalkeeper leggings are made from. I’ve had an issue with mine where they get wet and they get heavy. That’s not to say that this wasn’t an issue that I had with the typical goalkeeper pants. Still, I think it’s an interesting concept to look into. For training you may even want your gear to get a little heavier. That way when you get in the game you’ll feel lighter. Yes, that may be a bit of an old timer mentality. The fact that they can get heavy and that they can get itchy around certain areas are things to watch out for. Even so, I would totally recommend trying out goalkeeper leggings.
