I have the luxury of living really close to the Rinat factory. I have a go-to local store that gets all of their new gloves first. Therefore, I am able to try a lot of these gloves just as they are being launched into the market. When I first came across these Rinat Xtreme-Guard gloves I was rather excited. In a sense these gloves represent Rinat’s attempt at creating modern cut gloves. While still keeping some of the traditional elements that some of the keepers from the old guard like myself are able to relate to. For example, the latex palms on these gloves are very similar to what you can find in other Rinat options. That’s arguably an advantage if you’re a former owner of Rinat gloves. Since you’ll know how to take care of the gloves and potentially help them last longer.
Another thing that stood out to me were the materials used in the backhand of these gloves. You have a mixture of the stretchy polyester that’s meant to provide maximum mobility and some of that padded latex that can give you a sense of protection. The finger cut is quite a bit thinner than what you’ll find in most of the traditional Rinat options. This is also an effort to emphasize that sense of mobility that you’ll get with the glove. Before I get too deep into the descriptions of the gloves themselves I want to talk about the goal for this review. It’s quite simple, I want to help you figure out if these Rinat Xtreme-Guard gloves are a good buy and what type of goalkeepers can benefit from them.
Rinat Xtreme-Guard Superior – Grip
These gloves have a very traditional Rinat palm. If I’m being honest that was kind of disappointing. I wanted to see a different take on the Rinat palm. Especially since we would have to consider these Rinat Xtreme-Guard Superior gloves as the premium option that the brand offers. If you like the grip that you get from other Rinat gloves then these palms are going to be ok for you. For those who feel that the grip on Rinat gloves in general can be improved then you’re really not going to like what you get here. My take on grip from Rinat gloves is that you can get a decent amount. Particularly when the gloves are brand new.
What worries me when it comes to the grip for these Rinat Xtreme-Guard Superior or any Rinat glove is that it falls off rather quickly. You’re not going to have the same type of grip in the second match that you play. It just goes that quickly. Especially if you’re not someone who likes to be active about glove care. I’ve said this about a lot of gloves recently. With the current “tools” that we have available for glove care you can certainly extend the life span of these and many other gloves. Ultimately I wouldn’t necessarily say that the grip is a major asset on these gloves. It’s middle of the pack at best. Like I mentioned, I did kind of want to see a new take on grip from Rinat. These palms look exactly like the ones I had on Rinat gloves 15 years ago.
Mobility vs Finger Protection
This is one of the things that you’re always going to have to account for with goalkeeper gloves. If you’re looking for extra finger protection then you’re going to gravitate mostly to gloves with finger spines. If you want mobility you’re going to usually look for gloves with a slimmer finger cut. These gloves fall under that category of being an option with a slimmer finger cut, but they try to mix in some elements to make the backhand in the finger area a bit harder. That can actually feel kind of weird when you put the gloves on for the first time. Think about it, you’re wearing a pair of gloves that have some hard spots, but mobility at the same time.
As you start to wear them more and more though the reality is that the glove is going to loosen up. Even if the idea behind this design was to create a pair of gloves that could provide both mobility and finger protection they end up being gloves for goalkeepers who want more mobility. The slimmer finger cut gives it away real quickly. I like the effort more on the thicker palm to ensure that you’re not feeling the blow of the shot as much. In that sense, there’s an argument to be made that an element of this glove does succeed in finding that middle ground. At the end of the day though these Rinat Xtreme-Guard Superior gloves are gloves that cater more to experienced goalkeepers looking for mobility.
The Glove Is Hybrid Between Traditional & Modern Models
In many different ways I feel that this is a glove that’s kind of the Frankenstein monster of modern cut gloves and traditional options. I talked about one of these elements in the last paragraph. The thicker palm paired with the thin fingers is to me, a way to try and pair the old with the new. In my book I appreciate the effort. One of the main issues that I’ve had with modern cut gloves that are just too thin all around is that you feel the burn when the shot comes in. A very simple solution to that problem that the folks at Rinat thought about was to make the palms thicker. To me that’s a good idea that’s properly executed within these gloves.
Another element that I feel completely vindicates this idea of these gloves being a crossover between the old and the new is the wrist area. You’ve got a longer wrist area than what you’ll find in traditional gloves. Yet you still have a strap that’s going to allow you to secure up that wrist area so that you feel a lot safer wearing the glove. If you’ve read through some of the other articles I’ve done talking about gloves you’ll know that this is my main issue with modern gloves. Without a strap if the gloves start to loosen up after using them for a while or even if they get too wet your only option is to go find some tape to tighten up your wrists. These Rinat Xtreme-Guard Superior bring the best of both worlds in a sense.
What Type of Goalkeeper Is Going To Benefit From These Gloves?
The price tag on the adult gloves is something that concerns me. If they were to drop these gloves down to about 70 dollars a pair I would say that a ton of goalkeepers could benefit from these gloves. At the price range that they are forced to compete in you have to find a very specific type of goalkeeper for these gloves. In short, I would say that someone like me is going to benefit from these gloves a ton. What I mean that is, these are gloves that have traditional elements that some of the old timers in this business are going to value. That’s a bit of a problem though as well. I don’t see players who’ve grown up on just modern gloves understanding some of the value that the traditional elements bring to the glove.
Unless you’re a younger goalkeeper that’s been burned by some of the elements in modern gloves. You could be someone who values the mobility that you get with these gloves. At the same time you like the fact that you have a wrist strap to be able to secure up that part of your hand that’s so key. These could be premium gloves for those goalkeepers who play once a week. You may get quite a bit out of your 100 dollars. Especially if you’re active about caring for the gloves after use. They can be a good middle ground glove for goalkeepers who don’t want to pay anything above 100 dollars for goalkeeper gloves. The market is rather slim in my eyes to be honest.
Is Durability A Concern For These Gloves?
This is a question that I feel is fair to raise about any of the gloves Rinat offers. Especially ones that are on the higher end of the price scale. For the most part, Rinat offers lower priced gloves. At least compared to Adidas, Nike, Reusch, and so forth. Therefore, that gives them a bit of a pass on the fact that a lot of their gloves that are not from their turf line won’t be as durable as some of the other options. I’ve already said about these gloves that they feature a palm that’s very similar to what you’d find in many other Rinat options. That’s Rinat options going back a lot of generations.
For me durability is a concern. Especially if you’re looking for gloves that you want to have last for 6 months on every day training. That to me is just not going to be the case. If you use these gloves for 6 months you’re going to be wearing gloves with no grip for about the last 2 and a half months of the process. You can get them to last 3 months with minimal care. Even then I do think there should be a concern that grip does tend to fall off rather quickly. If you want to get the most out of these gloves I recommend weekly washing, and GloveGlu. Especially if you plan to use these gloves as your game gloves. If you use them for training it’s going to be hard to make them last.
The Price Tag Can Vary On These Rinat Xtreme-Guard Superior
I kind of alluded to this earlier, but didn’t go into detail. You can find a kid version of the glove that at the time of writing are only available in sizes 4 and 5. These gloves are going for around 40 dollars. The adult version of the glove is in that 100 dollar range that I was talking about. To be honest this does make judging the glove a lot harder. As a kids glove at that rate they can be a great buy. Like I said before, in that 100 dollar range there’s a lot more competition. I’m still going to end this article like I usually do with all my reviews talking about whether or not these gloves are a good buy.
Are These Rinat Xtreme-Guard Superior A Good Buy?
They can be a great buy for the right goalkeeper because of the elements that they bring to the table. I’ve said before they are a mixture of the new and the old. A lot of things that I’ve criticized about modern gloves are essentially “fixed” with these gloves. The part I don’t love is the durability question. That’s an issue that I feel is relevant with all Rinat gloves. Like I said, it’s not that big of a deal if you’re paying 50 dollars for the glove, but things can change when that’s bumped up to 100.
When push comes to shove I’d have to say that these gloves can be a great option as game gloves that you don’t have to fully break the bank to buy. In using them as only game gloves you can maximize their durability. Especially if you’re active in allowing them to dry out properly. When you feel that the natural grip is dying out you can use some GloveGlu. There’s certainly a market for these gloves. They can benefit a ton of goalkeepers. My fear though is that they may have too much competition at their price range.
If you’re interested in purchasing these gloves please do so through one of my links. This helps continue to create this content to help you goalkeepers out!
