One of the beautiful things about soccer is that it requires very little equipment. However, for a goalie, there’s more equipment required, especially if you want to look sharp in net. Soccer goalie equipment can be a lot of fun, since you can basically wear your own gear without matching the rest of the team. Some of the jerseys made for goal keepers have become very flashy and a lot of fun! In this guide I’ll discuss different options available for soccer goalie equipment, including gloves, jerseys, and pants.
As a competitive soccer player my entire life, I’ve always admired nice soccer goalie equipment. Two goalies that stand out in my mind from the 1990’s are Tony Meola and Jorge Campos. They were always setting new styles with some funky soccer goalie jerseys. To this day, I still see the same jersey that Tony Meola wore in the 1994 World Cup on the fields today.
So every soccer goalie knows the essentials include, goalie gloves, a goalie jersey, goalie pants or shorts and of course cleats. The top brands on the market making goalie gear are Reusch, Adidas, Uhlsport, Diadora and Nike’s entered the market over the more recent years as well.
First let’s discuss a few things to look for when you’re looking for soccer goalie gloves. Goalie gloves are made in four different styles, based on the needs of the goalie. So first decide if you’re looking for match gloves, practice gloves, weather proof gloves or finger protection gloves. Once you’ve made a decision for what you’re looking for, then it comes time to find the right pair. Gloves vary in range from $20.00 all the way up to $150.00.
One of the best soccer goalie gloves on the market are made by Reusch. Some of the features of this glove include a mega grip palm that has an extra layer of foam inside the glove against your skin. This helps provide more cushion and it improves your grip between the hand and glove. It also has duo mega latex foam on the outside, which allows you to keep the grip in all conditions. This goalie glove is designed to help protect your fingers as well and they’ve included finger thumb spines, which allows for improved support and catching. These are one of the best gloves on the market for match-play and they’re called the Reusch Raptor Pro Duo Ortho Tec Goalie Glove. They can be purchased at soccer.com for $144.99.
The next purchase for soccer goalie equipment should be the soccer goalie jersey. These are a lot of fun to shop for and there are many different styles out there. Besides a cool design, make sure it’s lightweight and provides enough padding for you to dive around. One of the top selling goalie jerseys is made by Adidas and called the Condivo Long Sleeve Goalie Jersey which sells for $64.99 on soccer.com. It’s a climalite jersey, with padding on the forearms and elbows. It also has skinny sleeves that will sit tight on your wrists for support.
Soccer goalie equipment also consists of soccer goalie pants. You want to make sure you’re getting plenty of padding for when you throw yourself into the ground! It’s nice to have a bit of cushion to fall on. In order to guarantee the pants don’t affect your play, make sure they’re slim fitting. Stir ups are often found in goalie pants, so the goalie pants won’t ride up. Goalie pants range from $25.00 to $65.00 in price.
I hope this helped you in your search for soccer goalie equipment. There are a ton of options out there, so be sure to shop around. Good luck keeper!