Why Anti-Turf Burn Pants Beat Regular Leggings

Jan 11, 2023


Searching soccer-related community forums and social media groups will reveal a common question—how can you avoid turf burn? Many respond by saying, “wear leggings,” and they’re right, except regular leggings don’t offer much protection. This post will compare regular leggings with actual anti-turf-burn leggings, highlighting the importance of wearing the latter for real protection. 

Cause of turf burn injuries

Here’s a 101 on turf burn injuries. They occur when players slide on turf (sometimes grass). The sliding produces significant friction that cuts the skin, leaving deep abrasions. These cuts are usually red and raw (aka “The Raspberries”) since they expose lower levels of tissue. Think of it like rubbing sandpaper on a wall. In this case, the turf is the sandpaper, and your skin is the wall (yikes!). They’re painful and burn (hence the name “turf burn”) and sometimes bleed. On rare occasions, turf burn wounds can become infected. 

Why regular leggings don’t cut it

True, wearing leggings or extra thick shorts will offer “some” protection. But what they do is limited. Friction is a powerful force of nature, not to be underestimated. Most fabrics can’t withstand the sometimes extreme friction generated by a soccer player sliding on a hard turf surface. And as a result, that friction is strong enough to tear the fabric—and your skin—open. 

Why anti-turf burn leggings are better

If you’ve never heard of “anti-turf burn” protection before, allow us to introduce you. It does what its name implies—it shields you from turf burn injuries. They go a step ahead of regular fabrics since they contain stretchy materials and remain intact even when subject to high levels of friction. 


A player wearing this gear can slide and not experience any tearing of the fabric and, more importantly, no cuts to their skin. Leggings and shorts without these materials simply can’t offer that kind of protection. 

Storelli turf-burn protection

Here at Storelli, we have a line of anti-turf protection that can protect you against those vicious cuts. They contain a protective feature called SABR-Tex™, a proprietary material that prevents fabrics from stretching too much. 


We mold it into panels located in regions where you’re more likely to make contact with the ground (while sliding). We’ve added these materials for leggings and shorts into the thigh, hip, knee, and calf regions. 

Our anti-turf burn legwear


We’ve also added anti-turf burn materials in our BodyShield Knee Guards and BodyShield Arm Guards for goalkeepers.

Turf burn leggings give you a leg up against regular ones

Anti-turf burn padded leggings are designed specifically to help you avoid those painful cuts you get from sliding on turf. Regular leggings just can’t match them. You’d have to wear multiple layers to get a similar effect, which obviously is impossible to play in.


Anti-turf burn leggings are lightweight and form-fitting, giving you mobility and freedom to move while protecting you from the burn. They also give you peace of mind, allowing you to slide without tearing the fabric or cutting your skin. And, ultimately, that lets you play with confidence and aggression. 


Padded leggings give you a leg up on regular ones in terms of progression, and they give you a leg up on performance too. Looking for the finest in anti-turf burn protection? Browse through our selection of turf-burn-resistant gear to find lower and upper body coverage.

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