Goalkeeper leggings and pants can make or break a keeper’s performance. That’s no exaggeration. The best leggings can offer protection against the elements and help improve mobility. The wrong choice can stifle a goalie’s performance and chip away at their confidence. Goalkeepers who are dedicated to upping their performance should make it their goal (excuse the pun) to choose the best soccer leggings possible. This piece will take a look at what keepers should look for when buying leggings and how to make the best choice.
Soccer Leggings Should Have a Good Fit
This one is a no-brainer. As a goalkeeper, soccer leggings need to fit properly, or less the size discrepancy will affect your comfort and distract you from the game. The best fit is the one that sits on your legs just right. It’s not too loose or too tight. A happy medium between snug and spacious is ideal - your pants won’t sag or constrict your leg and cause discomfort.
Tear Resistance Makes Soccer Leggings a Shield
Have you seen or experienced turf burn injuries for yourself? Saying they’re unpleasant is an understatement. Not only are they unsightly and painful, but they’re also potentially dangerous to your health. Turf burn wounds can get infected with deadly microorganisms such as drug-resistant staph bacteria - the ones responsible for MRSA.
But your leggings can reduce the risk of turf burn injuries. Soccer leggings with tear-resistant materials can prevent tearing when you slide on soccer fields, especially if it’s made with turf. This prevents your skin from getting cut by blades of grass and by extension, protects your skin against turn burn. Our line of soccer leggings for goalkeepers contains turf-resistant material that protects goalkeepers from skin abrasions caused by sliding.
Soccer Leggings With Some Compression Are Ideal
We mentioned above that soccer leggings that fit just right are ideal. However, it doesn’t hurt if they’re a little more on the tighter side (just not too tight). Leggings that provide some compression can help boost your performance and recovery. They boost performance by increasing circulation, resulting in a richer supply of oxygenated blood to your muscles, ligaments and tendons.
This can help you maximize your speed and power and keep your joints stable. You’ll also recover quicker from games and cut your injury risk down as well. So consider getting leggings that are slightly on the tighter side - you’ll get a performance boost from them.
Impact Protection
Falls, contact and injuries are unavoidable aspects of the game - you’ll get some bumps and bruises from time to time. But not all bumps have to become painful, sidelining injuries. Soccer leggings and padded pants with impact-protecting material can cushion the heavier blows.
For example, our soccer leggings can reduce the impact of contact and falls by 90%, so you’re less likely to sustain injuries. They’re not 100% injury-proof, but they can safeguard you from a good number of them.
Moisture-Wicking Ability
Sweating isn’t a crime obviously, but it can be problematic, especially when playing in very hot climates. Too much sweating can cause chafing, which can lead to irritated skin and rashes. Soccer legging with moisture-wicking ability keeps heavy sweating under control.
Through a process known as “capillary action”, moisture-wicking fabrics pull sweat from the skin and up through tiny holes called micropores. Once the sweat reaches the surface of the fabrics, it evaporates. This keeps you cool and drier than regular fabrics so that you’re not drenched with sweat.
Get a Leg Up on Your Leggings Game
Soccer leggings that contain the five characteristics above will get you the most bang for your buck. They’ll give you a slight performance boost and decrease injury risk while keeping you comfortable. Of course, don’t neglect other essentials of your training.
Make sure to keep up with your conditioning and drills since they’ll give you the true performance boost and injury reduction you want. And make sure to eat well and focus on recovery too. With that said, your leggings are just one more tool in your arsenal to make you a top-notch goalkeeper.
Are you looking for the best soccer leggings? Browse through our selection of goalkeeper pants to find your perfect fit!
Share
Next Up
September 21, 2023
What Types of Collisions Are More Likely to Give You Brain Injuries
September 21, 2023
