These a/leather & neoprene grappling shin instep pads are used for grappling/MMA, Muay Thai, and kickboxing. They are NOT intended for beginners or casual students! They are serious gear if you don't want to mess with the temporary / cheap stuff and want something that's going to hold up to STRENUOUS workouts.
We've even doubled the back seams and added a reinforced tip on the top and bottom.
They have a high quality artificial leather front with high density foam padding, a fully enclosed neoprene "sock" for your entire calf, an extra elastic strap under your instep (so they don't ride up your leg) with an opening for your heel.
THERE'S A KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE PADS AND OTHERS. Because the neoprene encloses your entire calf, they won't slip and slide when your fighting takes you from stand-up to the ground. They are made to be a very snug fit - but with no leg straps so nothing is cutting into the back of your calf. This way they won't twist up when you're grappling.
For sizing, we recommend you use your (men's) t-shirt size as a guide (women's size up by one). That generally works pretty well unless you're at one end of the bell curve or the other (on the thin or heavy side), but they do accommodate a range of leg sizes/diameters. If you think you're "between sizes", go with the larger size - we don't want you to cut the blood off to your feet or anything.
Also, because they are so heavy duty, they are VERY popular with Muay Thai and kick boxers. With most other "stand-up" arts, they would simply be overkill and, honestly, you can find cheaper pads that would do fine. These also include a "traditional" Muay Thai long lace tie around the top to help keep them secure (which, obviously, you can keep tucked in). In reality, the neoprene holds them so snug that many people don't even bother with the lace (best to take it off if you're doing grappling/MMA anyway).
Keep in mind these are designed to be REALLY snug fitting (as in "don't even TRY to put them on when you're standing on one leg" but it's not going to cut off the blood supply or anything).
Since the neoprene backing on these shin pads stretch so much, it's not very helpful measure the circumference of the pads (around your calves). We make them to fit a "normal" stature/shaped body wearing the same size t-shirt. So typically, if you wear a size Large t-shirt, the size Large shin pads would work for you.
Obviously, if you're tall and thin (or, ahem, "heavy boned"), you'd have to adjust for that.
We used to go by height & weight, but found that it just wasn't working as everyone's body was shaped differently. The "t-shirt method" seems to work a lot better.
NOTE: These are not the TOTAL lengths of the segments, only the PADDED part of the shin pads. It doesn't include the stitching, the gap across your ankle, etc.
| Size | Shin Pad | Foot/Instep Pad |
|---|
| Small | 9.50" | 5.50" |
| Medium | 9.75" | 5.75" |
| Large | 10.00" | 6.00" |
| X-Large | 10.50" | 6.25" |
| XX-Large | 12.00" | 6.25" |
