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What Size Shin Pads do I Need? – Soccer Shin Guard Size Chart

October 17, 2017 by Soccer Coach Leave a Comment

Contents

  • 1 Don't Risk Injury without Shin Guards!
  • 2 Buy Shin Pads that Fit Correctly
  • 3 How to Measure for Shin Guards?
    • 3.1 Kids Shin Guards Sizes
    • 3.2 Adults Shin Guard Sizes
  • 4 Nike Shin Guard Size Chart - Adult
  • 5 Nike Shin Pad Sizes for Kids
  • 6 Adidas Shin Guard Sizing
  • 7 Shin Pad Sizing Conclusion

The last thing we want when we’re playing soccer is to wear equipment that doesn’t properly fit, whether it’s the jersey, the boots or anything else. One piece of equipment that most soccer players don't pay a lot of attention to is shin guards, which are mandatory for participating in soccer, and begs the question "What Size Shin Pads Do I Need?"

Don't Risk Injury without Shin Guards!

Without shin guards at all the risk of injury is very high when playing soccer as the match is played mostly around the lower leg area with the ball spending most of its time on the ground. Shin guards are vital for protecting the shin and sometimes even the ankle with the added protection on some shin guards. They are one piece of a soccer players kit bag that provides protection but because they aren’t on show like the other pieces of equipment, many soccer players let them go under the radar.

Nike Mercurial Lite Shin Guards White/Black/White SM
adidas Performance Ghost Pro Shin Guards Bright Red X-Small
adidas Predator Club (unisex-adult) Night Flash Purple/Solar Red Medium
Vizari Malaga Soccer Shin Guard for Kids| Youth Soccer Shin Guard | Lightweight and Breathable Child Calf Protective Gear Soccer Equipment | Black/White | Medium
G-Form Pro-S Shin Guards, Iconic Yellow, Medium
Nike Mercurial Lite Shin Guards
Adidas Ghost Pro Shin Guard
Adidas Predator Club Shin Guards
Vizari Malaga Shin Guard
G-Form Pro-S Shin Guards
Best Ultra Lightweight Shin Guards
Ever Popular Adidas Best Sellers
Great for All Round Protection
Most Comfortable and Economical
Full Impact, Strong, No Messing Shin Guards
$33.85
Price not available
Price not available
$15.15
Price not available
Buy on Amazon
Buy on Amazon
Buy on Amazon
Buy on Amazon
Buy on Amazon
Nike Mercurial Lite Shin Guards White/Black/White SM
Nike Mercurial Lite Shin Guards
Best Ultra Lightweight Shin Guards
$33.85
Buy on Amazon
adidas Performance Ghost Pro Shin Guards Bright Red X-Small
Adidas Ghost Pro Shin Guard
Ever Popular Adidas Best Sellers
Price not available
Buy on Amazon
adidas Predator Club (unisex-adult) Night Flash Purple/Solar Red Medium
Adidas Predator Club Shin Guards
Great for All Round Protection
Price not available
Buy on Amazon
Vizari Malaga Soccer Shin Guard for Kids| Youth Soccer Shin Guard | Lightweight and Breathable Child Calf Protective Gear Soccer Equipment | Black/White | Medium
Vizari Malaga Shin Guard
Most Comfortable and Economical
$15.15
Buy on Amazon
G-Form Pro-S Shin Guards, Iconic Yellow, Medium
G-Form Pro-S Shin Guards
Full Impact, Strong, No Messing Shin Guards
Price not available
Buy on Amazon

Buy Shin Pads that Fit Correctly

At the same time, if you’re wearing shin guards that don’t fit, injuries are just as likely. It will also cause lots of discomfort for the player as the shin guards will potentially move around while running. Certain types of collisions could force the guards into the leg and could actually cause an injury worse than if the performer wasn’t wearing any shin guards at all. This is why it is vital that you buy a pair of shin guards that are fitted to your leg... no one wants an injury and you should ask yourself 'What Size Shin Guards do I need?"

so, how do you know What Size Shin Pads to Buy?...

The sizing of shin guards is often something that beginner soccer players struggle to get their heads around. Whether you're looking for kid’s shin guards or adult’s shin guards, finding out the correct size is always a tricky task.

Different brands will have completely different sizing and for example, the Nike shin guard size chart may not be similar to the Adidas shin guard size chart. This can make it extra hard to get the sizing right especially if you are changing the brand of shin guards that you choose to wear. If you’re buying your shin guards from the sports store, you will be able to ask for assistance from workers and may even be able to try some on but buying online, as most people do nowadays, will be much harder. You don’t want the hassle of ordering several pairs in different sizes and sending them back, it is much better to have some kind of idea of which size you require.

As many shin guards have added ankle protection, that can make it even trickier to find the perfect fit as the shin guards themselves can be a good size while the ankle protectors are slightly baggy or tight. Also, finding the right balance between width and actual length sometimes isn’t easy as certain types of shin guards are focused around a wider fit while others tend to come much more narrow which means there is shin guards for every type of person.

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How to Measure for Shin Guards?

It is important that shin guards fit the area from a couple of inches below the knee cap down to just above the bend in the ankle. This optimises the area that is covered and allows the whole shin to be protected from injury should a nasty tackle come in above the ball from an opponent.

To ensure you get the best fit, measure from the bottom of the knee cap to roughly one inch above the top of your shoe. This will measure the actual length of the shin guard and concerns the area that will be covered.

Kids Shin Guards Sizes

Most sports brands will label kids’ shin guards according to age until about 16. So for kids, it is best to measure how tall the child is in comparison to the average height for that age and then buy the shin guards depending on this.

Then it should be as simple as a 10-year-old kid should purchase shin guards with ‘age 10’ on them.

Check out the latest prices for Kids Shin Guards

Adults Shin Guard Sizes

It’s adults shin guards that get a bit more complex...

These are measured on the height of the adult and as mentioned, for the soccer players that are slightly thinner or wider than the average person, sports brands make shin guards specifically to fit these people.

Different brands will fit slightly differently and the two biggest global sports brands, Nike and Adidas, have their sizing charts based on height. These can be found below.

SaleBestseller No. 2
Yufree Men's Soccer Socks Anti Slip Non Slip Grip Pads for Football Basketball Sports Grip Socks, 4 Pair
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Nike Shin Guard Size Chart - Adult

The following size chart can be followed for all Nike shin pad products including Nike Mercurial and Nike Mercurial Lite:

Size

Height (Feet / Inches)

Height (Centimetres)


XS/TP

4' 7"

140

4' 11"

150


S/P

4' 11"

150

5' 3"

160


M/M

5' 3"

160

5' 7"

170


L/G

5' 7"

170

5' 11"

180


XL/TG

5' 11"

180

6' 3"

190

Check out the latest best selling Nike Adult Shin pads here

Nike Shin Pad Sizes for Kids

Size

Height (Feet / Inches)

Height (Centimetres)

Age


S

4' 7"

140

4

4' 11"

150

6


M

4' 11"

150

7

5' 3"

160

9


L

5' 3"

160

10

5' 7"

170

12

Check out the latest best selling Nike Kids Shin Pads here

Adidas Shin Guard Sizing

Size

Height (Feet / Inches)

Height (Centimetres)

Age

XS

3'11" - 4'6"

120 - 140

6 - 9

S

4'7" - 5'2"

140 - 160

10 - 13

M

5'3" - 5'9"

160 - 175

14 - 17

L

5'10" - 6'1"

175 - 185

18+

XL

6'2" - 6'5"

185 - 195

18+

Check out the latest best selling Adidas Shin pads here

SaleBestseller No. 3
Soccer Shin Guards for Youth Kids Toddler, Upgraded Double Straps & Thicker, More Stable Protected Soccer Equipment - Football Gear for 3-5-7 4-6-8-10-12-14 Years Old Child Teens Boys Girls (Black, M)
Soccer Shin Guards for Youth Kids Toddler, Upgraded Double Straps & Thicker, More Stable Protected Soccer Equipment - Football Gear for 3-5-7 4-6-8-10-12-14 Years Old Child Teens Boys Girls (Black, M)
  • Newly optimized ergonomic streamlined design - Geekism sports youth soccer shin guards adopt...
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Shin Pad Sizing Conclusion

Regardless of physical stature, taller soccer players will need larger shin guards while the smaller players will need to buy shin guards that are smaller, it is very simple.

Hopefully this guide has given you an idea of what to do when you're trying to find what soccer shin guards you need. It isn’t always as basic as this and the best thing to do is always try before you buy, but if you can but when purchasing on the internet, this guide should be helpful for you.

Filed Under: Soccer Gear Tagged With: shin pads

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