Soccer shin guards: evolution and improvements to date

Last update 28 March, 2024 por Alberto Llopis

If there is something that has been taken care of in the world of sport from the beginning of the different disciplines to the present day, it is, sin duda, safety. Minimizing any physical damage that an athlete may suffer is key to guaranteeing the full ability to compete, especially if we stick to contact sports such as football.

Precisamente, in the mandatory equipment to practice it at a professional level, and that is also very widespread at an amateur level, there is an element that aims to avoid injuries and painful blows. We talk about the soccer shin guards.

Inspired by ancient warriors

The old war battles and sports have always had certain parallels. The athletes represent many of the values ​​that the great warriors possessed and the competition embodies, bridging the differences, the spirit of the fight that has the purpose of defeating the adversary.

That is why there have been numerous occasions in sports where they have looked back to move things from the battlefield to the field of play.. One of them is the shin guards, inspired at first by those used by wrestlers in the past.

The first sport to actually introduce shin guards into its equipment was cricket., and football followed him. In fact, It is said that the first player to use shin guards was Sam Weller Widowson, from English Nottingham Forest, quien en 1874 he cut out the cricket ones and positioned them under his socks. Slowly, its use spread, They were perfecting them until they became mandatory in the decade of 1990.

¿Cómo son a día de hoy las espinilleras de fútbol?

At present, soccer shin guards have very little to do with those that began to be used in the beginning. They only retain their location and function: protect the middle/lower area of ​​the leg from impacts and strong blows.

Ahora, most shin guards or shin guards, as they are also known in some places, They are made of light and resistant materials such as carbon fiber or polymeric fiber..

Its size is variable, since there are different sizes so that any player can adapt them to the measurements of their shin.

design wise, there is a wide range, since in the market we find shin guards of all kinds, and even customizable.