The second half of our Goal Keeper Shoot-out covers the keeper’s most important asset… literally.  GK gloves provide protection, added grip and support.  They are the heart of what sets the goal keeper apart from the field players.  They are also expensive and short lived.

For our shoot-out, we selected manufacturers with a large following and significant contributions to the position.   All of our participants are boned gloves.  The trainers at AVID Soccer feel the added protection is important for anyone playing year round or at the high school level so we have focused on these.  Our shoot-out compares three one-time favorites by our testers:  adidas Fingersave Wet Grip Ti; Selsport Titainum Pro-Tect FP; and Reusch Duo Ortho-Tec.

For our comparison, we judged the gloves on comfort, grip and durability.  Comfort is more than materials and venting.  Finger cut, pre-curved/splayed design, removable/adjustable bones all play into the comfort and confidence of the player.  In this test, the adidas entry finished last, but not by much.  adidas uses a multi-density bone design that is flexible and strong.   With no thumb bone, it did not have the flexibility of the others.   It did have the most ventilation and is a preferred warm weather choice.  Second was the Selsport.  Last year’s AVID Soccer “Glove of the Year” award winner is still among the most comfortable and protective gloves we have tested.  The bones are removable in each finger, the backhand padding is soft and flexible and the palm uses quality latex.  The most comfortable gloves were the Reusch.  The Ortho-Tec gloves have the best features as the Selsport and the adidas.  They also have embossed fingers and backhand for added flexibility with enough venting for all weather play.  Additionally, the Ortho-Tec had the lowest "Biohazard Rating" for toxic smells after a tournament.

In testing grip, we used average game conditions.  The gloves were wet once before we started.  The ball started dry, but was also tested wet and muddy.  There was remarkably little difference between these gloves.  With a dry ball, there was no material difference between these three.  The Selsport gloves do not have much added particulate.  In dry conditions, they are fine, but wet muddy conditions make the ball noticeably harder to stop.  The Reusch are only slightly better.  This may have more to do with keeper confidence than materials.  The adidas, with titanium added to the latex were the most consistent in across our tests.

The AVID Soccer Testers have give both practice and match time to these gloves totaling 40+ hours each.  The Selsport construction is the weakest.  The bones are the most likely to break and the seams are prone to repairable rips.  On the other hand, the latex is one of the longest lasting formulations we have seen.  The adidas bones survived everything we could kick at them; however the straps failed on both hands.  They simply stretched and ripped over time with no means of repair.  The Reusch, with thicker latex and multi-density bones have outlasted everything.  The bones, seams and straps have survived intact.  The latex is worn, but usable.

In the end, Reusch can raise their hands in the air in celebration.  The Duo Ortho-Tec gloves survived the abuse and remained comfortable and sticky.