Goalie gloves usually have the palm make of a latex foam material. Latex foam is used because it is somewhat tacky in nature, allowing the goalie to have a better grip on teh ball as it gets kicked at him or her as hard as possible, and often with quite a bit of spin on the ball too, making it tricky to get a handle on. These sticky, padded palms on the gloves help them to better do their job.

Another material that you might find on some goalie gloves is neoprene. This is the same material that is used to make wetsuits. It also has some cushioning properties, but it is slightly more durable and will last longer than the latex version. The downside is that you won’t have quite as much ‘feel’ on the ball as with the latex material. Neoprene gloves are often used in either very wet conditions or as training gloves so that the softer, more sure-handed gloves can be saved for more important moments such as the big game! Typically a goalie glove will also have a velcro and elastic cuff. This allows the glove to quickly and easily be adjusted and readjusted to make sure it is snugly around the goalkeepers hands. The last thing they want is a sloppy, loose glove flopping around on their hands when they need to make a big save.

Because of everything mentioned above, it’s not unusual that a soccer goalie has, shall we call it ‘unique’ taste when it comes to their soccer gear.  Oftentimes it seems that the flashier it is, the better it is.  And that is perfectly fine.  However, when you’re selecting a pair of soccer goalie gloves, you will be exposed to a wide array of styles and colors and it would be very easy to get distracted by them all and try to find the ‘best looking pair’ of gloves.  And this would be a HUGE mistake!

Always remember what the purpose of the goalie glove is; it’s there to help you control the ball and keep it out of the back of your net!  You are responsible, as the last line of defense, to protect that metal frame for your entire team!  Don’t slack in your responsibilities just because you want to look cool.

Before you buy any goalie glove, go to the store and try it on.  See how it fits, how it feels, how your hand moves inside, and how it feels to handle a soccer ball.  Some people say to buy gloves that are slightly bigger than your hand size so that you have more glove surface to handle the ball.  Others will tell you to make sure you have an excellent fit.  You need to figure out what is right for YOU.

Finding cheap goalie gloves online is an understandable endeavor, and there is nothing wrong with this.  But just like making your buying decision based on cool looking goalie gloves, you could be making a giant mistake that will cost you and your team in the long run.

Regardless of whether you buy goalie gloves online or go to a store, check to see what their return policy is.  Don’t be surprised if a store doesn’t offer much of one, since you have the ability to try them on and make a knowledgeable decision then and there (of course if you’re buying them as a gift for someone, there shouldn’t be any issues with the gloves being returned in NEW condition if they aren’t right).  If you choose to buy soccer equipment online, you should be able to return merchandise without a hassle since you weren’t able to try them first.  Once you find a good company to buy soccer gear online from and you know they have an good, honest return policy, you might even consider ordering several pairs of gloves of soccer cleats at the same time if you’re undecided.  Then you can simply pick your favorite and send the rest back.

However, just like any other piece of sports equipment, you need to take proper care of them for them to be able to take proper care of you.  Washing your soccer goalie gloves is a critical piece of that care, and many people are not sure how to go about doing it.  For that matter, many people don’t even bother with it at all, which is truly a shame because not only does not taking care of your goalie gloves shorten their usable lifespan, but it also leads to you having very, very smelly hands when you’re done with a training session or a game.  These are both very simple to avoid by simply washing your gloves on a regular basis.  The good news is that it is really very simple to keep your gloves clean, and we’ll take a quick look at the best way to do that now.

Many people are concerned about whether they should use this specialty cleaner or that dish soap on their gloves or not.  The simple answer is that you don’t need anything more than warm water to keep your gloves adequately clean.  In fact, if you think about it, why would you want to put soap on your goalie gloves?  Soap is slippery, right?  Do you want something slippery on your gloves?  No, of course you don’t.  However, after diving around in the dirt, mud and grass, you definitely want to get them as clean as possible for your next session.

Probably the easiest thing you can do is to just make a habit of taking your gloves with you into the shower after each of your sessions.  Before you start soaping yourself up, just run your gloves under the warm water while rubbing them together to get all the mud and grass off of them.  Open them up and let the water flow into the gloves as well because undoubtedly there will be some dirt inside as well, not to mention rinsing out all the sweat build up in there will keep you from smelling like a locker room (or worse) after each time you take your gloves off.

Don’t put your goalie gloves in a dryer unless you are 100% sure that it is set to NO HEAT.  The last thing you want (other than putting slippery soap all over your gloves) is to melt them in the dryer.  Ideally you want to just let the gloves sit out for a day or so, or until your next use, to let them dry completely.  If for some reason you are unable to do that, you can tumble them in the dryer, but again, make sure it is set to NO HEAT.

This procedure is very quick, easy and simple, but it will make a huge difference to you as far as the longevity of your gloves.  And unless you are playing professionally and have an endless supply of gloves at your ready disposal, this is probably an important thing for you.  I know it is for me.

So go on now… go to your next training session or game ready to make those brilliant saves.  Just remember to wash those soccer goalie gloves when you’re done!

There is a huge variety of gloves available on the market, with everyone from adidas and Mitre, Nike, Puma, Lanzera and Kappa  producing their own brand of gloves.

Reusch goalie gloves are arguably the gloves that are most associated with goalie gloves, and they have a wider brand range than any other maker. Whether it is outdoor, indoor or even beach soccer, Reusch goalie gloves cover the whole spectrum for usage.

You only need to look at the professional goalkeepers around the world to see that it is this brand of gloves that is most trusted. The reason is that Reusch make their gloves to fit the highest quality and not just to mass produce them. This quality is what sets them apart, with re-enforced finger supports behind every finger pouch; there is no bending back even if Robert Carlos himself were to unleash one of his lightening bolts your way. The material of the palm also ensures that if you are catching the ball from a corner, you will not end up with egg on your face, or even worse, being called David James for the rest of your life by all your friends!

The best series of the Reusch selection and the most widely used by professionals is the Raptor series. It is in this series that you can buy the best youth goalie gloves around. Do not expect the cheapest price for these gloves because they are all about quality, but you will not be breaking the bank either. Bear in mind that once you buy a pair of these gloves they will serve you for at least 3 to 5 years if not longer.

The best method to buy gloves would be to either go into any leading sports equipment store because chances are they will not be available in lower grade quality sports shops. A pair of brand new goalie gloves will perhaps cost you around one hundred dollars, with youth goalie gloves retailing at around fifty. The second option that is just as feasible would be to buy them directly online. This can be done from websites such as soccer.com or soccerpro.com. Make sure you do a detailed cost comparison because some sell much cheaper than others do.

Of course, if you really do not rate yourself and can do with second-hand gloves, eBay is the place for you. There are an endless number of unwanted Christmas presents, and soccer goalie gloves, especially for youths who might have realized that soccer may never be their thing, will have put them up on eBay at half price buy never used.