With goalkeeping gloves costing as much as boots now a lot of people ask me how do I look after them so they last longer.
All gloves wear and tear but keeping gloves clean and damp will add more life in the gloves.
A lot of keepers will play and just chuck their gloves into their kits bag come rain or shine; this will not help the life of the glove.
This is how to clean your gloves, soak them in warm water with a pea-size drop of washing up liquid (this will bring dirt and mud to the surface) after a good soak say 1-hour min, massage or rub the palms and backhands to get rid of the dirt. Once the gloves are looking clean rinse them under more warm water or in a new bucket of warm water, ring them out so they are as dry as possible. Then leave the gloves to dry (a good place is a bathroom), gloves should always have a damp palm.
Glove cleaning NO NO!
NO, washing machine, airing cupboard, radiators, hairdryer, scrubbing brush.
Just wash with warm water and dry naturally.
A lot of goalkeepers make the same MASSIVE mistake and buy a pair of gloves, just because their favorite professional goalkeeper wears them. Please do not do this, because you are most probably buying a glove that is not suitable for your hand shape.
The different Goalkeeper Gloves/Palms you can choose from.
Roll Finger Goalkeeper Gloves/Palm
The Roll Finger Glove is probably the most popular glove palm for professional goalkeepers and this type of palm is suitable for goalkeepers with thin, slender hands or fingers.
Negative Cut Goalkeeper Gloves/Palm
Negative Cut gloves are generally suitable for goalkeepers with broad hands and or fingers.
Flat Palm Goalkeeper Gloves/Palm
Flat palms gloves, like Negative Cut goalkeeper gloves, are generally suitable for goalkeepers with broad hands and or fingers.
Hybrid Cut Palm Goalkeeper Gloves/Palm
Hybrid Cut is normally when the little finger and index finger of the glove is a Roll Finger and the middle two fingers are Negative Cut or Flat Palm. This is normally for keepers who have irregular shaped hands or fingers.
Now the above is just a rule of thumb, and to be honest the only way you will ever know what goalkeeper glove palm is right for your hand, is to not try them on.
Important: When you try on a pair of keeper gloves on, you must feel 200% confident in how they feel on you, if you have any doubt that they do not fit right, or feel uncomfortable DO NOT buy because this glove palm shape is not suitable for your hand.
