SSF Shin Pads (black) review

NoiSe

Orange Belt
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Received my first order from SSFgear.com earlier today :icon_chee Shipping was quick, took about half a week inlcuding the weekend.

I haven't had the chance to test these out in action yet, as I'm still recovering from an injury, so I'll update once I do. But for now, I'll give a quick general overview, along with some pics.

As soon as I unpacked them, I could tell that these pads are quality stuff. They look like they can take years of abuse. I've only used Boes shin pads at my school, and their fit was terrible. The straps on the back were too long, and the instep strap always hurt my foot after only 15 min. of use. That was my biggest concern with buying shin pads online, but I am happy to say that SSF pads exceeded my expectations. The foot strap fits perfectly, holding the instep tight enough to not move around, yet keeping my foot very comfortable. The back straps are good too. My calves are average-sized, not huge but not skinny either, and they fit just right. For reference, I'm 5'9 and 155 lbs, and the shin pads I got are Large. I wouldn't recommend for anyone over 5'8 getting Medium, because I have a feeling they would be too small.

Overall, I'm very satisfied with the product. I'm sure they'll hold up in sparring (muay thai) well too, but as I said I'll cover that later on.

Pics:

SSFshinpads1.jpg


SSFshinpads2.jpg


SSFshinpads3.jpg



As for the service, I don't think I need to say much. Ron has great rep, and he's definitely proven it with my order, as we had a minor transaction error, and he fixed it even before I noticed it.


PS. If you're a Canadian customer, you WILL get charged extra fees at the border, on top of the shipping cost. Mine was around $24 CAN for shin pads and gloves, but it's well worth it.


*UPDATE* May 16, 2006

So I've been using these for sparring for the last month, and I gotta say, they're holding up great so far. They don't exactly fit like a glove, but it's expected with this style of shin pads. Just tighten up the straps and you're money.
 
good stuff, thanks for the pics. I see you went with the black piping Ron.
 
We are down to a few of each size but will be getting more in by the beginning of next month.

www.SSFgear.com
 
Are the straps in the back the kind you can secure with one hand? I've seen some pads where you can loop the strap and back over the velcro to secure it. I have a pair of waldorf shin pads I got from class that I'm not too fond of. The straps in the back require both hands to secure because its two seperate straps. Also the instep piece seriously tore up the skin on my instep. I have to wear extra padding to protect my skin which sucks and just adds to the amount of time it takes for me to get ready for training.
 
You can strap them with one hand. It's a one piece design. We are down to just a few pairs

www.SSFgear.com
 
Ron, when will you be getting more of these pads in stock? The website says May 1st but it also says they're still sold out.

On a side note, how do you size shin pads? At 6'2", 210 lbs, with a 38" waist I don't know if I should go for large or extra-large.
 
My buddy went to pick them up for me today. I should get them from him tomorrow and do an inventory and then they will be back on the site.

www.SSFgear.com
 
Would the XL fit me even though I'm only 5"11.. I weight 222 lbs, waist 32-33 and calves around 21"?
 
Do they slide around a lot. The back of the shin pads look like it's leather and I was wondering if it slides around more than canvas.
 
Yeah, they do slide around, but not that much. It's fine for sparring. I think it's mostly because they're just a lil bit too big for me.
 
We made the test models with canvas, suede and a few other materials and didn't find much difference but the leather out lasted everything.

www.SSFgear.com
 
SSF said:
We made the test models with canvas, suede and a few other materials and didn't find much difference but the leather out lasted everything.

www.SSFgear.com

Thanks for the replies. I'm sorry, but what do you mean when you say the leather ones out lasted everything?
 
leather is way more durable than canvas/suede/etc.
 
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