VELO Vintage Leather Shin Guards Review
Brand
VELO Sports are a UK based brand that was founded in 1999. They produce a variety of striking kit, including gloves, shin guards and striking pads. Their companies mission statement says that their goal is to provide quality, comfort, design and durability in their products, and develop a global brand that is recognised for its products and customer service.
About the shin guards
These shin guards are one of several pairs VELO sell, available in four sizes (Small, Medium, Large and XLarge). These are a thick, striking style shin guard, so would be perfect for Muay Thai or Kickboxing.
VELO sent us a pair of these shin guards to test out and give our opinion on.
Visuals
VELO have aimed for a ‘vintage’ style design for these shin guards, with a raw leather feel. I instantly noticed that there’s a slight difference in patterns with the leather on each shin guards, so it doesn’t appear to just be a texture printed on, but the pattern of the leather itself. The shape of the shin guard is highlighted with some gold and black stripes and other designs, with the VELO logos and other details also picked out in the same colours on the front of the shin guard.
While the shin guards are pretty nice to look at, I find they don’t really go with most other fight gear. VELO themselves don’t really have any other matching equipment, which means that it’s a little hard to pair this with anything.
Below you can find our Fight Gear Focus video giving you a close-up, visual look at these shin guards. Make sure you check out the rest of the video series and Subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of our future videos.
Materials/Craftsmanship
These shin guards are made with 100% genuine, full grain, drum-dyed leather, which gives a good idea of the durability of these shin guards (especially compared to many higher end brands who opt to just use synthetic leather instead). I really like how closely the leather follows the contours of the padding on the front of the shin guards, as it shows off the 4 layered padding really well.
The stitching and trim on these shin guards isn’t necessarily the neatest, but it seems to be sturdy and reinforced in the right places. The inner lining feels dry and firm, which helps the shin guards to stay in place well. This is aided by the straps which are noticeably thicker than other shin guards we’ve used. The thicker straps add a little extra friction to reduce movement, and I found they actually made it a little more comfortable when the straps are on tight.
Comfort/use
When first putting these shin guards on I was surprised at how firm they are. If protection is your biggest concern, you won’t have any issue with these. The 4 layers of shin padding is so strong that you literally can’t feel a thing when kicking, no matter how hard. Even the foot padding is sturdy, and probably one of the better shin guards I’ve used in terms of foot protection. The instep is covered by a slightly softer padded section, but even when straightening the foot as much as possible, I found that this part rarely gets hit. Where these are so densely padded, they do feel a little heavy, which can make you feel a little sluggish if you’re used to slightly lighter shin guards. That said though, they don’t actually feel bulky. They actually feel noticeably smaller than other shin guards such as the Top King Shin Guards we’ve reviewed, which is surprising considering the amount of protection.
Another drawback to these shin guards is that they can be a bit hard hitting. While the inner layers of padding are a little softer for comfort, the outer layers (the ones which hit your sparring partners) are actually fairly hard. For most light sparring this isn’t an issue at all, and if your sparring partners are a little more advanced it’s probably fine. It’s just important to remember with these that if you typically throw hard kicks or if your sparring partners are new to the sport then you might want to take it a little lighter than usual.
Cost
Where these VELO shin guards truly excel is the price. These are a solid pair of shin guards which attempt to stand up next to some of the best brands on the market. These shin guards retail at £49.99, but appear to now have been reduced to just £33.99 which to be honest is an incredible price. Even the standard price undercuts most high level shin guards, and is still lower than the similar equivalents from brands such as Danger and JOYA. At the reduced price, these shin guards are a brilliant buy, with far higher quality and protection than any other shin guards we’ve seen for that price, making these a great purchase for someone who’s just starting out.
Looking to buy these?
VELO Vintage Leather Shin Guards
We like
- Brilliant shin and foot protection
- Wide Velcro straps feel extra secure
- Great value for money
We don’t like
- A bit heavy, but not excessively bulky
- Can be a bit hard hitting for your sparring partner