How to Size Shin Guards

Why shin guard sizing is confusing

Almost every other piece of boxing kit is sized against something you can measure: gloves by weight in ounces, headgear by a head circumference, mouthguards by an age band. Shin guards are sold as S, M, L and XL — sometimes XS — and the chart that tells you which one you are is usually keyed to your height and body weight, not to the leg the guard goes on.

That works for the majority of people, because shin length correlates reasonably well with height. It fails for anyone whose proportions are not average: a tall person with a short shin, a shorter person with a long one, or anyone with a heavy calf. That is why this page starts with a tape measure even though the chart will not ask for the number — you need it to sanity-check what the chart tells you.

The three fit points

At the knee. The top of the shin plate should sit just below the kneecap. Over the kneecap and it will dig in every time you lift the knee, and it will push the whole guard down over a round. More than an inch or two below and you have bare shin at the top — less critical than bare shin at the bottom, but not ideal.

At the foot. The instep pad should cover the top of the foot and stop before the toes. A pad that overhangs catches on the floor and on pads, and it is the single most common complaint about a guard bought a size too big. A pad that stops short of the ankle leaves the bony part of the foot exposed, which is a genuinely painful place to be caught.

At the straps. They should fasten behind the calf with some travel left on the hook-and-loop. Closing at the very end of the strap means the guard will loosen as the material relaxes and you will be re-fastening it between rounds.

What the size bands typically cover

The practical range on the two pairs we list is a good illustration of the problem. The Venum Elite Standup runs M, L and XL — three bands covering most adults and nothing below. The Sanabul Essential runs XS, S/M and L/XL, so it reaches further down the scale than the premium pair does. For a teenager, a smaller adult, or anyone who has found M too long, that XS band is the whole reason to look at it.

Going the other way, if you are tall with a long shin and XL still leaves bare leg above the instep pad, the answer is usually a different brand rather than a different size — some lines simply build longer plates. Measure your shin, compare it against the published plate length where a brand gives one, and buy on that rather than on the band letter.

Instep guards versus shin-only

Two broad shapes. A combined shin-and-instep guard — both our picks — is one piece covering the shin and the top of the foot, which is what almost everyone training kickboxing or Muay Thai wants. Shin-only sleeves exist, leave the foot exposed, and are mostly for competition rules that require it or for people who find the instep pad interferes with their footwork.

For home and club training, buy the combined guard. The top of the foot is a thin layer of skin over bone and it is where a checked kick or a mistimed teep lands most often.

How tight is right

Firm enough that the guard moves with the leg, loose enough that you can feel your foot. Numbness, pins and needles or a cold foot means the straps are too tight across the calf or the ankle elastic is compressing the top of the foot. Loosen it rather than training through it; the same rule applies here as it does to glove and wrap tightness — circulation first, everything else after.

Note that guards loosen as they warm up and the foam compresses, so a pair that felt perfect in the shop will feel slightly loose in round three. That is normal. A pair that is loose from the first minute is the wrong size.

Do you need them at all?

If you kick a bag, not necessarily — bag work can be done bare-shinned, and most people do. If you kick pads held by a partner, or spar, or do any clinch work, yes. The specific thing shin guards protect against is shin-on-shin contact when a kick is checked, and that is an injury that puts people out for weeks. We set out when the purchase becomes necessary in do you need shin guards for kickboxing.

Care, briefly

They absorb a lot of sweat and they do not dry inside a kit bag. Take them out after every session, open the straps, and let them air. Wipe the shell with a barely damp cloth and dry it. Never put them in a washing machine — the foam saturates and the hook-and-loop collects lint until it stops holding, at which point the guard rotates and you are back to the problem at the top of this page.

What to buy alongside

If you are kitting out for kickboxing rather than boxing, shin guards sit alongside a glove with a more open palm and a shorter cuff, and the same mouthguard you would use for boxing. Our kickboxing at home equipment page lists the whole setup, and best kickboxing gloves covers the glove side.