When we talk about playing sports, whatever the reason (to lose weight, learn to hit to defend ourselves, build muscles or improve our physical condition) the first thing we usually think about is going to a gym. However, there are many very complete sports disciplines that can be practiced not only with a fitness machine, such as combat sports and mixed martial arts (MMA). There are many: boxing, savate, muay thai, kickboxing, American boxing (full contact), Chinese boxing (kung fu), taekwondo, aikido, ju jitsu and Brazilian ju jitsu, karate, viet vo dao, MMA, etc. and all require specific sports teams.

To land a direct or uppercut in a fight against your opponent or to do boxing training, you should get boxing gloves, a punching bag, a cloth, some mittens and possibly a breastplate. In addition, to launch a powerful and decisive kick in the boxing ring, you have to get yourself some good boxing shoes and shin guards as your leg protection tools.

Every boxer hits and hits, so you need boxing gear to avoid hurting yourself and your opponent.

Why buy boxing shoes

If a boxer says that any pair of tennis shoes is sufficient for training with a punching bag, he is undoubtedly ignorant of all the benefits that boxing shoes can bring.

Forget wearing any shoes that look sporty, to box you need special shoes

Obviously, it is not necessary to buy high-end boxing accessories when you are a beginner, especially for a first test class in a boxing gym, since you still do not know if you really like combat sports.

But even to do amateur boxing, you will have to acquire the basic equipment to train in suitable conditions.

It is essential to choose good boxing shoes to benefit from good foot and ankle support during impulses. So choose your shoes well, because they will improve your footwork, to have good mobility on the tatami or the dojo.

Boxing can be intense: it involves anaerobic cardiovascular training by making every muscle in the body work. Every kick, every push, and every jump will put the full weight of the body on the feet and ankles.

Boots without foam padding and very thin soles can cause a number of drawbacks:

- Damage tissues, joints and muscles;

- Cause back and lumbar pain;

- Prevent the knees from moving with respect to the bust and pelvis;

- Awaken a feeling of permanent discomfort.

Shoes made with ultra-light materials will facilitate air circulation and therefore prevent perspiration from your feet. In general, in the box, these are flat shoes with a semi-high cut, with laces. The material can be leather or imitation leather, to facilitate movement. Your usual size may seem small, that is, you will have the impression of having your foot compressed when you put them on. To remedy this, choose a size larger. To get a good grip on the ankle and foot, it will be necessary to tighten the laces well, but not too tightly so as not to prevent blood from flowing to the heart.

The level of the boxer will be the one that determines the price of the boxing shoes that suit you best. For example, a pair of French boxing shoes weighing over hundreds of dollars with a lateral lacing allow competitors to launch their kicks and strike with more space and freedom. On the contrary, a pair of beginner shoes for about 50 dollars will be more basic, although ideal to start practicing.

What are the advantages of shin guards?

Well, you already have your boxing boots that fit like a glove. Now you just need to buy some shin guards. In muay thai, krav maga, full contact, and French boxing or savate, all blows are said to be allowed. This is false and true at the same time: the boxer can hit in the legs, in the ribs and in the face but in no case in the vital parts (spine, back) and in the genitals.

To limit the impact of the kicks, different protections are needed, including shin guards, which have become essential tools. A powerful kick can cause serious injury and is against the values ??of modern boxing. As a result, wearing shin guards is often mandatory in a boxing gym. Shin guards act as an indispensable shield against kicking, so thick enough leg protection is needed, but not too stiff, as it is the shin guard that can cause injury in the event of a kick that is too strong.

Soccer shin guards can be useful for boxers because they are made of EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) foam and provide optimal protection to cushion blows and prevent injuries. Placed between the knee and the ankle, these boxing accessories must be large enough to cover the length of the leg; a shin guard that is too small will be counterproductive and will not provide good protection.

On the other hand, there are several types of boxing shin guards and various sizes. Some only cover the shin, others the ankle or foot. The downside of this type of accessory: its weight. A shin guard that is too heavy can slow down the speed of the boxer in his movements, so you have to choose well according to the boxing style you practice.

The sizes of the shin guards are related to height:

Less than 170 cm: size S

Between 170 cm and 175 cm: size M

Between 175 cm and 185 cm: size L

Over 185 cm: size XL

It can be concluded that regardless of the form of martial arts, leg protection is a vital equipment that must be present. No one can predict what incidents might result from physical contact, especially if we are dealing with a professional training session.