Shin Pad Recommendations
- Thread starter Fowler
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AIREAYE
Registered User
- Jun 7, 2009
- 4,885
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There could be a multitude of factors which could have resulted in your injury.
- Perhaps the pad did not fit correctly (so that the centre of your knee cap wasnt in the knee donut of the pad)
- Pads came loose in-game (shifting, resulting in possibly a gap between the pad and your knee cap)
- If the nature of the impact was severe enough, no pad could protect you from that, just like no helmet can fully protect you from concussions, you see NHL players get injured from knee-on-knees too.
I'd say consider all factors form your injury, as you should be more concerned about that at the moment.
However from a reputation standpoint, the older RBK pads/Jofa (not the new KFS stuff), old CCM Tacks line (I have 652's, absolute tanks) and perhaps any top-of-the-line pad should offer better protection specs-wise than your Hitmans.
- Perhaps the pad did not fit correctly (so that the centre of your knee cap wasnt in the knee donut of the pad)
- Pads came loose in-game (shifting, resulting in possibly a gap between the pad and your knee cap)
- If the nature of the impact was severe enough, no pad could protect you from that, just like no helmet can fully protect you from concussions, you see NHL players get injured from knee-on-knees too.
I'd say consider all factors form your injury, as you should be more concerned about that at the moment.
However from a reputation standpoint, the older RBK pads/Jofa (not the new KFS stuff), old CCM Tacks line (I have 652's, absolute tanks) and perhaps any top-of-the-line pad should offer better protection specs-wise than your Hitmans.
ATLhockey437
Registered User
- Jun 6, 2009
- 366
- 0
RBK/Jofa shin pads always get solid reviews. Alot of my friends use them and they look like they offer a lot of good protection. You can find some on ebay for prostock versions of them.
Darrelle Lundqvist
Swagelin
You really can't go wrong with either Reebok or Bauer. However I would stay away from the Bauer Vapor series. They seem to run thin and can crack.
OOOOIIIO
Binary
The way Reebok has changed (several times it seems) their shin pads over the last several years sure makes it confusing for the consumer. I used to have a pair of the older Fit Lite series shins. They were a stout pad. The only thing I didn't like about them was the way the pads that touched your shin bone were suspended by some thin strapping. It was great idea, but I took some hard falls and the thin strapping broke on the uppermost pad in both shins.
I recently updated to the KFS series and you can tell as soon as you pick them up they are not the pad the Fit Lites were. They are lighter and more narrow than the Fit Lites were. However, for beer league, I think they are a more suitable pad. I have taken some hard falls and blocked some shots and they have done the job, too. I have the KFS 7K, and as others have noted, the strapping sucks. The Fit Lites had a full calf wrap and bullet proof strapping system.
I'm ok with the KFS pads, but AIREAYE is correct in pointing out the current Reebok shins are not the same pad as what they used to be.
I knee dropped, and the shin pad straps had somehow ripped earlier. So I knee dropped on ice with just my sock between my knee and ice. Trust me it doesn't sound realistic but it actually happened, and it was a bad game for my Warrior gear, my shoulder pad ripped too. Expensive game.
It wasn't #1 or #3, but quite like #2, basically the one on the back of the calf ripped, and I kneedropped right on the sweetspot to cause the pad to turn on my leg and boom knee on the ice. It's just one of those one of a million things, and probably would never happen again but yeah...
AIREAYE
Registered User
- Jun 7, 2009
- 4,885
- 70
Ouch, I can almost imagine that...it must've hurt like hell 
So it seems pretty obvious that your problem here would be the strapping system and the fact that they came loose during play. It's very hard to judge and compare top/mid line shins in-store because they would all 'fit' ; the only way to tell if they cna shift or not is during play.
However from what I've seen, the TotalOne shins have a great/elaborate strapping system which is enhanced by the liner wrap :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT9RjKsHAmM&feature=channel_video_title
So it seems pretty obvious that your problem here would be the strapping system and the fact that they came loose during play. It's very hard to judge and compare top/mid line shins in-store because they would all 'fit' ; the only way to tell if they cna shift or not is during play.
However from what I've seen, the TotalOne shins have a great/elaborate strapping system which is enhanced by the liner wrap :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT9RjKsHAmM&feature=channel_video_title
The Tikkanen
Pest
I use the Easton S19 shin pads but I've been using Easton shins for year so I stick to what works for me.
About 8 or 9 yrs ago ('03, I believe) - I bought a pair of Bauer Supreme 5000 Gel shin pads...
I know they don't make those anymore, but if you find out what the comperable replacement is, I'd reccommend them.
We recently dropped down to the "B" division of our Men's league (I know - we're getting old), but prior to that, I was playing in a pretty high-caliber league (former AHL'ers, D-1 players, etc...) - and I play defense and block a ton of shots (to the point where the guys on my team mock me about it)...
Never had any issues at all with them: no cracks, nothing - still have 'em, still love 'em.
I know they don't make those anymore, but if you find out what the comperable replacement is, I'd reccommend them.
We recently dropped down to the "B" division of our Men's league (I know - we're getting old), but prior to that, I was playing in a pretty high-caliber league (former AHL'ers, D-1 players, etc...) - and I play defense and block a ton of shots (to the point where the guys on my team mock me about it)...
Never had any issues at all with them: no cracks, nothing - still have 'em, still love 'em.
AIREAYE
Registered User
- Jun 7, 2009
- 4,885
- 70
With pads that old, there won't be any modern equivalent; unless you guys prowl around a few Play it Agains
It sure didn't feel nice at the beginning, my knee swell to three times its normal size. They misdiagnosed it, so I was working and doing stuff I shouldn't have for four months, so I had surgery last month and now just starting to heal. It's been pretty sore lately, but that's probably due to the physio and healing.Ouch, I can almost imagine that...it must've hurt like hell
So it seems pretty obvious that your problem here would be the strapping system and the fact that they came loose during play. It's very hard to judge and compare top/mid line shins in-store because they would all 'fit' ; the only way to tell if they cna shift or not is during play.
However from what I've seen, the TotalOne shins have a great/elaborate strapping system which is enhanced by the liner wrap :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT9RjKsHAmM&feature=channel_video_title
I e-mailed a big hockey store in Vancouver, and asked them about the RBK 11k's, they seem to be really good and I'll hear back from them tomorrow morning.
Logie
Registered User
I'm using CCM Vector 06 Shins, still like new dispite some big falls, big hits and blocking shots. Holding up well considering im 6'5 230lbs
RandV
It's a wolf v2.0
It's been a while since I looked at shin pads but my RBK 5K's are holding out real nice for me, or if you have the money to spend I think the 9K's are the high end ones. As a bonus they offer decent protection for the back of the league as well, I'm not quite a beginner anymore but that was important at the time after I took a puck off the back of the leg with my first cheap pair. RBK seems to have two different styles, the 3K/7K that are a smaller more standard style, and the 5K/9K that have the big protective strap that wraps around your leg like this:
AIREAYE
Registered User
- Jun 7, 2009
- 4,885
- 70
It's been a while since I looked at shin pads but my RBK 5K's are holding out real nice for me, or if you have the money to spend I think the 9K's are the high end ones. As a bonus they offer decent protection for the back of the league as well, I'm not quite a beginner anymore but that was important at the time after I took a puck off the back of the leg with my first cheap pair. RBK seems to have two different styles, the 3K/7K that are a smaller more standard style, and the 5K/9K that have the big protective strap that wraps around your leg like this:
hmm? Are you sure you're talking about the same year's Reebok shins? Reebok has the older Fitlite line, last year's KFS line and this year's KFS line (slightly tweaked from last year)
RandV
It's a wolf v2.0
Yeah I'm going by what I remember when I bought, so I'm probably out of date by 2-3 years.
While on the topic, has anyone here tried/got anything to say about the Bauer Supreme one80 shin pads?
AIREAYE
Registered User
- Jun 7, 2009
- 4,885
- 70
Toned down T1, if you aren't playing high-level contact hockey, the One80s will do the job fine
