adidas FS Replique Keeper Gloves Review

It has been brought to my attention that SoccerProse is lacking some serious goalkeeper knowledge. So they brought me in to shed a little light on the situation. Oh…who am I? Well, my name is Wil (yes with one ‘L’) and I’ve been around soccer and goalkeeping my entire life. Whether that gives me credibility on the matter of net-minding has yet to be seen…but I’m going to give it a shot.
Today I got my hands on (and in) the adidas FS Replique Keeper Gloves. With a palm and backhand made mostly out of latex, this glove has extra padding on the two most important parts of the actual hand. The extra padding on the backhand is especially impressive because it minimizes the risk of injury when punching balls out of the air. The padding on the palm is pretty standard 4mm foam, which offers a decent grip and above-average control over the ball, but nothing that will blow you away.

These gloves fit exceptionally well, and I would say the fit is probably their strongest feature. With a stretchable Velcro strap, they not only fit snuggly around the wrist, but they also hold very well on the hand. You won’t have to worry about adjusting these gloves during a game.

The one thing you do need to look out for though is the size. I normally wear a 9, but could probably fit into a 10 for these adidas gloves. So before you grab your go-to size, make sure to check the next size up first.

Alright…here’s where the controversy starts. The Replique gloves come with finger-save spines to help protect your fingers. Most goalies these days like the finger-saves, and that’s fine, but they’re not my cup of tea. I prefer to have maximum flexibility in my fingers instead, so this is a major draw-back for me. This allows you to have different stiffness degrees, which assures quality, and comfortable protection. It’s easy to adjust the fingersaves (or take them out) with the Fingersave zipper. It allows easy handling when taking the spines out or putting them in, so that wear comfort is not compromised. If you like the finger-save spines, then this glove is one you should definitely look at.

Overall, this glove is an excellent choice for up-and-coming competitive goalies (minus the whole finger-save thing). You can find them at Soccerpro.com for $74.99, which is an amazing price for these gloves, which should last you a few seasons.

Written by: Wil, goalie guy, soccerprose.com