The day your child gets cleared to spar is a big one. It also comes with a shopping list, and near the top of it are two items with confusing names: hand protectors (also called punch gloves or fist protectors) and foot protectors (also called kick boots or foot gear). They look simple. They are also the two pieces parents most often buy in the wrong size.
Here's what to know before you order.
What These Two Pieces Actually Do
Hand protectors cover the knuckles and the back of the hand with dense dipped foam. In Taekwondo the hand isn't the primary weapon, so these aren't padded like boxing gloves — they're thin, close-fitting, and leave the fingers free so your child can still grip and open their hand.
Foot protectors wrap the instep, toes, and ankle. Most of the contact in a Taekwondo match happens with the foot, and the instep is a surprisingly bony, tender place to land a roundhouse. Good foot gear takes the sting out of both sides of the exchange — your child's foot and their partner's ribs.
Why not just use shin guards?
Shin guards protect a different area and most sparring rules treat them as a separate, sometimes optional item. Foot protectors are usually the piece that's actually required for sparring class and tournaments. If you're only buying one, buy the foot gear.
Getting the Size Right
Dipped foam gear is sized by the piece, not by shoe size, and the sizing runs from child through adult. A few rules that save returns:
- Measure, don't guess. Check the manufacturer's chart against your child's actual hand length and foot length. Shoe size is a rough proxy at best, and it varies by brand.
- Snug is correct. Foam gear should feel firm going on, like a stiff sock. If it slides on easily, it will slide off mid-kick.
- Do not size up for growth. This is the big one. Oversized foot gear rotates on the foot and can fail an equipment check. A pair that fits for one season is safer than a pair that fits for two but slips.
- Check the fingers and toes. Hands should close into a fist without the foam bunching at the wrist. Toes should sit in the pocket without curling.
Sizes like Child Small, Child Medium, and Child Large exist for a reason — a 7-year-old and a 13-year-old are not both "youth." Our KWON PROTECT Punch Gloves and matching KWON PROTECT Kick Boots both run through the full child-through-adult range, which makes it easier to keep the pair matched as your child grows.
Check the Rules Before You Buy
Requirements differ. Some schools ask only for a mouthguard and foot gear at the beginner level. Tournaments are stricter, and some sanctioning bodies require gear from an approved list or in a specific color. Before a first competition, ask your instructor two questions: what's required, and does it need to be a particular brand or color? Five minutes of asking beats a disqualification at the ring.
Making a Pair Last
Dipped foam is durable but not indestructible. Three habits extend the life of a set considerably:
- Air it out. Foam holds sweat. Pull the gear out of the bag after every class and let it dry fully — a closed bag is what makes gear smell.
- Wipe, don't soak. A damp cloth with mild soap, then air dry. Washing machines and dryers break foam down fast.
- Keep it out of the sun and the car. Heat makes dipped foam brittle, and a hot trunk is the worst place gear can live.
When to replace it
Look for foam that's cracking, compressed spots that no longer spring back, or a seam splitting at the ankle. Also check fit at the start of every season — kids' feet change faster than the gear wears out.
The Short Version
Buy foot gear first, size it snug and to today's measurement, confirm your school's rules before a tournament, and air everything out after class. That's most of it.
You'll find the full sparring lineup — hand and foot protectors, headgear, chest protectors, and belts — in our Taekwondo collection, and the smaller odds and ends in Taekwondo accessories.