Zapkam are a small sports company based in Gloucestershire, so moving onto a new pair of gloves I thought I'd give the local company a whirl. Zapkam have a good range of gloves ranging from £20 - £40 with a variety of cuts and styles including a design it yourself option. I know a few local goalkeepers who wear these and they all seem pretty pleased with the ZK range. Stevenage goalkeeper Chris Day is also listed as an endorsee.
After trying a few pairs on, I opted for the clunky titled EVA+ IMF TG (pictured below) for a mid priced £29.95. The gloves feature roll fingers and a padded are to the back of the hand, the latex foam is 4mm in thickness and is included on the wrist strap.
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| The snazzy Zapkam EVA+IMF TG |
Style
The Zapkam range is quite eye catching and the model purchased is no different with it's bold green swirl on the back hand contrasting against the white glove. The embossing of the back hand protection looks good and fits in well with the rest of the glove.
Performance
The gloves robustness has been quite impressive, the stitching has lasted well and the foam has also stood the test of time with only the heel of the palms showing any real sign of wear. I've wore this glove during pre season training and in approx. 10 matches on both grass and 3g astro turf. The grip on this glove has also been quite impressive in differing weather conditions and leaves the wearer very confident that when making a catch, the glove is going to provide adequate grip in many conditions, whilst the 4mm foam will take some of the sting away also. The added foam on the wrist strap and roll fingers also allows for a bigger gripped surface area when catching.
Comfort
The glove itself is very comfortable but was a little tight on the tip of my middle fingers when I made a fist. The glove however meets my preference of being well padded on the front and back of the glove. The protection on the back hand easily allows for the making of a fist, but unlike some other branded finger protected models doesn't leave your fingers in that permanent bent position. Only downside with the Zapkam is that it only offers whole sizes, I'd have preferred the extra 0.5 to allow my middle finger that extra bit of room when making a fist.
Summary
I've been rather impressed with this glove for the money I have spent on them, the grip has been excellent and the gloves manufacturing has obviously been of good quality. The styling is eye catching with nice bold colours and for the price I've paid and the amount I've used them - I can't help but be seriously impressed with the Zapkams.
The only downsides to the Zapkam is the model pictured is no longer in stock as Zapkam look to launch their next generation models and there no half sizes available. I think anyone buying gloves from the company will probably make a second purchase though as the Zapkam glove is clearly a good value for money purchase.
To see more visit www.Zapkam.com
