2XUCompression Calf Guards

I bought these 2XU Non-Stirrup Compression Calf Guard in a Medium. I wasn't sure about the sizing I was right on the border with a small. But thought I would size up I didn't want them to cut off my circulation. I am pleased with the sizing choice. They are a firm fit but not too tight. I love that they are the LYCRA material which is very smooth and soft against the skin.I bought these for two reasons, I am currently injured recovering from a ruptured achilles tendon, and I am lying down a good portion of the day. So I wanted to have these on to help with circulation.Second reason is when I do go back to work, I have a job where I stand for my entire shift.I can't believe I never bought any of these sooner. Once I go back to work I will be buying many more pairs of these calf guards. I love the black but will also buy them in other colours.They are very comfortable I even forgot I had them on.I also like that they are SPF 50+ always a good bonus.They look very nice on.My only complaint for these is that I wish they were a few inches longer. My legs are very long, and it would be nice if I had the sleeve extend a bit further down my ankle.I like the way that these sleeves come packaged as well.Awesome purchase, they are exactly as shown in the picture and even after the first use i can say these are great for me.

I do a combination of steady runs (about 20 miles a week) and bursts (football weekly). Regardless of which one it is, my calves are typically my weak link. In fact, both my calves cramped about 6 miles into a 12 mile Tough Mudder race a few years ago since the trails were rougher than expected.As a result, I stretch my calves almost daily. That is, until I started wearing calf sleeves. I bought several products but I like this one the best. Here are my thoughts:PROS- Works great! My calves don't cramp, even when I skip stretching for a few days.- Fits well but you must follow the sizing chart. My calves measured 15.25" so I reluctantly bought SMALL (listed as 14-15.5). I'm 5'8, 165 ibs and don't wear anything small but I followed their chart. They are a little snug but I don't believe they would work well if they were loose-fitting.- Moisture isn't an issue and dries quickly in wet conditions.CONS- Wish they were longer. When I pull these up to right under my knee, the bottoms are a few inches from my ankle, which doesn't look great in my opinion. I have pair from another brand that are two inches longer and look much better to me.- They are extremely difficult for me to remove since they are so tight on me. After about ten uses, they still seem fine but long-term durability is a concern.OVERALLBottom line is that they work. Follow the sizing chart and buy with confidence.

The one thing I've noticed about nearly all compression products is that they tend to permanently stretch out over time. These have held their own against such stretching, but sometimes require a nice hot wash and subsequent hot tumble dry to do shrink back into shape.Given that I purchased a medium, they seem to fit a little large, both initially and after shrinking a bit. I learn towards wanting compression products uncomfortably tight, since I figure "more is better" in this case.They have been on me through over 100 miles of races, and several hundred more in training. They're finally starting to come apart, with loose stitching coming apart on the upper part of one of them. I would imagine they'd last a hundred or so more miles before needing to be replaced, and I'll likely be getting another pair.I usually keep them on in the shower after a run, and even to bed or around town if I feel just a little extra sore. Just wipe them down with soapy water while taking a shower, roll down, wash your legs, roll back up gently to avoid stretching. They go a few days like this before needing to go in the wash due to them feeling stretched out and less effective.

For the longest time I have been suffering from shin splints while playing ice hockey. Instead of looking for a product I was toughing it out and eventually the pain became unbearable. I started doing my research on the various types of brands sold on Amazon. I was unsure which product would work. However I eventually decided to go with this brand. The fit is perfect, hugs the calves very tight and alleviates the shin splints. It has been 3 months since I bought this product and the last time I got shin splints was before I purchased this product. It works very well. It has held up good after several washes [have to wash a lot due to sweating a lot in ice hockey]. Only thing after all these washes, is that the 2XU writing is slowly starting to fade, but that is just aesthetic looks, as it does not affect the products performance at all. I highly recommend this product for those who are suffering from shin splints.

I ran my first 1/2 marathon a few weeks ago. My calves tend to get tight and I have also gotten shin splints on occasion. I saw this product at the expo and by several runners so I decided to give it a try while training for my next 1/2 marathon.These feel fantastic. They aren't too tight (I use XL) and are very breathable. I can feel the support and after three runs (over 3 miles) I have no problems with shin splints. My legs feel much more comfortable and I'm anxious to try them when my training mileage ramps up again to 8-13 miles.The color royal blue isn't as dark as the picture shows. It's a little closer to sky blue but I don't mind. I plan to purchase another pair in red.