Love Your Gloves 🧤
Should I use Vaseline on my goalkeeper gloves? (Be careful!)
Petroleum Jelly, AKA Vaseline (brand name), is a product that some goalkeepers use on their goalkeeper gloves. The most famous examples of goalkeepers endorsing vaseline as a great way of adding grip to goalkeeper gloves are; Joe Hart, Jordan Pickford, Ben Foster, and many more!
These goalkeepers certainly belive in the product - but most only use it on extremely wet days.
Does it work?
Yes, we can see why it would. Vaseline would soften the latex and make it moist. Moist and soft latex gives you grippy latex. We can see the reasons why goalkeepers might use it for more grip.
Risks of using vaseline on gloves
It kills your gloves
Mark Howard, Wrexham goalkeeper and podcaster had this to say about using vaseline on goalkeeper gloves: "It ruins your gloves. It works for that one time, but you can never use those gloves again"
Why? Well when you apply vaseline, it's moist. But wait for it to dry out, and your goalkeeper gloves are in danger. The vaseline will absorb into the pores of the latex, dry out, and crack the gloves. Because vaseline is so thick and viscous, it's very very hard to wash out of the goalkeeper glove. Your glove will never be grippy again, as the vaseline will remain dry in the latex pores!
So why do pro's use it?
When you're a professional goalkeeper, you'll have a goalkeeper glove deal, aka, a sponsorship. Brands will send goalkeepers new gloves pretty much whenever they ask for them! Some keepers get a new pair every single game, and some even more than that with new pairs during the week as well!
So clearly, pro keepers aren't going to care about what happens AFTER using vaseline!
How is gloveglu different?
gloveglu is designed for goalkeeper gloves, and has been tested thoroughly on gloves to ensure not only great grip, but also longevity of the goalkeeper glove.
Keepers who helped us test gloveglu in it's development included keepers such as Pepe Reina & Hugo Lloris!
gloveglu is water-based which is why it's kind to latex and can easily be washed out of the glove.