Shin and Instep Guards

Karate shin and instep guards cover the shin and the top of the foot for kumite (sparring). Three of the four guards here have a foot piece that comes off, so the shin guard and instep guard can be worn together or apart. The fourth is a one-piece elasticated sleeve that slips on.

Under WKF rules, shin pads and foot protection are both compulsory in kumite. They must be WKF Approved, with one athlete in red and the other in blue (WKF Kumite Competition Rules 2026, Art. 2.2.7(d) and (e)). Of the three brands here, only adidas is on WKF's approved list for shin pads and foot protectors, at brand level. Blitz calls its Elite guard "WKF style", and Bytomic says its Red Label guard is for "WKF style" point fighting. Those words describe a style, not an approval.

Sizing differs between makers. Blitz publishes shin lengths, and instep lengths for its Elite guard, while the adidas and Bytomic guards are sold in letter sizes. This range is for karate. MMA shin guards are in our separate Shin Guards category.