Adidas Recovery Calf Sleeve Review

Compression gear has become one of the most common piece of equipment in all sports. Ranging from compression shorts, shirts, and socks, compression gear is viewed as a in-game piece of equipment only. Adidas are trying to change this with the Recovery Calf Sleeve. It promotes circulation, stabilizes muscles and reduces soreness.

There is a little bit of confusion around the product I found. The sleeve is not to be worn in sport. The sleeves are meant to be worn after physical activity, hence the “recovery” calf sleeve. The sleeve itself is a very high quality sleeve, much higher quality than the standard shin guard sleeve, of which these are commonly mistaken for. The sleeve is a very stretchy, and is almost a cotton feeling material, that is very comfortable to wear and breathes very well. It fits tightly, but not uncomfortably tight, and since it stretches so easily, it is very easy to take on and off. You will forget that you are wearing them after only a few minutes.

So, does it work? I was skeptical of the whole concept, but to be completely honest, I feel like it does have some effect on recovery. Usually when I go on a morning run, for about an hour and sometimes longer, I come home to having fairly sore, fatigued legs and sometimes even slight cramping. This is how my legs would normally continue to feel for the better part of that day. I found that when I would put the sleeves on after I ran and left them on for a couple of hours, I didn’t feel nearly as fatigued as I normally would. In fact, it felt like I hadn’t gone on as long of a run as I did. I don’t fully know how or why, all I know is that it did have an effect, and I will continue to use these sleeves, because they really did help.

Is it worth getting? I’m all for gaining any sort of advantage in sports, and even though the Adidas Recovery Calf Sleeve is not going to help you out on the field, it will definitely help you in preparing for the next time you are. These sleeves are ideal for anybody that struggles who experiences major cramping or muscle fatigue after physical activity. I also think that this would be fantastic for players in tournaments, playing multiple games in one day. I feel that the fairly low $30 price tag is a small amount to pay for something that can help as much as it does. I highly recommend picking up a pair.