When you think football gloves, the two companies at the top of the list have to be Nike and adidas. A quick look around the NFL shows that most of the top players in the game are wearing either one glove or the other. Nike sports Odell Beckham, Antonio Brown and AJ Green at the top of its roster, while adidas has standouts like DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen and Stefon Diggs rocking their gloves. And while wearing one glove or the other isn't guaranteed to make you an All-Pro, it doesn't hurt to use the same technology the pros are using.
Both Nike and adidas have several types of receiver gloves to suit your needs, but the most popular are the Nike Vapor Jet and the adidas adizero 5-star 7.0. Both are high-quality gloves that any receiver would want to wear, but what exactly separates them?
Putting both side by side, it's pretty clear that adidas' gloves have a lower profile in the wrist. The Vapor Jet has some small padding on the inside of the wrist, while the adizeros have none. The adizeros also don't have a cuff around the palm portion of the glove, allowing for grip that goes all the way down to the bottom. Nike's glove has a cuff around the bottom of the glove and a slightly larger wrist strap.
While both gloves are ventilated, the companies go about it in different ways. The Vapor Jets have a stretch woven back with vent holes throughout the entire glove. It also features larger vents on the backs of the pinky, ring finger and middle finger. The adizero mostly has venting in the knuckles with other vents in the lower part of the hand. It should be noted that adidas vent holes are larger for more air flow. The adidas gloves also have Climacool fabric that is known to wick away moisture and sweat.
The grips on each glove are similar. Nike uses its Magnigrip palms to stick to the football, while adidas relies on their Griptack technology to hold up in any weather conditions. As far as football gloves go, both grips are at the top of line in terms of stickiness. Both feature a compression fit, with the Vapor Jets having an added bonus of a pinky seam that helps lock in your hand.
Both feature distinctive looks with designs on the palms and logos on the back of the hand to let everyone know where your loyalty lies. Whether it's the lightweight construction of the adizero 5-star 7.0s or the trusted performance of Nike's Vapor Jet 5.0, both of these football gloves will help you stand out on the field.