About Boots & Barbells

Hi — I'm Sam. I've played football my whole life, on everything from soaked natural grass to worn-out artificial turf, and I train at home with a small collection of gear I've slowly figured out is actually worth owning.

I started this site because most gear "reviews" online are either thinly-disguised ads or rankings of whatever pays the highest commission. I'm not a professional athlete, a physiotherapist, or a lab — and I won't pretend to be. What I do bring is an obsessive research habit: for every guide I compare specifications side by side, read through large numbers of real owner reviews (the three-star ones are the most honest), and weigh in my own experience as a player and home lifter.

Every guide here tells you who a product is not for, lists real downsides, and often recommends the cheaper option. If a guide wouldn't help a friend choose, it doesn't get published. You can read exactly how recommendations are made on the how we review page.

How this site makes money

Some links are affiliate links: if you buy through them, the retailer pays a small commission at no extra cost to you. Commissions never decide what gets recommended — the full policy is in the affiliate disclosure.

Spotted an error, or disagree with a verdict? Tell me — corrections make the guides better for everyone.