Our Business Spotlight series continues as we reach out to the businesses which not only work with lower league soccer in the United States, but also continue to think outside of the box and develop undeniably unique products. We first came across Legend Soccer Co. when they were posting videos of seemingly indestructible bamboo shin guards back in 2017 (link to video at the bottom). We wanted to let them tell us more about the product so we reached out to co-founder and former soccer player himself, Sean Person.

Who started Legend Soccer Co and why? What's the mission of the business?

Roland Benedict and I started Legend, with a goal to bring new ideas and innovation to the game, while injecting principles of sustainability and social responsibility. We both played our entire lives and eventually into higher levels of the game. We noticed that the products surrounding the game hadn’t changed that much and didn’t represent the game that well. A majority of the largest brands outsource all production overseas to capture cheap labor and increased margins. I could go on-and-on downside of production of products in the 3rd world, but simply put, we take pride in supporting the manufacturing industry in the USA. Mission: Legend Soccer Co. is a soccer specific company, whose goal is to progress the game through high-quality, innovative, & eco-friendly products.

The shin guards in different phases of production, from parts to assembled and packaged

Your product is simply stunning and has been seen all over the place, including the pages of Howler Magazine; what are the shin guards made out of and how long do they last?
Our shin guards are made from bamboo and are guaranteed for a lifetime. We pride ourselves on making a quality, eco-friendly product, which are manufactured in the USA.

A player could go to Amazon and pick up a pair of shin guards for under $10 - tell us why somebody should spend a little more and get your product?
There’s a lot of shin guard choices out there, but ours are one-of-a-kind. In addition to all of the sustainability characteristics, bamboo is simply a better material to make a shin guard. They’re lightweight, ridiculously strong, odorless, and has a patented tear-drop design, which helps keep the shin guards in place during the game. On top of that, we can customize a player’s guards with any design. Player’s enjoy a lifetime product, which represents their time with the game. It acts as a functional memento, which they’ll have forever. It’s a real pleasure hearing stories of players putting them on and the whole team being jealous. They’re so unique, you can’t help but to check them out.

Lastly, there’s been an estimated 200 million pounds of plastic shin guards produced in the last 40 years. With so many negative effects of plastic production, we hope soccer players will see the benefit in supporting our product.

Various clubs from around the world have had their badges carved into these wooden gems, which are nearly indestructible and ecologically responsible

Legend Soccer Co has worked with a ton of teams and players at this point; are you able to name some of your favorite designs and maybe most famous clubs or players you've made custom gear for?
We have pro players around the world wearing them, but our recent partnership with the Forest Green Rovers, in the UK, was a special one for us. We recently teamed up with FGR to help them continue the reign as being the world’s most sustainable football club. Every new player gets welcomed to the club with a fresh set of customized shin pads. We’re excited to see football start-up again and follow the excitement around the innovative club.

Not that we don't adore the shin guards, but are there any other products in Legend Soccer Co.'s future? Has any thought been given to making bamboo screw in studs or teaming up with a glove company and creating bamboo inserts to protect goalies’ fingers?
Those are good ideas and yes, we have more products to come! They don’t necessarily involve more uses of bamboo, but all are specifically designed for the needs of a soccer player and always have sustainability and socially responsible foundation to them. The innovations in the next products are really exciting and we can’t wait to share them. More to come!!

For the most part, you’ll have to order your pair online, but Legend’s shin guards can be found in select soccer boutiques (Photo: Possession FC in Portland, OR) — For the most part, you’ll have to order your pair online, but Legend’s shin guards can be found in select soccer boutiques (Photo: *Possession FC* in Portland, OR)

Check out Legend Soccer Co. and order a pair, here: http://www.legendsoccer.com/

Legend’s strength test video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6os7DOZ85s