Leather Gloves Black, Closed thumb, Open palm, Finger loops

Description

These leather gloves are built for contact training — the kind where you’re actually hitting things or grappling with a partner, not just shadow boxing. The closed thumb design protects your thumb during striking, the open palm lets you grab and clinch naturally, and the finger loops keep the gloves positioned correctly on your hand even when things get rough.

If you’ve ever trained with gloves that shift around mid-round or restrict your grip during grappling exchanges, you’ll immediately appreciate why these details matter.

Why the Design Works

The three features — closed thumb, open palm, finger loops — aren’t arbitrary. Each one solves a real problem that comes up in contact training.

Closed thumb: When you throw a punch with an open thumb, you risk catching it on your partner or the bag at a bad angle. Closed thumb keeps it tucked safely out of the way. This matters especially during fast combinations where you’re not thinking about thumb position.

Open palm: Full boxing gloves lock your hand in a fist, which makes grappling clumsy and unnatural. These gloves leave your palm exposed so you can clinch, underhook, control wrists, or transition to takedowns without fighting against the glove design.

Finger loops: These hold the glove snug against your knuckles so it doesn’t ride up or twist during movement. Without them, half-finger gloves tend to slip — annoying during pad work, potentially hazardous during sparring.

Construction and Materials

The shell is real leather, not synthetic. That matters for durability and feel. Leather softens and moulds to your hand with use, which is why a broken-in leather glove always feels better than a new one. These will last significantly longer than PU alternatives if you look after them.

The padding sits over the back of the hand and knuckles — dense enough to protect your hands on the bag and provide some cushioning during light contact work. The wrist uses a wrap-around Velcro strap that keeps things secure without requiring a training partner to help you get them on.

What These Are Good For

These gloves work well across a range of training situations:

• Bag and pad work — the knuckle padding handles regular impact, and the closed thumb is good practice for proper punching mechanics
• Grappling and clinch work — the open palm design means you can transition between striking and grabbing without swapping gear
• MMA training — many MMA practitioners use this style of glove for technical drilling where full boxing gloves would be overkill
• Taekwondo and karate training — useful for light contact sparring drills where you want some hand protection without the bulk of full gloves
• Muay Thai and kickboxing clinch work — the open palm is particularly useful here

What These Are NOT Good For

Be honest with yourself about what you need these for. If you’re doing full-contact sparring with significant power, these are not the right choice — you want proper boxing gloves with full wrist support and more padding. The wrist strap on these is good for training, but not designed for the forces involved in hard sparring.

These are also not competition gloves. They’re training tools for technical work, drilling, and moderate contact.

Sizing — How to Measure Correctly

Getting the right size matters here because the finger loops need to sit in the right position. Here’s how to measure:

Lay your punching knuckles flat on a ruler. Measure across the back of your hand from the outside edge at your index finger across all four knuckles to the outside edge at your little finger.

• Medium: 7.5cm – 8.5cm across the knuckles
• Large: 9cm – 9.5cm across the knuckles

The leather will soften and stretch slightly with wear, so if you’re between sizes, go with the smaller one for a better long-term fit. A glove that’s too loose from day one will only get worse.

Currently available in Medium and Large. If you have particularly small hands or need an XL, these may not be the right fit — check our other glove options.

Care and Maintenance

Leather lasts much longer when you look after it. After training:

• Air them out — don’t leave them in a sealed bag
• Wipe down with a damp cloth if they get particularly sweaty
• Keep out of direct sunlight for extended periods
• Occasional leather conditioner will keep them supple and extend their life

Don’t machine wash leather gloves. It destroys the material.

Specifications

• Product Code: PS501
• Material: Genuine leather
• Colour: Black
• Design: Closed thumb, open palm, finger loops
• Closure: Wrap-around Velcro wrist strap
• Padding: Dense padding over back of hand and knuckles
• Sizes: Medium (7.5–8.5cm), Large (9–9.5cm)
• Weight: 0.4kg
• Price: AUD $46.00 (same for all sizes)

Key Features

• Genuine leather shell — durable and moulds to your hand over time
• Closed thumb for safe striking mechanics
• Open palm for natural grip and grappling transitions
• Finger loops keep glove correctly positioned during training
• Dense knuckle and back-of-hand padding
• Wrap-around Velcro wrist strap — secure and easy to adjust solo
• Suitable for striking, bag work, pad work, and grappling
• FREE shipping Australia-wide on orders over AUD $150

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use these for full-contact sparring?

Not ideally. These gloves are built for technical training, pad work, bag work, and moderate contact. For full-contact sparring with significant power, you need proper boxing gloves with more padding and wrist support. Using the wrong gear for the intensity level is how injuries happen.

What’s the difference between these and MMA gloves?

The main difference is the closed thumb on these versus the open thumb you find on most MMA gloves. Closed thumb is safer for striking — it keeps the thumb tucked. MMA gloves with open thumbs give more dexterity for grappling. If your training is primarily grappling-focused, check our MMA glove options. If you’re doing more striking work, the closed thumb here is the better choice.

Will these fit if I have large hands?

We only offer Medium and Large at the moment. Large fits knuckle widths of 9cm–9.5cm. If your hands are bigger than that, these won’t fit well and the finger loops will be uncomfortable. We’d recommend looking at our other glove options or checking back as stock expands.

Do I still need hand wraps underneath?

For bag work and harder training sessions, yes. The wrist strap on these gloves secures the glove, but it doesn’t provide the same wrist support as proper hand wraps. Wraps also protect the smaller bones in your hand and keep hygiene better in a shared training environment.

How long will genuine leather gloves last compared to synthetic?

With proper care, leather significantly outlasts synthetic alternatives. The material softens and breaks in rather than cracking or peeling. Wipe them down after sessions, air them out, and use leather conditioner occasionally — you’ll get years of use out of them rather than months.

Are these suitable for Taekwondo or Karate training?

Yes, these work well for light to moderate contact sparring drills and partner work in both disciplines. They give enough protection for technical drilling without the bulk of full boxing gloves that can interfere with the hand positions used in these styles. For full competition, you’ll need style-specific approved gear, but for day-to-day training, these are a practical choice.