This feat is possible only through a whole lot of over-the-top design work by Lee Parks, a former gear editor for Motorcycle Consumer News (read: black-belt gear nerd) who branched out on his own years ago to start an eponymous glove company and training school.
Sidenote: If you’re looking for cheap “don’t die” insurance, or a great gift idea for anyone who’s ever even though about throwing a leg over a motorcycle, check out Lee’s book, “Total Control Training.”
Lee approached this armored glove project with the same thoroughness he applies to his 2nd edition textbook and his training curriculum, which is now offered in a nationwide series of rider courses, plus his company is now responsible for providing training for the California State Highway Patrol. After experimenting with a variety of materials in multiple durometers, Lee settled on this particular compound of specialized Thermoplastic Rubber (TPR) for the new gloves, and had molds made for the individual, size-graded components.
Making a few prototypes is one thing—putting the gloves into production is another matter entirely, and Lee went way down the rabbit hold on this one, finding a company in Canada with a CNC stitching machine capable of meeting his laser-tight tolerances—the flange of TPR around each armor component is about 1mm wide – pretty much impossible to hit on a standard sewing machine.
The end result is a painstakingly produced, purpose-built motorcycle glove that has all the benefits of a traditional deerskin glove (dexterity, breathability, second-skin comfort)—plus the added consideration for digit saving armor at each digit.
If you’re looking for a product with a small environmental footprint, look elsewhere. The deer leather in these gloves comes from upstate New York, which is tanned (always a toxic process) and then shipped to Oregon to be sewn up. Glove tops are then shipped to Canada to have the TPU armor digits applied, and flown back to the U.S. for final assembly and quality control.
And you know what? They're worth it If you’re looking for a no-compromise, utterly comfortable, made-in-North-America product that will virtually disappear on your hand once broken in, yet stil provide bona fide protection—look no further than the Sumo.
The glove gets its name from supermoto racers, who require both extreme flexibility and extreme protection. But these loves are ideal for street riding, too. To make the gloves even more versatile for everyday use as a street glove the company added a new touch screen-friendly pad to teach index finger and thumb.
Compared to the standard DeerTours, the Sumo has a half-inch longer cuff, the rolled hem of which provides added purchase for pulling the gloves on quickly and securely. Each glove is proudly made in the USA and backed by a quality guarantee against any defects in workmanship.
>>> * Sizing note: These gloves run large. Don't be surprised to size down from your normal motorcycle glove size. Download and print the size chart for best results.
Lee Parks Design Sumo Gloves
- Regular price
- $219.95
- Sale price
- $219.95
- Free shipping for this item
About The Brand
Lee Parks Design is a leader in both motorcycle skills training, and also in smart accessory design — evidenced by its outstanding line of classic-yet-high-performance deerskin gloves, and assortment of other key items like the best tire pressure gauges and ratchet tie-down straps we've found.This feat is possible only through a whole lot of over-the-top design work by Lee Parks, a former gear editor for Motorcycle Consumer News (read: black-belt gear nerd) who branched out on his own years ago to start an eponymous glove company and training school.
Sidenote: If you’re looking for cheap “don’t die” insurance, or a great gift idea for anyone who’s ever even though about throwing a leg over a motorcycle, check out Lee’s book, “Total Control Training.”
Lee approached this armored glove project with the same thoroughness he applies to his 2nd edition textbook and his training curriculum, which is now offered in a nationwide series of rider courses, plus his company is now responsible for providing training for the California State Highway Patrol. After experimenting with a variety of materials in multiple durometers, Lee settled on this particular compound of specialized Thermoplastic Rubber (TPR) for the new gloves, and had molds made for the individual, size-graded components.
Making a few prototypes is one thing—putting the gloves into production is another matter entirely, and Lee went way down the rabbit hold on this one, finding a company in Canada with a CNC stitching machine capable of meeting his laser-tight tolerances—the flange of TPR around each armor component is about 1mm wide – pretty much impossible to hit on a standard sewing machine.
The end result is a painstakingly produced, purpose-built motorcycle glove that has all the benefits of a traditional deerskin glove (dexterity, breathability, second-skin comfort)—plus the added consideration for digit saving armor at each digit.
If you’re looking for a product with a small environmental footprint, look elsewhere. The deer leather in these gloves comes from upstate New York, which is tanned (always a toxic process) and then shipped to Oregon to be sewn up. Glove tops are then shipped to Canada to have the TPU armor digits applied, and flown back to the U.S. for final assembly and quality control.
And you know what? They're worth it If you’re looking for a no-compromise, utterly comfortable, made-in-North-America product that will virtually disappear on your hand once broken in, yet stil provide bona fide protection—look no further than the Sumo.
The glove gets its name from supermoto racers, who require both extreme flexibility and extreme protection. But these loves are ideal for street riding, too. To make the gloves even more versatile for everyday use as a street glove the company added a new touch screen-friendly pad to teach index finger and thumb.
Compared to the standard DeerTours, the Sumo has a half-inch longer cuff, the rolled hem of which provides added purchase for pulling the gloves on quickly and securely. Each glove is proudly made in the USA and backed by a quality guarantee against any defects in workmanship.
>>> * Sizing note: These gloves run large. Don't be surprised to size down from your normal motorcycle glove size. Download and print the size chart for best results.
About The Brand
Lee Parks Design is a leader in both motorcycle skills training, and also in smart accessory design — evidenced by its outstanding line of classic-yet-high-performance deerskin gloves, and assortment of other key items like the best tire pressure gauges and ratchet tie-down straps we've found.
