The shin guard has a rigid outer shell of polyurethane and a polyurethane foam backing. A recess is formed in the foam backing by pressing in a hot die having the profile of the recess to be made. The recess is oblong and centered over the shin bone or tibia. A dense, modified polyurethane is then cast in the recess. The combination of polyurethane foam and dense, modified polyurethane provides excellent shock absorption in a light weight shin guard.
