Accurately protective outfits?

im writing a story that's set in modern day, and I've been trying to decide what would be the best 'armor' the average person would have in their wardrobe. What would be the best shock absorbing running shoe, most maneuverable but protective clothing, ect. Any ideas or input?
 
Let's see... shoe-wise, I'm unsure which brand of running shoe's the best at shock absorbtion, but running shoes in general are probably only good if your character's planning on a duel involving a lot of parkour. Otherwise, their best bet iis probably a pair of hiking boots, if they've got 'em, since those are specifically made to be protective and sturdy, and a good start to their makeshift armor. Plus, if rough terrain is at all a part of your story, such boots will do your character loads of good.

As for clothing, obviously not much in the modern closet will protect against modern weapons, but a few layers might help cushion any blows in a fistfight, and any sort of denim or leather seems like a start to protect against sharp objects and weapons, though the sleeves on a denim jacket could make maneuverability tough in a fight. If your character plays any sports, they may have some protective gear, which would definitely be of use, and if their sport involves a helmet, they'd be very, very wise to wear it.

If your character has any time to plan for whatever they need this "armor" for, though, they'd probably be best off forgoing their own wordrobe and heading out shopping for it instead, since even if they've only got a couple hours to put something together, most towns and cities have a sporting goods store or two that will sell protective gear (such as the attire hockey players wear, which actually does look a little like armor XD ).

Hope that helps!
 
Winter jackets with a lot of puff that are rated to low temperatures (~0F) are shockingly bite resistant to dogs and it's really hard to cut yourself. Snow pants are often even more resilient, but due to the weight you need to secure them to yourself pretty well.
Simply layering multiple shirts can help, too, but those are often a bit more restrictive and difficult to move in. Leather and denim are pretty hard to cut; i've had falling glass go through shirts but not jeans or jackets.
Other than that, football armor, hockey gear, and other sports equipment work. Hard-hats from construction sites are very shock resistant, so are motorcycle helmets and jackets.
Think about it; a guy working a construction site often just wears a good pair of boots and a helmet; they expect things twice their weight to fall on them, or hard, aerodynamic things like metal tools. That's about as painful as a hit from a bat, no doubt.
Steel toed boots of decent quality are often leather and thickly padded. Wooden beams or worse can drop on them and protect your toes just fine. Hiking boots are decent enough, but not as good as real metal lining.
A bulletproof or stabproof vest will run you about ~250 so if you're actually expecting something violent to happen and just not accidental injury; getting protection isn't that expensive. Suspicious, but not expensive.
 
the characters' job is more likely than not going to be a hunter/adventurer sort of kind, kind of a vagabond who just gets involved in dangerous situations here and there. They would likely frequently attempt to hid their physique, or more often their face, and usually moves around in a more stealthy manner. sometimes gets involved in fights, but would preffer to be prepared rather than not. Thanks for the replies!!
 
Stealth, you say? Then your character would want to wear colors that help them blend into their environment. If they're out in nature, greens, brows, and grays would be their best bet, and if they're trying to blend into a crowd or an urban environment, plain, unmarked clothes in dull colors are the most inconspicuous. Oh, and one suggestion - coverng their face would actually make them more noticable, as not a lot of people wear hats or hoods over their faces. So unless they're infamous enough to be recognized easily, they'd probably be better off without covering their face. However, even just adding a pair of glasses or a different hairstyle can make a surprisingly good disguise, which would likely work better. And if they're looking to hide their physique, oversized, baggy clothes can make most people look a good deal more scrawny while tighter fitting clothes can do just the opposite.
 
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A bit of a thread necro, but for anybody else wondering the same thing, kevlar. Plastics, etc. Steel plating underneath garments. Tricky, yeah, but technically possible. With practicality, leather works fine as well.
 
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