Further to this (sorry to drag up an older topic) but I have seen a number of players (in club cricket) recently wearing their pads on the wrong leg - this sound barking but stay with me.
As mentioned above the front pad in some models of pads have extra protection. For example the Kook Kahuna 1000 and Kook Ice 850 as well as the GN Nitro pads see:
In each case the buckle is designed to be on the outside of the pad - it also means that if you have one of these models you look a bit of a muppet when you wear them on the wrong way around (see Angelo Matthews...)
the thing is when I have mentioned to opposition batsmen that their pads are one the wrong leg, I have been looked at with a totally blank face... so the moral of the story is either: I am nut case or if you spend loads of cash on nice kit, do wear it properly, you wouldn't wear shoes on the wrong foot would you...!! These pads have extra protection to help you, not to get in the way and help the bowling side get you out LBW - as happend to a poor hapless individual we were playing against this weekend.
Oh and Matthews was out LBW this morning too...