Equipment: SKATES - Buying Guide and Advice II

[KuralySnipes]

Like with all skate questions, you should pick the one that fits best. In terms of level of skate, I think any of those listed would do quite well. Once you hit those mid ranges, the skates could really start to mold better around your foot.

If you're on a budget, I would always suggest sourcing out clearance models, such as the X5.0, which are going to be the stiffest and most supportive skate of the bunch. Why not try some Supreme/Eastons/Reeboks? The Supreme and Nexus lines should soon/already be on sale as the new lines for them come out this spring.

So do you think the mid-range skate models will improve my skating ? I am currently using a really low end model (CCM RBZ 40) and I am very slow.

 

[AIREAYE]

More skating and practices will improve your skating. Don't use your gear as a crutch, it's not the right approach.

 

[KuralySnipes]

More skating and practices will improve your skating. Don't use your hear as a crutch, it's not the right approach.

Ok, so you think that the very low end skates don't have an impact on my skating? That way I don't have to buy new, better skates?

 

[CarpeNoctem]

Ok, so you think that the very low end skates don't have an impact on my skating? That way I don't have to buy new, better skates?

If you're a pretty thin guy, a stiffer boot will not help. Just working on building strength for now and maximizing your technique.

 

[AIREAYE]

If you're a pretty thin guy, a stiffer boot will not help. Just working on building strength for now and maximizing your technique.

This

 

[Chip39]

So the crazy light skates are down to $300. I have the ccm shock le and they fit pretty well. Is it worth the upgrade?

 

[AIREAYE]

So the crazy light skates are down to $300. I have the ccm shock le and they fit pretty well. Is it worth the upgrade?

Yes!

 

[clapper19*]

What can you tell me about Graf Supra 635s XI's?

 

[AIREAYE]

Nothing!

Honestly though, Graf is the only brand I don't know because I've never had to deal with them in retail and at the moment, I think that all they're good for is a case study on a fall from grace.

Hopefully someone else can come in.

 

[KuralySnipes]

I got into a conversation with my coach and a rink worker, and they both told me to get new skates, I have decided to go with the Bauer Vapor x60s. They were at Pure Hockey for $200.

Hopefully I made a good choice.

I got them baked, should I still try to go public skating or something before my game on Wednesday to break them in?

 

[matix218]

I got into a conversation with my coach and a rink worker, and they both told me to get new skates, I have decided to go with the Bauer Vapor x60s. They were at Pure Hockey for $200.

Hopefully I made a good choice.

I got them baked, should I still try to go public skating or something before my game on Wednesday to break them in?

I would do either an open hockey or a free skate just to get used to the new blade/pitch. Sometimes you have to adjust the way you distribute your weight on the blades during tight turns when switching to a new skate, especially if your old skates had old steel that was sharpened down very low. It will most likely feel weird at first but after a little while it will start to feel more normal. Better to get used to it in an open hockey/free skate than going right into a game situation IMO

 

[g04tm4n]

Hello everyone

I am a new member here, and I could really use your assistance on skate advice. I have posted on 2 other forums, but it seems that the guys here know what they are talking about.

I am looking to purchase new bauer skates, but I am very worried about sizing. There is no hockey shop in my country that stocks Bauer, so I cannot go and fit the skates. These are the skates I have owned before, and foot measurements:

first pair: Reebok 3k size 7, these were too small and hurt my feet, but I still used them

second pair: Bauer vapor x:02, size 8 if I can remember correctly. I fit these, back when we still had one Bauer dealer in the country. I only skated with them twice and they got stolen along with my car, so I am not sure, the fit seemed fairly good, but maybe a tad long in the front. however perfect in the heel.

current pair: CCM u+ 04 size 7. I am not entirely sure how I feel about these skates, they feel like they fit, but I need to lace them extremely tight to get the correct support.

My feet measurements I took:

length : 26.1 cm
Width 10.4 cm

These might be bad measurements, as I am not too great with these kinds of things.

What worries me is that it indicates that I am a size 7 in both Bauer vapor/supreme and CCM on most sizing charts. This does not sound right to me, and I am afraid of going through all the Hassle to get the skates here and they are too small.

I am looking at purchasing either the Bauer Vapor x60, or the Suprmeme one 6 skates.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[KuralySnipes]

Hello everyone

I am a new member here, and I could really use your assistance on skate advice. I have posted on 2 other forums, but it seems that the guys here know what they are talking about.

I am looking to purchase new bauer skates, but I am very worried about sizing. There is no hockey shop in my country that stocks Bauer, so I cannot go and fit the skates. These are the skates I have owned before, and foot measurements:

first pair: Reebok 3k size 7, these were too small and hurt my feet, but I still used them

second pair: Bauer vapor x:02, size 8 if I can remember correctly. I fit these, back when we still had one Bauer dealer in the country. I only skated with them twice and they got stolen along with my car, so I am not sure, the fit seemed fairly good, but maybe a tad long in the front. however perfect in the heel.

current pair: CCM u+ 04 size 7. I am not entirely sure how I feel about these skates, they feel like they fit, but I need to lace them extremely tight to get the correct support.

My feet measurements I took:

length : 26.1 cm
Width 10.4 cm

These might be bad measurements, as I am not too great with these kinds of things.

What worries me is that it indicates that I am a size 7 in both Bauer vapor/supreme and CCM on most sizing charts. This does not sound right to me, and I am afraid of going through all the Hassle to get the skates here and they are too small.

I am looking at purchasing either the Bauer Vapor x60, or the Suprmeme one 6 skates.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

I have the x60s, and would highly recommend them. They provide me with a perfect amount of support, and a great skate. In my opinion, the skate gives you a high end experience for a very affordable price. If you have narrow feet, like me, they are great. The Supreme boot has more of a normal width, but I have never used the Supreme line so I'm not sure. I had the CCM RBZ 40s before I got the x60s, and my skating from those skates to the x60s is night and day. I have quicker turns, faster strides, quicker stops. Like I said, I would highly recommend that skate. I am a size 9 shoe, and got a size 8 skate. The fit is a 9/10, obviously the 7.5 skate did fit better, but I chose to get a .5 size bigger so I didn't have to keep buying new skates because my feet are still growing.

The x60s would be a great skate for you, I recommend getting them baked and purchasing the Superfeet Yellow insoles. Waxed laces are also great for me, they keep my skates tight all game, and for someone like me that doesn't have alot of strength, allows me to tighten them very well.

It's cool to see someone from South Africa interested in playing the game, let me know if you have anymore questions.

 

[Shaun Bisson]

What can you tell me about Graf Supra 635s XI's?

Nothing!

Honestly though, Graf is the only brand I don't know because I've never had to deal with them in retail and at the moment, I think that all they're good for is a case study on a fall from grace.

Hopefully someone else can come in.

Step down from the 705s which in my opinion were the best skates ever until the RBZs came out.

I have really never talked to anyone that didn't enjoy Graf skates. What level are you playing at?

 

[g04tm4n]

I have the x60s, and would highly recommend them. They provide me with a perfect amount of support, and a great skate. In my opinion, the skate gives you a high end experience for a very affordable price. If you have narrow feet, like me, they are great. The Supreme boot has more of a normal width, but I have never used the Supreme line so I'm not sure. I had the CCM RBZ 40s before I got the x60s, and my skating from those skates to the x60s is night and day. I have quicker turns, faster strides, quicker stops. Like I said, I would highly recommend that skate. I am a size 9 shoe, and got a size 8 skate. The fit is a 9/10, obviously the 7.5 skate did fit better, but I chose to get a .5 size bigger so I didn't have to keep buying new skates because my feet are still growing.

The x60s would be a great skate for you, I recommend getting them baked and purchasing the Superfeet Yellow insoles. Waxed laces are also great for me, they keep my skates tight all game, and for someone like me that doesn't have alot of strength, allows me to tighten them very well.

It's cool to see someone from South Africa interested in playing the game, let me know if you have anymore questions.

Thanks very much for your response. Getting skates baked is not really an option for me, the hockey shops we have here are mediocre and don't offer much, which is why I am unable to fit the skates I want to buy, I will be getting my uncle to bring them along for me as he is currently in the US.

I was leaning more to the X60s, but I am not sure if they will fit, according to my measurements, I should wear a Width E, but the vapor x:02 skates i Had in 8 D seemed fine in width, and the heel support was brilliant, but they seemed a bit tall in the front, toes did not reach the cap. So what I am thinking, would a 7.5 fit correctly? does it alter the width of the skate by a large margin down from an 8? when I purchased them back then, I did not have the option of half sizes, it was an 8 or nothing.

 

[KuralySnipes]

Thanks very much for your response. Getting skates baked is not really an option for me, the hockey shops we have here are mediocre and don't offer much, which is why I am unable to fit the skates I want to buy, I will be getting my uncle to bring them along for me as he is currently in the US.

I was leaning more to the X60s, but I am not sure if they will fit, according to my measurements, I should wear a Width E, but the vapor x:02 skates i Had in 8 D seemed fine in width, and the heel support was brilliant, but they seemed a bit tall in the front, toes did not reach the cap. So what I am thinking, would a 7.5 fit correctly? does it alter the width of the skate by a large margin down from an 8? when I purchased them back then, I did not have the option of half sizes, it was an 8 or nothing.

The Vapor skates are pretty narrow, if you could get it fitted then I would say deffinetly go with them. But, I wouldn't want you to buy a skate for $200 and it not being a comfortable fit. AIREAYE knows alot more about fitting skates than I do, so I would definitely go with what he says over my word about fitting skates. But, like I said the x60s are a great skate and I would recommend them.

 

[g04tm4n]

The Vapor skates are pretty narrow, if you could get it fitted then I would say deffinetly go with them. But, I wouldn't want you to buy a skate for $200 and it not being a comfortable fit. AIREAYE knows alot more about fitting skates than I do, so I would definitely go with what he says over my word about fitting skates. But, like I said the x60s are a great skate and I would recommend them.

Thank you. I do really like the idea of the narrower heel on the x60s, and I would really prefer getting them over the supreme one.6 if possible. I will see if AIREAYE will be able to provide more assistance regarding the fit. Thanks again.

 

[AIREAYE]

Step down from the 705s which in my opinion were the best skates ever until the RBZs came out.

I have really never talked to anyone that didn't enjoy Graf skates. What level are you playing at?

Graf used to make good skates, but their customer service, quality, innovation and marketing support has really dropped off. Not going to delve any deeper, but they've got an intriguing legacy for sure. Not writing them off; interested in seeing what they'll do over the next decade to see if they recover.

Hello everyone

I am a new member here, and I could really use your assistance on skate advice. I have posted on 2 other forums, but it seems that the guys here know what they are talking about.

I am looking to purchase new bauer skates, but I am very worried about sizing. There is no hockey shop in my country that stocks Bauer, so I cannot go and fit the skates. These are the skates I have owned before, and foot measurements:

first pair: Reebok 3k size 7, these were too small and hurt my feet, but I still used them

second pair: Bauer vapor x:02, size 8 if I can remember correctly. I fit these, back when we still had one Bauer dealer in the country. I only skated with them twice and they got stolen along with my car, so I am not sure, the fit seemed fairly good, but maybe a tad long in the front. however perfect in the heel.

current pair: CCM u+ 04 size 7. I am not entirely sure how I feel about these skates, they feel like they fit, but I need to lace them extremely tight to get the correct support.

My feet measurements I took:

length : 26.1 cm
Width 10.4 cm

These might be bad measurements, as I am not too great with these kinds of things.

What worries me is that it indicates that I am a size 7 in both Bauer vapor/supreme and CCM on most sizing charts. This does not sound right to me, and I am afraid of going through all the Hassle to get the skates here and they are too small.

I am looking at purchasing either the Bauer Vapor x60, or the Suprmeme one 6 skates.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Why don't you do this for:

Have someone take pictures of your feet in a seated position with your knees at 90 degrees or so. Have a little bit of weight on your feet (could be done if you sit on a lower surface for example). Take picture from the 4 sides, top-down of the fore/mid foot and of the heel and back of the heel. Host them on something like Photobucket and link here.

 

[g04tm4n]

Why don't you do this for:

Have someone take pictures of your feet in a seated position with your knees at 90 degrees or so. Have a little bit of weight on your feet (could be done if you sit on a lower surface for example). Take picture from the 4 sides, top-down of the fore/mid foot and of the heel and back of the heel. Host them on something like Photobucket and link here.

Thanks, I will arrange to get this done and post the photos. I am assuming a bare foot is required for the photo, and not socks?

 

[jazzykat]

If you are extremely careful you can try baking in your oven BUT you have to be careful that the oven thermostat is too inaccurate.

I am not sure what the tolerances for oven temp control vs. the tolerances for the foam in a skate boot are. You can probably call the skate company, tell them the issue you are having and see what they reccommend.

 

[g04tm4n]

Have someone take pictures of your feet in a seated position with your knees at 90 degrees or so. Have a little bit of weight on your feet (could be done if you sit on a lower surface for example). Take picture from the 4 sides, top-down of the fore/mid foot and of the heel and back of the heel. Host them on something like Photobucket and link here.

okay, here goes, the pictures of feet as advised. Please tell me if they are not correct, and thank you very much for the willingness to assist. Must say, first time I ever had to take pictures of my feet(looks kinda gross that close up)

There are 8 photos in total at the link below:

http://s854.photobucket.com/user/g04tm4n/library/

@Jazzykat, I will see if the manufacturer will be able to advise on that, as I would like to bake them myself, but I will only do it if I am certain I won't destroy the skates.

 

[manictech]

okay, here goes, the pictures of feet as advised. Please tell me if they are not correct, and thank you very much for the willingness to assist. Must say, first time I ever had to take pictures of my feet(looks kinda gross that close up)

There are 8 photos in total at the link below:

http://s854.photobucket.com/user/g04tm4n/library/

@Jazzykat, I will see if the manufacturer will be able to advise on that, as I would like to bake them myself, but I will only do it if I am certain I won't destroy the skates.

Nice feet

 

[g04tm4n]

Nice feet

Thank you...

 

[Chip39]

Any thoughts on the easton rs2? I was really excited when a high end skate dropped into my price range and had my local store ship one over to try on. If I had not have known previously it seemed like a lower quality boot. In fact the bauer one.8 seems like a higher quality skate just by the feel of it and it's the same price now.

 

[Shaun Bisson]

Graf used to make good skates, but their customer service, quality, innovation and marketing support has really dropped off. Not going to delve any deeper, but they've got an intriguing legacy for sure. Not writing them off; interested in seeing what they'll do over the next decade to see if they recover.

Interestingly enough, you're not the first to suggest to me that Graf's customer service has gone downhill. Sad to hear, because I loved them.