Baking Skates

[Beer League Bender]

I bought my first pair of nicer skates (Bauer M4’s) and they’re finally starting to feel good. My hockey buddies who have been playing their whole lives gave me mixed opinions on if I should bake them a 2nd time or leave them be. They’re starting to feel a lot better, just wasn’t sure if one more time would be beneficial to me or not! Thanks for any help.

Click to read more...

 

[puckpilot]

What baking does is sometimes overstated. In all except some top tier skates, all baking really does is help the foams in the liner shape to your feet. That can be achieved by simply using the the skate over time. If you skates feel fine, then there's no reason to bake them again. Baking can put stress on the glues and resins holding the skate together causing them to break down faster. How much faster? Who knows. But like I said, if they feel fine, there's no need to bake again.

Also, just because someone has played hockey all their lives doesn't mean they know everything about hockey equipment. As someone who was born when Bobby Orr was still playing, I can tell you I have gaps in my knowledge, and I know people who have played as long as I have or longer who have even greater gaps. So when in doubt, look it up yourself and not just take someone's word for it just because of how long they've played.

 

[Beer League Bender]

I appreciate the insight! I’m newer to all this. Learning as I go lol.

 

[DJB]

If you have the opportunity to bake your skates I would say do so. Yea perhaps the skates may break down a bit quicker but I haven’t noticed anything and I’ve baked my skates for a while now.

Helps to offset the breaking in period big time

 

[EdJovanovski]

They’re made to be baked

 

[Sky04]

If you've already baked them once you're fine, 2nd bake is optional if you're still feeling some discomfort but it will also form to your feet over time regardless through regular use. It's not a black or white answer not sure why your friends would make it seem so.

 

[HansonBro]

Back in my day you wore your heel blisters like a man. Of course you got them right b4 AAA tryouts

Off topic my skates are like 20 years old now... fit like a glove and love them still. They've had the blade holders replaced once, and the steel 3 times