Equipment: SKATES - Buying Guide and Advice

[Stories]

How often do you skate per week and how much do you weigh?

Once or twice a week. 160lbs.

 

[AIREAYE]

If you're an okay skater then I see no reason not to spring up to grab a better pair that will last you longer and perform better for you. IMO the X3.0 is an excellent skate for younger players at a house league level and for new adult players. Opting for either a 4.0 or 5.0 would last longer, it's up to you.

 

[Stories]

If you're an okay skater then I see no reason not to spring up to grab a better pair that will last you longer and perform better for you. IMO the X3.0 is an excellent skate for younger players at a house league level and for new adult players. Opting for either a 4.0 or 5.0 would last longer, it's up to you.

Like I said, I'm a D-level beer league player, so while I'm a pretty decent skater, I'm by no means a stud. So I'm not even considering the high end skates.

The tough part for me is trying to convince myself that the extra $150 over the X3.0 is worth the extra performance. Since I've never skated on a nice pair of skates before, I have no idea what kind of improvement I'd see. Any idea how better skates improve a skater's performance? Faster and more stable (I assume this will happen due to better fit)? And these current crappy skates lasted me a while, so I don't know how much stress I really put on my skates.

So you you think the upgrade to the 4.0 or 5.0 from the 3.0 is worth the $100 or so that it takes to step up? The videos I've seen of the skates makes me feel like the upgrade isn't THAT significant.

 

[AIREAYE]

I wouldn't say faster. Remember that better skates will never make you a better player. Stiffer and more supportive skates will definitely lead to better energy transfer and edge control though; that much will always be true. In lower end skates, every stride, stop, crossover etc. will have energy lost in flexing the boot. A stiffer skate will put more of that energy in stability and control like you said. It is definitely noticeable if you're jumping from a Silver Edition to a 4.0 for example. The degree of improvement depends on the person.

If price is a concern, why not find an old pair of X:40s or X:30s? They're basically the same skates as the X5.0 and X4.0 respectively. The good thing about Bauer is that at the level of improvement at each pricepoint is very even. There will never be any huge jumps when you upgrade or downgrade a level.

 

[Stories]

I wouldn't say faster. Remember that better skates will never make you a better player. Stiffer and more supportive skates will definitely lead to better energy transfer and edge control though; that much will always be true. In lower end skates, every stride, stop, crossover etc. will have energy lost in flexing the boot. A stiffer skate will put more of that energy in stability and control like you said. It is definitely noticeable if you're jumping from a Silver Edition to a 4.0 for example. The degree of improvement depends on the person.

If price is a concern, why not find an old pair of X:40s or X:30s? They're basically the same skates as the X5.0 and X4.0 respectively. The good thing about Bauer is that at the level of improvement at each pricepoint is very even. There will never be any huge jumps when you upgrade or downgrade a level.

The improvement in edge control is exactly what I've been looking for. There are definitely times where I'll be pushing off on an edge and I feel like I lose energy or momentum with each stride. Scraping a lot of time, even.

Sad story: I was wearing a pair of rental skates once and I noticed that my edging was far cleaner and each stride was much more stable than using my own skates. That's when I more or less decided I had to get a new pair of skates.

I'll definitely try looking for a pair of the 40s or 30s in this case. Thanks for the tip.

Thanks for all the advice, greatly appreciate it.

 

[newfr4u]

i have a somewhat weird question. i am reasonably happy with my skates, but i developed a slight problem. on the left foot, the outside of the ankle part, right above the last eyelet has started digging into my skin on my leg and made a pretty big scratch. so far i've tried adding some padding there and taping my leg, but during a game the skate manages to dig right through that.

anything i can do there? can i bend that part of the skate out somehow? perhaps rebake?

thanks.

 

[AIREAYE]

Are you sure your tongues are not part of the issue? That happens sometimes. If anything a rebake will allow you to have that area form better to your ankle, but it probably won't be too much of an issue. I'm guessing you wear socks too?

 

[do0glas]

Hey ,

Just wanted to say i got my inline skates in the mail yesterday. They fit fine, the only problem i noticed was my left foot sits further forward for some reason, so my toes are jamming up against the toe cap, rather than feathering it like my right toes.

right now im assuming im just not locking my heel in and tightening enough, part of me wonders if its the way i skate though.

thanks for all the advice/tips!

 

[ironranger]

I know how different companies are when it comes to sizing so this may not be a easily answerable question but I'll ask anyway.

My current skates are old bauer vapor xx, size 9. I am looking to get new skates and after reading this I am looking at getting easton s17, possibly used or off ebay.

My question is does anyone know what size 9 in vapors compares to in the easton skates?

Chances are I will wait till I go home for summer so I can support the local place back home since I know the owners, but I was just wondering if anyone knew. Thanks for any input.

 

[hockeymass]

I know how different companies are when it comes to sizing so this may not be a easily answerable question but I'll ask anyway.

My current skates are old bauer vapor xx, size 9. I am looking to get new skates and after reading this I am looking at getting easton s17, possibly used or off ebay.

My question is does anyone know what size 9 in vapors compares to in the easton skates?

Chances are I will wait till I go home for summer so I can support the local place back home since I know the owners, but I was just wondering if anyone knew. Thanks for any input.

The easy answer is to just spit numbers off the chart at you. According to the chart, a Bauer 9 is equivalent to an Easton 9. The real answer is that there are a LOT of factors in play, and you really can't make an accurate judgement unless you try them on. Even different models from the same manufacturer can fit differently. My old skates are CCM Pro Tacks, size 9D. My new skates are CCM U+ 06s, size 8.5D. Both fit great front to back with good heel lock. According to the chart, based on my shoe size, I should be in a size 10 skate.

You really can't know without trying on.

 

[ironranger]

The easy answer is to just spit numbers off the chart at you. According to the chart, a Bauer 9 is equivalent to an Easton 9. The real answer is that there are a LOT of factors in play, and you really can't make an accurate judgement unless you try them on. Even different models from the same manufacturer can fit differently. My old skates are CCM Pro Tacks, size 9D. My new skates are CCM U+ 06s, size 8.5D. Both fit great front to back with good heel lock. According to the chart, based on my shoe size, I should be in a size 10 skate.

You really can't know without trying on.

Thats pretty much what I figured, I was just hoping someone had personnel experience with the two brands

I wish they could just set up sizes that every company would go by and that they would just stick with that, ha but thats a dream that will never happen.

Its a good thing though cuz it is keeping me from just buying skates off the internet when I shouldn't be spending the money

 

[newfr4u]

Are you sure your tongues are not part of the issue? That happens sometimes. If anything a rebake will allow you to have that area form better to your ankle, but it probably won't be too much of an issue. I'm guessing you wear socks too?

the tongue isn't the problem. i've switched from wearing it inside the shin guard, to pulling it to the outside now, and not lacing through the last eyelet. this gives me better kneebend, but introduced this unfortunate side-effect.

yes, i wear thin socks. sometimes they are pretty short though, so the part that is rubbing on my ankle is actually doing it over exposed skin.

 

[AIREAYE]

Maybe try something like this :

http://www.tacticssocks.com/skatesocks.html

They're longer and have additional protection, but are meant for skate cuts and not repeated friction...

Failing that, I probably would attach some form of gel or silicon to the edge of the boot.

 

[newfr4u]

Maybe try something like this :

http://www.tacticssocks.com/skatesocks.html

They're longer and have additional protection, but are meant for skate cuts and not repeated friction...

Failing that, I probably would attach some form of gel or silicon to the edge of the boot.

i should have been more clear. the short socks are pretty rare. i mostly wear these, but they are still really thin and that freaking scratch/scab just won't go away.

http://www.totalhockey.com/Product.aspx?itm_id=7411&div_id=41

 

[AIREAYE]

Sorry for the delay newfr4u...

Do you think that depth is an issue?

Also, I've updated the guide to include the new Reebok line as well as the new Supreme line.

 

[Lonny Bohonos]

Just got myself a pair of Reebook 11k from HockeyMonkey.com

Looking forward to see how these perform compared to my 9ks.

The tougue was a huge issue for me in the 9ks as it was thin and tended to tear and also roll at the edges which made it slightly uncomfortable when laced up.

Had to heat mold the 11ks in my oven at home as I dont have access to a skate oven here in the middle east (no real hockey shops) so that seems to have helped. Realtively easy and straight forward.

 

[callitkarma]

I've been wearing wide Easton skates for the past 3 seasons with narrow feet and cos I was too dumb to notice how big a difference there is when you have the proper fit and I'm looking to buy Vapors. Pro hockey life has the vapor x 5.0's for $399 but the vapor x:50's are on sale for $369.99 from $499. Are these basically the same skate?

Also, does anyone know if Sport Chek/Hockey Experts will be holding a skate sale soon?

 

[thedonger]

I've been wearing wide Easton skates for the past 3 seasons with narrow feet and cos I was too dumb to notice how big a difference there is when you have the proper fit and I'm looking to buy Vapors. Pro hockey life has the vapor x 5.0's for $399 but the vapor x:50's are on sale for $369.99 from $499. Are these basically the same skate?

Also, does anyone know if Sport Chek/Hockey Experts will be holding a skate sale soon?

the x50 would be more at the same level as the current x6.0.

 

[callitkarma]

ok awesome thanks alot, so I'm gonna pounce on the x50s then

 

[AIREAYE]

I've been wearing wide Easton skates for the past 3 seasons with narrow feet and cos I was too dumb to notice how big a difference there is when you have the proper fit and I'm looking to buy Vapors. Pro hockey life has the vapor x 5.0's for $399 but the vapor x:50's are on sale for $369.99 from $499. Are these basically the same skate?

Also, does anyone know if Sport Chek/Hockey Experts will be holding a skate sale soon?

This is the time of year where older models (X:60 line, 11K line, TotalOne/One100 line) are already on clearance pricing to accommodate the newer models. 'Sales' typically start around August. As for the X:50s, good luck finding sizes because they are already pretty thin this time of year.

HX has the X:40 for $230, EQ5 and U+Pro for $250 or less. HX will also price match.

 

[callitkarma]

HX has the X:40 for $230, EQ5 and U+Pro for $250 or less. HX will also price match.

So the X:40s are basically equivalent to the Vapor x 5.0s? If that's the case I'll probably buy those. Thanks for all the info!

 

[AIREAYE]

So the X:40s are basically equivalent to the Vapor x 5.0s? If that's the case I'll probably buy those. Thanks for all the info!

Yes sir. Make sure they fit first!

 

[callitkarma]

so I ended up going to a hockey shop in my area, they had a pair of x:40s for $199 but not in my size. The guy working there took a lot of time to size me and make sure I'd get the best fit. I was gonna get a pair of Vapor Pro LX (?), can't remember the name...the guy explained to me that it wasn't a stock model, just one that bauer sells to them, which had certain features of the vapor 6.0's and the vapor 5.0's. Since they didn't have my size, he ended up selling me the vapor 6.0's for $420! He told me my foot had the perfect "lace pattern" or smthng for this skate, w/e they felt amazing lol, very happy!

 

[AIREAYE]

Excellent, I'm glad you found the right skates for you. Those Bauers are SMUs or Special Make Units, made specially for certain buyers upon request. I'm guessing you went to a Source for Sports location? They have tons of SMU products.

 

[callitkarma]

It wasn't Source for Sports although I love that store, it was Majer hockey.