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dc00

Skates too soft?

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There are discussions on skates being too stiff for a player. On the other hand, how do we know if skates are too soft?

My peewee has been using his current skates for a season. The skates were second-hand to begin with. Even though they are top of the line skates, I can now squeeze both sizes easily with my hands, if you know what I mean. My son doesn't want to switch to a new pair because the current ones are comfortable and the new ones, exact same model but new, are too stiff.

Can top of the line skates become too soft due to use and hurt skater's performance? If the answer is yes, how can I tell?

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That's why I'm asking the question. Can skates be too soft and hurt the performance? If not, why would people buy those expensive stiff skates?

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More importantly, can you see a difference in his skating? If he seems fine and is comfortable, why change.

I suppose a skate could soften up to the point where it has an adverse affect on ones skating.

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Big question is were you able to squeeze both sides of the skates even when they were relatively new? He's a peewee so maybe still in junior size skates, so they'll naturally be easier for you to squeeze than a comparable skate in your size.

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Unless your son is very heavy and powerful, it's not likely that his boots have softened up so much that they are impacting his skating. It's possible, just not super likely. And the fact that there is some give in the boot doesn't necessarily mean that they are too soft. (Many of the Graf boots have that give right out of the box.) If he's skating ok, and the skates are comfortable, don't sweat it. My personal view is that many of the top-of-the line skates, especially the Bauers, are too stiff for most younger skaters, especially in that 11-13-ish age range, where they often transition from junior to adult-sized skates. For most kids, they'll long grow out of their skates before they break them down structurally.

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What Pucks and Palm trees said. My son is 11 and this past fall transitioned into adult skates. He's tall but not really that heavy and we ended up buying the same skates he had in his last pair of juniors (supreme one.8). He's a powerful skater but I'm not sure i'd go with that level of stiffness again until he is a bit bigger. The advice we were given when we bought these was not to go any stiffer as it would just be too stiff.

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If you're using waxed laces and think the boot is a little too stiff, try switching to unwaxed. I've found unwaxed laces provide a little give, making the boot seem not so stiff.

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Also gonna second jimmythedriver. Creasing is a definite sign you need new skates. It also may be a sign of an ill-fitting skate. But just being easier to squeeze around the top 3-4 eyelets with the squeeze test method doesn't necessarily mean they're too soft. All skates soften up like this over time and still have plenty of life left in them.

Have you seen a noticeable difference in his skating? Is he more hesitant in turns or showing more ankle bend? That's the way to tell.

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Measuring performance just by looking at the skater is difficult to do. You really need some benchmarks eg recorded times, to compare against. Also is he starting to lose edges in turns, is slower out of stops, can't accelerate as hard as he used to.

If the boot isn't creasing and he is comfortable in them then I'd leave him be. Personally I think it is much better development wise for players to learn in a softer boot. It teaches them how to use their ankles to skate with instead of relying on a stiff boot frame for support. A good example of this is how some coaches, particularly European, will get you to train with 1, 2 or even 3 top eyelets not laced up.

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Measuring performance just by looking at the skater is difficult to do. You really need some benchmarks eg recorded times, to compare against. Also is he starting to lose edges in turns, is slower out of stops, can't accelerate as hard as he used to.

If the boot isn't creasing and he is comfortable in them then I'd leave him be. Personally I think it is much better development wise for players to learn in a softer boot. It teaches them how to use their ankles to skate with instead of relying on a stiff boot frame for support. A good example of this is how some coaches, particularly European, will get you to train with 1, 2 or even 3 top eyelets not laced up.

European coaches really do that? hmm interesting

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Yep, this topic has been discussed here many times before. I must admit I don't know if it is primarily European coaches only but in my own backyard we have a Czech coach who trains our elite younger guys and he is continually working on them to do this as part of his skills and power skating drills. Also we get a couple of well known swedish coaches into our country every year as part of a process of upskilling local coaches and this is part of their training regime.

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I understand the whole softer boot thing for younger players, but wouldn't that training method depend largely on proper fitting boots?

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A softer boot and the training described above creates stronger ankles. Also, another good reason for your kid to start tying their own skates around squirt age. I know a couple of kids who skate on very, very loosely tied skates. Some of the better skaters, actually.

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I understand the whole softer boot thing for younger players, but wouldn't that training method depend largely on proper fitting boots?

Length and width needs to be pretty good otherwise the foot can move around in the skate to much.

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