New member/New Player looking for advice on skates

[Nicholas 0]

Hi

A little about me:

23yrs old now, male.

Been roller blading all my life

Used to play ice hockey till i was 11
Moved to a hot country that had no ice rinks so switched to roller hockey
Moved again recently to a colder country that has an ice rink (Edinburgh, Scotland)

I decided to get back into ice hockey about a month ago and have been going to public skating 6/7 days for a month, skating for about 2hrs.

During that time i was practising getting the feeling of the ice back and working on a lot of edge control drills and various other ones that i learned from some youtube clips.

Been browsing this forum recently and i found it amazing with a lot of awesome information.

I bought some CCM 02 to start as they were pretty cheap and i had no idea about what each line/make/model does anymore.

I feel that i have outgrown them fairly quickly and they are a horrible fit and very soft/loose. After each session i have terrible lace bite and blisters around my ankles and the sides of my feet are in pain.

I saved up some cash and want to purchase a good skate, that will offer me the best fit and perform better than my current ones.

I was looking at the Bauer lines but all the different models and ranges got me a bit confused for which one is right for me.

If you guys will be able to help i will appreciate a lot as i have no good LHS near me that stocks a vide selection of skates so will have to buy online i think.

I am: 6ft, weigh in at 165 pounds

Style: i like to have quick burst of speed followed by long strides, good agility and control

My feet dimensions with socks are:

Left foot: Length 10.8", width 4.2

Right foot: Length 10.8', width 4.0

All help and advice will be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks

Nick

[totalchaos 10]

Well to start this can be a great time to but skates because the new models are coming out so last year's models are on sale. As far as suggestions go I really like the rbz80 and Reebok 16k. But I also I have a fairly wide foot and those fit wider feet well. Also what is your shoe size? You'll need a skate that is 1 1/2 to 2 sizes smaller than that to start. In rare cases it can be 2 1/2 sizes smaller as was my case. I know Bauer vapors and supremes run on the narrow side. Also don't skimp on the skates to save a few bucks because the worst thing that can happen is getting a bad fitting skate and having to suffer while playing. I would look for a middle of the road skate that fits well and it will last a lot longer than the cheaper models. You can get the16k for around 229 and the rbz will run you around 279. There is also the new 28 k which replaces the 16k which comes out in April for 299. This is the skate I ended up getting. Now I just need to wait till my LHS gets it in

[jonesy9020 77]

Flat or high arch? This matters a pretty good deal, at least from my personal experience when choosing between Supremes and Vapors. Supremes seem to be able to accommodate flat arched feet better than Vapors.

I'd go to a shoe store to try to get sized up on a Brannock device. I wear a size 11.5 in almost every shoe but I measure out to 10.5-11, and wear a Bauer Supreme 9D. Getting sized up with a brand neutral device will help figure out what length to get. 1.5-2 sizes down does work OK if you start with your Brannock measurement.

[Nicholas 0]

Well to start this can be a great time to but skates because the new models are coming out so last year's models are on sale. As far as suggestions go I really like the rbz80 and Reebok 16k. But I also I have a fairly wide foot and those fit wider feet well. Also what is your shoe size? You'll need a skate that is 1 1/2 to 2 sizes smaller than that to start. In rare cases it can be 2 1/2 sizes smaller as was my case. I know Bauer vapors and supremes run on the narrow side. Also don't skimp on the skates to save a few bucks because the worst thing that can happen is getting a bad fitting skate and having to suffer while playing. I would look for a middle of the road skate that fits well and it will last a lot longer than the cheaper models. You can get the16k for around 229 and the rbz will run you around 279. There is also the new 28 k which replaces the 16k which comes out in April for 299. This is the skate I ended up getting. Now I just need to wait till my LHS gets it in

Hi yeah thanks for the reply, my foot size is a UK 10 so a US 10.5

Yeah i heard saving cash on skates is not wise.

Read a lot of good review about the reeboks, will definitely check them out

Flat or high arch? This matters a pretty good deal, at least from my personal experience when choosing between Supremes and Vapors. Supremes seem to be able to accommodate flat arched feet better than Vapors.

I'd go to a shoe store to try to get sized up on a Brannock device. I wear a size 11.5 in almost every shoe but I measure out to 10.5-11, and wear a Bauer Supreme 9D. Getting sized up with a brand neutral device will help figure out what length to get. 1.5-2 sizes down does work OK if you start with your Brannock measurement.

I just checked and i have a medium arch

Yeah i will get on that, thanks!

My UK shoe size is 10 and US is 10.5

Just wish i could try on both and have a skate them to see which works best.

[SillyMe 22]

Make sure to walk around in the skates, I spent alot of time trying on skates, and some felt ok until I walked around in them.

[beerleaguecaptain 999]

Nick,

First off, welcome to MSH. There is a ton of information on the forum to help you. In my opinion the question really isn't about which is the "best" skate but which decent skate fits you best! The first and best lesson is to learn the "pencil test." You can find that here: http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/35455-the-pencil-test/?hl=%20pencil%20%20test Try on what you can and look for as snug a fit as you can wear. You don't want your heel to slip and you don't want your foot slipping forward. If it helps you at all I wear a 10.5 US shoe and an 8 EE Bauer Vapor 7.0 skate.

So... do you have narrow feet or wide feet? Wider forefoot? Big heel or narrow heel? These are really the descriptors that can help.

I have fairly wide foot but not huge. As stated I have the Vapors in an 8EE. Fits me perfectly. The Supremes are wider in the forefoot than Vapors but the Supreme D is too narrow and the EE is too wide. The Vapor EE sits right in the middle. Once you try on a few you can start to dial things in.

Good luck!!!

[Nicholas 0]

Nick,

First off, welcome to MSH. There is a ton of information on the forum to help you. In my opinion the question really isn't about which is the "best" skate but which decent skate fits you best! The first and best lesson is to learn the "pencil test." You can find that here: http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/35455-the-pencil-test/?hl=%20pencil%20%20test Try on what you can and look for as snug a fit as you can wear. You don't want your heel to slip and you don't want your foot slipping forward. If it helps you at all I wear a 10.5 US shoe and an 8 EE Bauer Vapor 7.0 skate.

So... do you have narrow feet or wide feet? Wider forefoot? Big heel or narrow heel? These are really the descriptors that can help.

I have fairly wide foot but not huge. As stated I have the Vapors in an 8EE. Fits me perfectly. The Supremes are wider in the forefoot than Vapors but the Supreme D is too narrow and the EE is too wide. The Vapor EE sits right in the middle. Once you try on a few you can start to dial things in.

Good luck!!!

Yeah thank for the info, i wear the same shoe size.

My foot is 4.2 inches at its widest and yes i would say that i wider forefoot and narrower heel.

I will have to try out the vapours in the EE then, as i said there is no LHS near me which is the only problem.