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General skate fit question

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Hey all ModSquad peeps!  Been a while.... hope to be around more.  Life got in the way.

Hoping some of the skate gurus might be able to chime in with my dilemma:

Seeing as I am kind of out of the loop with skate tech lately.....

I have Vapor XXIX or XXVI? They were 2nd or 3rd from the top line at the time (it was those or RBK 9K). Probably close to 10 yrs old. Boot structure is solid, and they have the original stock footbeds.  What do they call them.....rivet covers?. I only play 1/week right now, but what I notice is that the outside of my right big toe feels like it is rubbing on the inside of the skate (toe cap?) and sometimes can feel the rivet that is under the ball of foot area. I was fitted for S190 the other day (on sale right now at a great price by the way) and despite being super stiff (as a new skate is) they did feel quite good. Obviously, they'd have to be baked, etc and broken in. I did find my one foot had a pressure spot on the outside middle of my foot, that I suspect would go away with a bake. I also get a discount as I have a connection at this particular shop. So...looking under $500. I'd probably get the superfeet as well.

I was wondering....is it really necessary though? I am 45 now and plan to keep playing (it's a decent pace group I play with) as long as I can. If I just replace the footbeds with some high end superfeet ($60?) would this solve the problem? I always felt my current skates could fit better and now am noticing the issue mentioned above.

Any thoughts?

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15 minutes ago, Cams said:

Hey all ModSquad peeps!  Been a while.... hope to be around more.  Life got in the way.

Hoping some of the skate gurus might be able to chime in with my dilemma:

Seeing as I am kind of out of the loop with skate tech lately.....

I have Vapor XXIX or XXVI? They were 2nd or 3rd from the top line at the time (it was those or RBK 9K). Probably close to 10 yrs old. Boot structure is solid, and they have the original stock footbeds.  What do they call them.....rivet covers?. I only play 1/week right now, but what I notice is that the outside of my right big toe feels like it is rubbing on the inside of the skate (toe cap?) and sometimes can feel the rivet that is under the ball of foot area. I was fitted for S190 the other day (on sale right now at a great price by the way) and despite being super stiff (as a new skate is) they did feel quite good. Obviously, they'd have to be baked, etc and broken in. I did find my one foot had a pressure spot on the outside middle of my foot, that I suspect would go away with a bake. I also get a discount as I have a connection at this particular shop. So...looking under $500. I'd probably get the superfeet as well.

I was wondering....is it really necessary though? I am 45 now and plan to keep playing (it's a decent pace group I play with) as long as I can. If I just replace the footbeds with some high end superfeet ($60?) would this solve the problem? I always felt my current skates could fit better and now am noticing the issue mentioned above.

Any thoughts?

I was having a similar issue with the ball of my foot. Turned out my sesamoid was irritated by the rivet. Changed it to copper which is flatter and added a bit of thickness to my footbed and the issue was solved.

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Did you try on more than just the Supreme? You should try as many brands and lines as you can if you're serious about buying new skates. I know you felt they fit pretty well besides one hot spot, but there could be a model out there that fits your feet even better. Find out what fits your feet best and then look for a good deal; don't try to fit your feet into a skate just because it's a good price.

After 10 years, I'd probably lean more toward getting new skates than trying to get more life out of your old Vapors. You could replace the foot beds, but I'd imagine after 10 years the steel is starting to get low as well. In addition, the higher end new skates are more responsive to heat and use materials that have better energy transfer. After 10 years your old skates are probably not as stiff and supportive as they were originally; you likely just don't notice because it's happened gradually over time and not all at once. 

Just go back to the store and try on different brands models and sizes for a good chunk of time. Narrow it down to a few pairs and then walk around in those, do some lunges to check for heel lift and leave them on for at least 15 minutes to see if there are serious hot spots. If you can find something that fits you really well and works for your budget then I'd take the plunge and keep your current skates as backups. If there's something that fits really well, but you're not happy with the current price then you can keep using your current skates until you find that model for a price you're happy with. 

 

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If it's not going to put you out too much, I'd seriously consider the new skates. I mean 10 years is a pretty darn good run. With my last pair of skates, the first signs of them going were the little things, rivets and eyelets popping, and stuff started rubbing as the liner and tongue wore away, etc. I nursed the skates along for a year or so until a broken holder forced my hand. Honestly, I probably should have gotten new skates earlier, because over time, I'd dropped over $100 on rivets and stuff just nursing them along. I could have put that money towards the new skates.

 As for it being worth it, well, that's a question only you can answer. But you're only 45. I'm the same vintage as you and play against guys who are in their late 50's who can still skate circles around people 30 years their junior. So, you probably have at least 10 good years in you of playing. 

Take a look at your skates now. Really look at them, every seam, every stitch, etc. How much life do you think they still have? And how much do you think you'll have to invest to keep them going vs just getting new skates?

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Also - FWIW.  I used the Bauer 3D fit system (can't remember what it's called). 

The condition of my current skates is actually very good -solid boot, eyelets, holders have a few nicks.  I should note - I did take almost 2 years off of playing due to family issues.

@puckpilot The group I play with is also a good mix - guys in their 30s and 50s +.  I hope to keep playing that long!

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There are a few things you can try that are cheap to fix your current skates before buying new ones.  You can get the rivet replaced with a steel or copper.  Like @jared9356 said the copper will sit flatter.  That fix should only be $3 max if you have a good shop nearby that can do the work.  As for your toe rubbing mine started to rub recently and I went out and bought one of these https://www.walmart.com/ip/PediFix-Visco-Gel-Bunion-Guard/10451244 and that fixed the rubbing issue.  I thought about re-baking my skates or punching them, but this is doing just fine.

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5 hours ago, strosedefence34 said:

There are a few things you can try that are cheap to fix your current skates before buying new ones.  You can get the rivet replaced with a steel or copper.  Like @jared9356 said the copper will sit flatter.  That fix should only be $3 max if you have a good shop nearby that can do the work.  As for your toe rubbing mine started to rub recently and I went out and bought one of these https://www.walmart.com/ip/PediFix-Visco-Gel-Bunion-Guard/10451244 and that fixed the rubbing issue.  I thought about re-baking my skates or punching them, but this is doing just fine.

Cool - Might give that a shot.  I think I will lean towards the smaller fixes.  I just bought a new set of golf clubs so if I hadn't purchased those it would be skates for sure!

I will keep this posted updated on what transpires.  Seems like a common issue that arises.

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