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I have pants and a girdle. When i bought thrm they were all i could find that offered tall sizes. That was about 12 years ago maybe. Their pants were definitely common and seen as good stuff when i was in high school...Which was significantly more than 12 years ago :)

Still quite common in europe BUT all European elite teams (KHL excluded) has an equipment sponsor/partner so they must cover their pants/girdles with a shell from the team sponsor... So you dont notice them as easy any more.

I have no idea what to expect. I've never seen the Capitals get this far in my life, so I guess I'll just sit back, not give unwarranted opinions and/or hot takes about either team, and enjoy the Finals.

20% off accessories, and $100 off the sharpener

Sparx doing 20% off this weekend. Seriously tempted to get the travel case I've been dreaming of...

Having no negative space means you aren't losing energy transfer. If money is no object then either going with the CCM full pro custom option or the True skates would be what I would choose (I like the flexible tendon guard on the True skates and they're the most similar to the Easton Makos I currently wear, so I would lean toward the True skates). The True skates, CCM Jetspeed FT1 and Tacks AS1 are also all one piece boots, they have no separate outsole; this should also help maximize energy transfer.

Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference. I've been skating for a long time now, and I'm one of those people that notice even the smallest differences/discomfort/changes in my skates (kinda like a "princess and the pea" thing). It's probably why I have modded my retail skates so much in the past, and even with True skates, I've made many small trial and error adjustments to dial in the fit I prefer. I think ultimately, in terms of fit, if the boot is comfortable and doesn't give you any pain, it fits, because if you're getting pain after the break-in period (i.e. lace bite, arch pain, blisters, hotspots, etc), that's your foot telling you you're in the wrong type/size skate. After that, IMHO fit is subjective, generally speaking. If you like room in the toe box, or you like your toes up against the cap, that's personal preference. Could you dial in the fit even more to gain a bit more efficiency and response, sure...but if you're not having pain, I think in general, the skate fits. In regards to whether a high end boot might be too much for you, depends on your technique and personal preferences... I prefer very stiff skates cause I lean very hard on my edges, so I've always gravitated to the higher end, stiffer models, and with my Trues, I have the built in shot blockers for both protection and added stiffness. IMHO, you should get a slightly stiffer boot than you can handle.

It's been all Bauer, CCM, Warrior etc. since around 2006 or something. I think around the time Koho and Jofa were bought out, Tackla dropped off too. So yea it's a niche, maybe even a struggling brand right now. Nobody buys new Tackla equipment anymore and it's sold only marginally. Teams in finnish national league SM Liiga are sponsored and equipped either by Bauer, CCM or Warrior. My perception of Tackla for the last 10+ years has been that they've concentrated more on rink ball and ice bandy and those sports are dying right now. Obviously concentrating on those sports was a mistake.

I would suggest that a skate made for your foot will always fit better than one that wasn't. The question is whether it's worth the extra cost to you. To add to that, a retail skate isn't made for your foot either. So what difference does it make if you buy a retail skate not made for your foot or a pro stock skate that was also not made for your foot?

I don’t agree with the bolded, at all. Bauer and CCM have the sizes clearly marked on them and it’s fairly easy to determine if anything was done to the vamping, stiffness, etc. Also, most pro return pairs are the same size in both feet. If anything, with how Bauer builds their retail skates (Nexus and Supreme) on oversized lasts it’s actually easier to figure out exactly what you’re getting with a pro stock skate.

Got the Super Tacks a couple of weeks ago for a price I couldn’t pass up. Been very happy with them so far.