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You can start to learn to training with no laces by slowly decreasing the stability the laces provide. For example, drop the eyelet, lace, then after a few weeks drop the next eyelet, continue to repeat this as you adjust. The other option is skipping eyelets when lacing up starting after the 3rd eyelet from the bottom. You can at first skip one eyelet, then later skip another, continue to repeat this as you adjust. Over time you will build muscle memory and strength in areas of your ankle/foot you are currently not using due to the added stability the laces + boot provide.

Sewed the caps from my Cooper SB94L's on my Supreme S1's...perfect! How do you post images here...I'll show 'em to ya. Now all I gotta do is wait for the world to de-crazy🤣 Frankenpads Frankenpads 2 Frankenpads 3

Update- all non-essentials business in PA now ORDERED to close, so that would take care of any lingering high-stakes men's leagues.

Primarily it's muscle memory that causes the heel lift. When you put skates on and skate, your body is trying to do the same thing as when you walk, push down with the forefoot and lift the heel is part of your normal stride. A simple test is leave your laces untied and really loose, now go for a skate and one of the first things you will notice is how the heel lifts in the pocket as you get to the end of your stride. So what holds the heel in place? It isn't the bottom 3 or 4 eyelets (the forefoot ones) or the top ones (around the leg), it's the eyelets that cover the front curve of the foot between the foot and the leg that lock your heel into the heel pocket and this is why you get lace bite if the boot does not have enough volume, the pressure of the lace downwards on the foot and the pressure of the foot lifting in the skate and coming up against the lace. The padding in the heel will help to a degree but the force of the lift is significant enough that no padding can ever hold the heel in place. It's possible that if you squeezed your foot into a size smaller boot (aka Paul Coffey) that the pressure lengthwise and the padding would be enough to lock the heel in place but do you really want to be in pain and limping for days after every skate? You can learn how to skate differently (aka no heel lift) if you can put the time in. Start dropping eyelets until you can eventually skate with laces untied, then train this way and you will find your skate mechanics change for a whole host of reasons, and for the better. Or buy skates that fit your foot - narrow heels and ankles means you are looking for Jetpeeds (2017 line) or Vapours or Rbk 50ks or Rbk 70ks or customs. If they are too narrow elsewhere get them stretched and or punched. If the volume is not sufficient use eyelet extenders or Rbk lacelocks. If you train laces untied you will learn that heel lock isn't that important, it's your stride mechanics that count. fwiw, I train with no laces and play games with only the bottom 3 (forefoot) eyelets laced up. Once you have learnt the lateral stability needed, the biggest change in your stride is when you accelerate or get on your toes, a lifetime of muscle training (eg walking and running) means you want to lift the heel and relearning how to accelerate and stride off the toes with no heel lift takes practice and time.

Wrong skates or pronation issue. When you have pronation issues your arch will collapse in the skates when you hear weight on that foot.. it'll throw that Skate off and make it feel "sloppy" regardless how good the heel lock is. One way to test it is by sitting with your skates on Tied up. Lean forward on one skate so the knee bends and heel pushed back into the heel pocket of the skates. Hole the skate down and try to lift your heel up. If you have little to no heel lift the lock is fine. Now walk around, if you get heel slip then it might be pronation issue. Or something else going on with biomechanics. Mind you, walking in skates and skating are completely different positions. So use the walking guideline as just a guideline.