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Can't speak for other brands, but I am pretty confident there is no structural / design difference between the larger senior sizes and the smaller intermediate/junior sizes with the True lines. Less material needed for a smaller size = less money. And I'm sure to some extent they need to make it more palatable to parents as their young one's foot grows, so probably making more profit off the senior sizes to offset the smaller sizes at lower prices.

Catalyst fit about a 1/2 size smaller (more inline with the other big brands / "true to size"). So going for a 6 in the Cats would probably give you a closer fit. If you like the TF7s, see if you can get them in the 5.5, really no difference in the stiffness or performance of the Intermediate/Junior sizes compared to Senior. I'd definitely suggest sizing down instead of trying to stuff the extra space with something. The TFs also tend to continue to break in and feel a bit larger as the foams compact. For instance, I have very small feet and am in a size 4 in my TFs, and I'm 190lbs

Ive found the best solution is usually the easiest. What good is added protection if it's a PIA, uncomfortable or limits mobility. I think that's why I felt the shirt was so effective. It may not be as protective as the other options but it was so easy to use. I just subbed it out for my regular base layer. The hockey ones can be a little thin. There are some football specific ones that offer a bit more protection. I never found a long sleeve version so I went with the hockey version.

Based on your description, I'd look at the True retail offerings TF series, if you can find them in your size (probably 1/2 smaller than what you are in now), the Catalyst series (a bit softer boot and a bit more narrow forefoot), or Hzdrus series - which replaces the older TF series (both Cats and Hzdrus probably the same size as your current Eastons). I'll let someone more familiar with the Easton Stealth RS weigh in to confirm. I'm in a pair of TF9s and have very similar foot shape to what you describe. Wide-ish forefoot, narrow heel, high instep. These skates are the first I have ever tried that do not give me some sort of lacebite over the instep while also not squeezing the sides of my forefoot because they are a bit too narrow. By far the most comfortable skate I've ever owned. Extremely heat moldable to provide a great fit (and need to be heated to assess fit, don't even bother to try them on if they aren't baked first). The TF series is deeply discounted right now, as are the Catalyst right now. Hzdrus replace TF, new Cats are coming out this summer. And they have a 30 day money back guarantee I believe for all models.

Part of the reason for the lack of general knowledge is that most of these processes are proprietary, its basically each companies secret sauce, so they want to keep that information internal and provide retailers basic general information. You also have to consider that most staff working at stores aren't educated on custom skates since the number of custom skates sold is very minimal compared to the abundance of customers buying off the shelf retail skates. Not to mention many employees of the larger stores which offer custom skates just don't really care all that much. As someone who has owned multiple pro shops I can tell you that not a single one of my staff truly ever understood how each custom skate differs even though I provided them with literature, videos, and even spent time trying to educate them. I was the only person who could handle these questions which is ludicrous considering I am the owner of the stores. But, back to your initial question... Bauer and CCM take your measurements and basically grab the components to match the specific sizing and assemble the boot. After assembling the boot they 3D print a cast of your feet and insert that into the skates. They then apply high heat and pressure the skates to form them to your foot. How much pressure? A lot. Specifically how much, no clue, that's proprietary. How much heat? A lot. Specifically how much, no clue, that's proprietary. How does TRUE make their custom skates? Depends on who you ask. TRUE used to create a custom last based on your specifications and then build the skate around the last. This allowed them to make many adjustments to the skate as they are building it. It's a very hands-on process which requires a lot of work and truthfully the end result is only as good as the person doing the work. We did a ton of TRUE customs and yes, there were times we had issues with skates being too big or had a holder that was not properly aligned and 99% of the time TRUE fixed the problem. There is only one customer I can think of that we couldn't satisfy and he had significant foot issues. That customer also tried custom CCM and Bauer skates and those also didn't work for him as well. My suggestion, give TRUE one more try to get it right. Provide them as much feedback as possible. The more information you provide the better understanding they have of what works and what doesn't. If that pair comes back wrong still then I would look into other options.

In terms of custom fit I would personally rank them in the following order. 1: TRUE 2: CCM 3: Bauer That being said, this is my personal opinion. I have owned multiple customs from each of these brands. I am also open-minded and think that each brand has its pros and cons. I am ranking them in terms of fit specifically not taking into consideration features and such. For example, I prefer LS Edge or XS holders over the TRUE SHIFT holder. I do not dislike the TRUE SHIFT holder but specifically because I use Flare steel and they don't have steel available for that holder currently. I think CCM and Bauer have a better finish and aesthetics than TRUE. I also like that there are more options available with CCM and Bauer as well if you go full custom but going full custom is VERY expensive compared to TRUE. Long story short. They are all good but all have pros and cons. TRUE skates are typically better fitting than the other brands but you have less input into how the skates are built, options, and specifications. Other brands give you more options but it could be argued they are giving you more rope to "hang yourself" as well. I personally have made some decisions in previous skates that I later felt were wrong. Sometimes having too many options can be worse than someone making decisions for you. All of these companies spend a lot of time doing development and testing products finding the right combination of materials to arrive at a product that works entirely with all of the various combined components for the majority. Sorry for the lengthy post.