Vet88

Eyelet extenders, these are the fix for volume issues if everything else about the boot is ok. It's not hard to make your own especially if you want single or 2 hole extenders. Otherwise there are 3 hole ones you can buy.

Have a watch of this, it's long at an hour and 22 but there are some real nuggets of knowledge in it.

Is it easily transferable across skates? Say you were in a 2S pro and switched to a FT2. Based on what you did on the 2S pro, with a jump test (I assume this would still be needed) you could recommend the changes which (as long as a blade alignment wasn't required) any LHS could do? Note - I'm asking from the approach of distance, it's expensive to send skates overseas....

I think he uses blademaster eyelets. I used stainless steel or high quality brass because they withstand human sweat really well but they are expensive. Suppliers are ship chandelers, outdoor tent suppliers or search for stainless steel grommets online.

These, best girdles ever made imho: https://www.thehockeyshop.com/products/ccm-9k-pro-senior-hockey-girdle?variant=14035494633538 If the sizing is the same as the 9k Rbk girdle then in general you need a 1/2 size up, a Bauer medium pant fits me well whereas a 9k medium girdle is very snug fitting (but it does loosen up over time to be an excellent fit). Downside is there is no cup holder, I wear NFL compression shorts for the extra hip protection and this is my cup holder. And they are super protective but you trade this off for weight, they are heavier than any other girdle. And expensive but you pay for what you get.

It would work for one cross over, start inside out and finish outside in. So if you had problems at one specific cross over then you could get some help with this technique. But as I have always found out, it isn't just one, it is generally 2 or 3 cross overs that cumulatively add to the problem. Besides the one cross over example above, it is basically the same either way. You either have the pressure thru the first 3/4 of the cross over (outside in) or the last 3/4 of the cross over (inside out). Regardless of how you do it it will still be cranking down across the center of the tongue.

I tried lots of different types and thicknesses, in the end settled for 4mm thick as that seemed to provide the best balance between durability and flexibilty. I had plenty of thinner leather stretch and rip over time but the 4mm thick never had any issues.

+1 for these, I have used them on other skates to alleviate lace bite. Downside is they are getting harder to get (my understanding is they are not made anymore) and they break with puck impacts and over time. If you go this route get a few pairs so you have spares..

I have never heard of a LHS stocking them as they seem to be considered a niche item, somebody correct me if I am wrong. Buy them online from here http://greatsaves.org/skate_lace_extenders.html and you can fit them yourself.

I make my own using 5mm thick leather offcuts (eg from belt manufacturers) and stainless steel grommets (anything else has corroded on me as I sweat a lot). Can send you details if you want to make your own. But the best commercial ones I have seen and know they work well are those from greatsaves - http://greatsaves.org/skate_lace_extenders.html made from leather instead of plastic.

Dealt with this all my life and helped many skaters thru it. The clinic most likely put you into a stance you are not normally in ie a little deeper in your stance. This extra pressure could have been the trigger point that caused your lace bite to elevate itself to a noticeable point. Lace bite generally doesn't happen immediately, it's micro trauma happening on the tendon and in between skates your body is trying to heal it. Time on ice, pressure on tendon, age, recovery capability are just some of the factors that determine how you get it and react to it. If you are getting it during the class it tells me that you are borderline lacebite the rest of the time ie enough pressure to have it happening but your body is just managing to keep it under control. How to fix it:- Bottom line is you have to get the pressure OFF the tendon, this is the most important thing to do for your long term skating health. Lacebite pads, unless they have a channel cut in them for the tendon to sit in, are a waste of time. The options I know that work are: 1: Option B laces. 2: Forsberg pads, downside is you have to tape them to the front of your ankle every time you skate. Make your own from 1/2" pipe insulation. 3: Boots that have enough volume. 4: A new tongue may help if it increases the volume in the boot (ie a thinner tongue) or if the tongue has broken down. 5: Drop eyelets or skate with laces untied 6: Eyelet extenders. the last option is the one I recommend to skaters, it is cheap, effective and you can use them on any skate. Now you can choose the skate that fit you the best everywhere else (retail skates) and then fix any volume issue.:

+1 for this, I got exactly the same guidance at a ref course from the guy who was the head ref for the Canadian junior league. And you can practice this as you ref games. Pick any point in a game and pick a player, then at the start of the next play recall the number and colour. As you keep at it you get much better so that it starts to become second nature. Then add the supposed penalty call so you get all the elements together.

Thanks, it would be nice to see the research behind it. It's not an invalid approach, shim the boot and or move the holder, figure skaters have done it for years but ice hockey have buried their heads in the sand about this. If RDH are providing a solution for hockey players then that can only be for the good. For established and professional players an alignment adjustment can make a significant difference immediately and as they have to skate at their best every day, anything else can be a threat to their earning potential. This is why the research we are doing isn't really positioned towards established players but at developing skaters with bio mechanical issues and how learning to skate without laces can significantly address these issues for the long term beneficial health and performance of the skater.

I believe it's a series of cupped heel wedges (think the heel section of a superfoot) at different angles. So it tries to reshape the ankle (particularly the subtalar joint) to give you a better bio mechanical alignment. So it's like shimming the outside of the skate but you can do it internally with a removable piece. Personally I don't agree with this approach, bio mechanical alignment is a lot more complex than a reshaped ankle, the whole leg is involved and often the back. Whilst it does alter the biomechanical alignment and can help, it impacts on how the skater can get onto their outside edge and it throws the knee outwards which can lead to additional stresses thru the knee ie long term ligament issues. Note - I have no clinical research to support this statement but we did model it with alignment testing as part of the ongoing research thesis I'm involved in and all the orthopedic consultants agreed that, for ice hockey and anything more than a very very mild adjustment, it was not an ideal solution. Note, if it's a raised heel lift with different heights then this is different to a side to side angular heel lift trying to fix things like pronation etc.

Unless you have volume issues and or lace bite. Then, outside of customs, it's one of the few things that will keep you in your skates. http://greatsaves.org/skate_lace_extenders.html

You need to talk to the LHS and work with them. Take physical measurements of your foot then compare this to the scan data AND the additional comments / info the LHS sent to True. If this all correlates then the LHS need to ask True why the boot differs from the info supplied. Work out how much longer / shorter the boot should be, where it needs to be narrower / deeper, cut differently etc etc. I have seen cases where True have misinterpreted the LHS supplied data and made the boot wrong. Mistakes happen, it's a fact of life. And I'll say it again - Both at the scan / measuring stage and at the boot fitting stage, it's really important to have a fitter who knows his stuff. This will reduce the chance of errors when they are made and to recognise that the boot isn't right at fitting time and to provide the assistance you need to get it fixed. 6 months down the track and they are still tinkering with the boot to try and get it to work, that isn't a good recommendation of the LHS imho.

There are a lot of examples where the skate has been made wrong because the scan data was either wrong or interpreted incorrectly (a lot of this does depend on the skill of the fitter, the better they are the better the chance of True getting it right). In all of the cases that I know of True have remade the skate using feedback from what is wrong with the current one to ensure the remake is correct. On the odd occasion this hasn't worked but generally the 2nd time around they get it right.

Do goalie boots come with shot blockers built in? If you added these (as you can add them to player boots I assume you could add them to goalie boots) then they would beef up the boot considerably.

https://hockeybuzz.com/blog/Bob-Duff/Kronwall-Debuts-Innovative-Skate-Blade/216/95256

Interesting as I'm one of these customers. Durability? I gather you would liberally paint it on so you get full penetration into the eyelet?

I'm fascinated as to how you reconcile "Kronwell wears them" and "not allowed in the NHL"? And pray tell what it is in health and safety that makes these a risk? afaik they have passed approval to be worn in the NHL, I am sure Per will clarify if that is not the situation.

You can get those and others on android, just search in the play store. For example I've used CoachNow on a Nokia Sirrocco phone and the slow mo is good at 8:1, you can add feedback etc and then post to the space or group or player you are working with. If you want to clip the vid I use Lightworks on a pc and then can post to a lot of different media, it's free and does just about everything you would ever want to do when editing.

Creating a pocket in the heel for a bump is really hard to do unless you have the right tools or the material on the inside of the heel has enough thickness to make a pocket. If not the latter (first skates I dd this on were pro spec apx2's that had very thin inner heel material), the heel is a very reinforced, circular area and it takes a lot of pressure to make it move. Typical punches don't work because they actually push the outer area of the punch inwards in the heel whilst you get a little bit of movement in the middle of the punch ergo no result. You need a punch that is shaped liked the heel for the punch to work or you can do this: I made a frame that clamped and locked the boot into the middle of it and attached another frame that sat outside the quarter panel where I wanted the punch to occur. Then I used a c clamp to pull the heel area at that spot out with heat added. You need a lot of pressure to get the heel to move so you have to be careful here with the heat and pressure or else you can distort the shape of the heel. This worked ok but it is a slow process. I now have access to a 3D printer and I print up a punch according to the boot size, heel shape and position of the punch. Good luck with the tissue process but I wouldn't be holding my breath, heat and pressure will most likely give you the best result.

Because they make mistakes, even after repeated attempts at remakes. He has every right to be concerned. What I don't get is why the customer is not more involved in the "remake" process, surely True want to get it right next time??? How hard would it be for True to tell you "we are going to do this, this and this, do you agree?" and the customer signs off on it. I'd rather have the remake take a little bit longer because of extra communication than have it done asap. But maybe that's just me showing my age and preferring to "do it once, do it right." Instead the remake disappears into a black hole and you just hope to god it comes out the other side ok. And to give True their credit, most of the time it does as long as the information they are receiving is correct AND correctly acted upon. But when it goes amiss you end up in situation like smu is in and its still not right after 3 attempts.

Those 4 sentences are what every parent should be able to say at the end of the season. You nailed it, I'd say your son will be back next year and you don't need to be a rocket scientist to work out which coach he will want....