Vet88

I never said irrelevant, I said it is secondary. Bio mechanics should be the first and most important consideration because if you don't get that correct you will never be able to control the skate correctly. And laces undone is hard, I won't deny it. But getting your holder alignment correct isn't a physically hard thing to do and any age can do it, it's skate related not age. This is the problem with hockey and attitudes like this, bio mechanics don't really matter / are something I might fix later. This is just bs. Racing slicks on a prius is like your hollow on a skate, driving a prius blindfolded is more akin to not addressing your bio mechanics.

I put it like this - when are you making the most mistakes? When you are learning. Training, regardless of the frequency, is pointless if all you are doing is repeating the same mistakes over and over again. If the skater is unbalanced at the start, extra stiff skates, more training etc does not address this, at least in a quick time frame. Sure, skate for 10 years and you will slowly improve. Or you can fix your alignment issues and start to skate better from the beginning. As to figure and speed and any half decent skating teacher, they should haul your ass of the ice immediately and start fixing your alignment with holder movement / shimming if they look at you and see you aren't aligned over your skates. Both figure and speed worked this out years ago, hockey tried with MLX then it got buried. And from many other posts in this forum and others, skaters have commented about going to camps run by ex NHL players and other qualified trainers and them asking players to undo their laces. It doesn't make things worse, it just makes it harder until you learn to control your muscles. Ironically those who pronate really badly get the most benefit instantly because of the feedback they start to get from their feet with laces undone as opposed to the quasi ski boot approach and lace up as tight as you can. Been there, done that, coached and seen dozens of skaters instantly improve with it.

If you had asked me this 3 years ago I'd have said this is true. But today imho it's all opinionated bs, just like my comments following. Let me put this out there - IT'S NOT THE SKATE. It's you and your bio mechanics. It's as simple as this even though bio mechanics in skates is a complex issue. If your bio mechanics are correct you can skate in anything - even clods with a frame bolted to them. Stiffness, heel lock, volume, length, forefoot width, profile, hollow etc are all secondary, you don't need this to be anywhere near perfect to skate well. What you need is good body alignment over the skate blade. Yes, stiffer skates will generally help you to skate a little better but they will not TEACH you to skate better. If you want to skate better fix your bio mechanics first, make sure the holder is aligned central to your foot / ankle / knee / hip alignment. Then shim for ankle / knee / hip deviation. This is the quick fix but it comes with some issues, especially for beginning skaters and how their body adapts to skating over time. Or learn to skate with your laces undone, stop using the boot as a crutch / excuse and teach yourself how to balance over the blade. Even holder alignment becomes less important. Add in strength work for legs and core and then you wont care what skate you are in as long as it is comfortable on your foot. Age, sex, size, weight, skating experience and equipment are irrelevant, anyone can learn to do this. Downside is you have to put in the time and effort and it is a long term development, upside is that over time you create the base to become the best skater you can possibly be.

Don't go with a boot that is too wide or too deep, you can't make it smaller. But you can work with the Supreme, get it stretched for the forefoot width then add eyelet extenders (it's easy enough to make your own) or Reebok lacelocks for the volume.

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.

How about the Reebok KFS shield and core range? Use the shield if you want shoulder protection, the core for chest and back. I used the shield for a month and it was definitely much cooler than standard should pads. They aren't made anymore but if you hunt around there are still a few examples out there: https://www.ebay.com/itm/REEBOK-KFS-SHIELD-HOCKEY-SHOULDER-PADS-PERFECT-CONDITION-ADULT-EXTRA-LARGE/293213857132? or https://www.hockeyworld.com/REEBOK-KFS-Shoulder-Pad-Srhash=item4444e8656c:g:uJwAAOSwzz5db8Fb

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

It does exist, someone posted a picture in another thread of Putin wearing one but I couldn't find anything similar to what he had. Possibly the bottom wire cage he had that clipped onto the visor was custom made. However Boulder are about to release something similar, the "Zero Plus Senior", it comes out mid Sept. https://hockeyfaceshields.com/

The ezeefit 2mm booties are great, I wear them all the time now since I had heel surgery. Re sizes, how much room (length wise) does she have in a 6D? Maybe buy size 5 and punch the hell out of the toe cap and then stretch for width if needed (might need EE)?

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....

lol, the marketing depts of both companies are sure to love this comment....

The toebox can be stretched quite a bit if you have the right tool. Customworx made a tool specifically for this, maybe reach out to @JR Boucicaut and he may be able to point you in the right direction based on where you live or if he has one. I can't comment on your holder swap as I don't know if it would fit. Widening the heelbox isn't that difficult either, there are punch tools that are suitable just for this (not a ball but a flat oblong shape). You need to find a good LHS with the right tools. If the S29 doesn't feel as good as any of the others you have then maybe try working on what you have first. Fixing one thing on a known boot is often much better than changing everything with a new boot. At least until you determine what is needed in a boot to get you to skate pain free.

I just feel sorry for the victims this "GURU" is selling his snake oil to.

Did the extenders help? If so you may find that for a retail boot you put him in what fits the best everywhere else and he has to have the extenders fitted.

No, this is a fallacy (unless you are cutting the stick to a ridiculous length). Stick manufacturers measure the flex across a set distance of the stick, depending on how much pressure it takes to deflect the stick 1" is it's flex rating. Cutting 1" off the top of the stick does not change it's flex rating BUT... what it does is reduce the amount of leverage you have to exert force on it therefore you need to exert more force to get the same amount of flex (semantics I know but this is important for the next point). However some manufacturers counter this, for example a few years ago CCM made sticks that they say you can chop the first 4" off and it will not impact on the force you need to exert to flex the stick the same amount. I don't know if that is still the case as I am no longer involved with gear.

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.

I know that Barzal is around my size, 6' and 86kgs, don't know where you got 5'8" from. And every stat I have seen has Gaudreau at 5'9".

+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.:

Been there, done that and have been embedded in a University research project for the last few years studying this very subject. To reinforce a couple of your points and some new ones:- 1: Tying your laces as tight as you can / in different patterns, different tightness etc etc does NOT fix your pronation. The foot will still roll / want to roll in the boot REGARDLESS of how you tie the laces. 2: A perfect fitting boot does NOT fix your pronation. The foot will still roll / want to roll in the boot REGARDLESS of how well fitting the boot is. It will straighten your ankles, depending on how stiff the sidewalls of the boot are, but over time that pressure from the inward ankle roll will eventually force the boot to open up. 3: Sorry to say this but orthotics do NOT fix pronation in hockey skates, all they do is empty your wallet faster. This is just simple physics, there is nothing under the foot to allow the orthotic to lever against but hey, a podiatrist isn't going to tell you that when they are trying to sell you a service. For ambulating on a flat surface, surgery will help but it is very debatable if it will work for hockey skates (and this from 2 consulting podiatrists who specialise in this surgery). Pronation is not just a foot issue, it is also an alignment issue that includes other joints (ankle, knee, hip, back) and surgery (calf muscle release and limiting the inward deflection of the subtalar joint) doesn't fix everything else. Moving the holder inwards or shimming the holder is one approach to address pronation, I'm surprised your figure skating coach didn't recommend this. However I don't favor this approach and prefer to address pronation as you have done, strengthening the foot / ankle / leg and dropping eyelets. This latter point is key as it also help to strengthen the foot / ankle / leg. Don't just drop one eyelet, keep going (one row at a time) until you can eventually skate with your laces untied (or at least 4 or 5 eyelets down). This forces you to use your foot / ankle / leg muscles to balance you over the top of the blade, now it's not the skate that is holding you up but you. But I do realise this takes a lot of time and practice and for a lot of people they just don't have the time or desire so a holder shift / shim is the preferred option for a quicker fix. I used to have sever pronation in both feet and had to always tape up my feet to deal with bunions, corns, heel bumps etc etc when skating. Then I took my laces out of my skates and haven't looked back. My pronation is now marginal, within normal foot range. Everyone else involved in the research project (who learnt to skate with no laces) has had similar results.