Vet88

For the cheaper option, I have used heavy duty 1/2" mesh outdoor garden netting and doubled / tripled it over. It stopped pucks fine. Back in the day when I was playing a lot of golf I used to drive 1000 balls a day into it.

You are right, EE are longer than a similar sized D. A few years ago I came to this conclusion and set out to prove it. I hauled every Bauer skate (vapour, supreme and nexus) that was in stock off the shelf and measured the D boot to the EE boot. From sizes 6 thru to 12. the EE boot was around 2mm - 3mm longer than the D boot (I didn't compare across lines, just evaluated supreme to supreme etc). I measured the length of the stock insoles and used a modified caliper to measure the internal length of the boot. So unless Bauer changed their lasts prior to the fit system, an EE is longer than a D.

If the gel pads were thick enough and had a slot or channel in them for the tendon, when tensed, to sit fully in then they would be similar except over time they would compress less. If they had no slot or channel for the tendon to sit in then they are next to useless, this type of pad just keeps the pressure on an already stressed tendon. The 1/2" pipe insulation would continue to compress as I used it, I would replace the pad every month or so.

We have messaged re the eyelet extenders, another option is a Forsberg pad (named after Peter Forsberg). I used these for many years before I made the eyelet extenders. They are cheap to make and can be used in any boot, the downside is you have to tape them to your ankle every time you skate. But they are a quick fix and will get you back on the ice until you try / make other things. Some people have found them a little off putting at first because it can slightly change the feel of your foot in relation to the tongue but after 2 or 3 uses this feeling generally disappears. Message me if you want some photos etc of how to make them, I used 1/2" pipe insulation that is available from just about any hardware store.

My problem with orthotics is - they don't work "properly" in ice skates. The reason is because there is no gfr (ground force reaction) available to support the orthotic at the sides of the boot. Therefore the boot has to be as close to a perfect fit as possible so it can provide the gfr needed for the orthotic to work. So in a simple one foot glide in a perfect fitting boot an orthotic can provide some assistance, there are a couple of studies by podiatrists working with figure skaters that prove this (the test subjects all had brand new custom fitted figure skates and the control drill was a one foot glide). Great if you are a figure skater but for hockey players, put some power thru the foot whilst deep on an edge and your orthotic is next to useless.... And shimming has the same issues, it just doesn't work when on an edge and under power.

Read my post on pronation, do the ankle straighten drill on and off ice. Learn to balance properly over the skate blade by dropping eyelets over time. Straighten up your foot and a lot of those niggly fit issues begin to disappear. And if you do want to punch / stretch your boots yourself I have posted in a previous DIY punching at home thread how to do it and the tools I have used.

And if you listened to the Bauer marketing spiel (youtu.be/I7iCxCk8nHo) that seemed all straight forward enough until you actually tried the skates on. From the horse's mouth, a fit 1 was close to a Vapour D - what a joke that was. At least Bauer have recognised this and made changes to the fit line with the Mach release.

Fit 1 reduced the volume overall from the previous D sized skate. Be it Vapours or Supremes, the lower fit across the back of the toe cap and over the bottom half of the foot means I can't wear fit 1 even though the heel fit is good. I know a number of players who have managed to get the back of the toe cap to fit better by putting a wedge in there and heating it up, over time they have gained some space. A current retail boot isn't going to fit you without extensive work / modifications and compromises, you are either going custom or hunting for an old pair you know that fit.

It's a nice stick but I tried it after having used a trigger 5 and 6 for a few months and found the blade to be very "loud". Catching passes and stick handling came with a distinctive ping off the blade. Lol, maybe it's just my hands but when I returned to a trigger the difference was very noticeable. Durability wise the FT3 pro had some questions but don't all sticks depending on what you do with them? If you can pick it up at a good price then it's a worthwhile stick.

Punch is the best but a heat gun and push should do. Put some lipstick on your bone, foot into the boot and press hard against the boot so the lipstick transfers. Now you know exactly where you have to punch or stretch.

I've used a Easton S19 and a Tackla shell with them without any issues. I suspect as long as the length was right you would be ok.

I just got one of theirs. How did you test it to determine it was out by a few thou?

Put the pic on imgur and then post the link here. If you have a accessory navicular then get your boots punched, any half decent shop should be able to do it.

I'd recommend you keep it simple to start, try a combi (10 / 13) or if you do a lot of backward skating try a detroit (10 / 20). Then if you want to experiment further from here try a quad 0.

Take another look at the scan, you pronate and have a flattened arch (most likely as a result of the pronation as opposed to a genetic predisposition). In skates this becomes amplified as the foot rolls inwards even more. If you have red points on your foot when you take the skate off then this is pressure points or rubbing (most likely the former). If they are on the bottom of the foot, get a heat gun, heat the area up in the boot and use the handle of a screwdriver to try and flatten / push the area out.

Have a look at the CCM AS-V pro skate, ultra stiff but it is cut lower than other models out today. I don't how they will relate to your VH skates. maybe @VegasHockey could chime in here as I think he has had both.

I agree with this but I found it was small differences in different places. For example with Hyperlites, fit 2 was too big in the heel for me, fit 1 didn't have enough volume in the toe cap area and across the top of the foot whereas a D Vapour was ok for me in those areas.

If they fit you well everywhere else just get the ankle punched, your shop should be able to do it. Put some lipstick on the top of your ankle bone, foot in boot and press it hard against the side, the lipstick will transfer and now the shop knows exactly where to punch.

Make sure it's the right tool, a standard boot punch or stretcher wont do it. If you haven't seen one, here's an example (I don't know if anyone else makes one that will punch the toe cap) - https://www.instagram.com/p/BuefBhwAcuV/ and a pic of a toe cap punch underway https://www.instagram.com/p/BP9Kcz8gqh8/

Get the toe capped punched? Only downside is you might have to send the skate away to a store that has the tool which means you have to mark exactly where it is to be punched on the toe cap..

For the shrink wrap it depends, if the fit isn't great across the forefoot / arch then it should be wrapped also. A 1/2 size too big is a 1/2 size too big, it doesn't go away. Yes, you can remold the boot and squeeze / wrap / clamp the sides in but then they only stay there if your mechanics are good. If your mechanics aren't good then the boot is going to expand out again quickly. Don't be fobbed off with a rebake, if you believe they are made a 1/2 size too big (this happens all the time) you should be asking for a remake. These are customs skates built to fit your foot and you are paying for this.

For me, those skates are at least 1/2 size to long (and big everywhere else) and after a few weeks / months of good use I suspect you'd be close to fitting a 1cm thick pencil down the back of the heel (this is around 1 size to big) - ergo I'd be after a remake. But you may be ok with your toes sitting that far off the toe cap and the boot fits ok everywhere else.

You don't need holders on a boot to check it for length. Stick your foot in the boot, toes feathering the toe cap and if you can slide a HB pencil down the back of your heel to the bottom of the boot then those puppies are too long for you.

https://www.reddit.com/r/hockeyplayers/comments/d3s6hw/roh_vs_fire_depth_and_bite_angle_comparison_chart/

Lol, after playing with it today your comment "is a nightmare" is so true.