althoma1

I wore neck guards growing up to play and those old ones from the 80s and 90s weren't very comfortable. I had to start wearing them again when I started reffing a little over a decade ago (it's required for minor hockey in Canada) and the newer Kevlar guards are much more comfortable than the old foam ones. I have several shirts with built in Kevlar neck guards from both Bauer and CCM and they're all comfortable. I rotate them when one is in the wash so that I always have a fresh, clean one. I also picked up a stand alone Sherwood Kevlar neck guard on sale as a backup and it's also comfortable. Bauer also makes (or at least made a few years ago) an elite Kevlar neck guard that's stand alone. I would say the key to finding one that's comfortable is to look for something thin and made with Kevlar. I haven't used one to play since minor hockey, but the recent incident makes me consider it. I definitely wouldn't chirp anyone who chooses to do so.

Since Bauer owns Mission and the Mission skates are built on the Supreme last, I believe that a 7.5 Bauer ice boot and a 7.5 Mission inline boot would be the same length. Of course, the different materials may make them feel different, but I think 7.5D would be your best bet in Mission if you used 7.5 Bauer ice boots. With that said, I agree with you that the the AS1 inline boots in the same size as your AS3 ice skates is the safest option. They will also be stiffer than the WM02 Missions and are a one piece carbon composite boot. The only downside to the AS1 inline boots that I see are the outdoor wheels (if you plan on using them indoors).

For your needs, a Force Krome referee girdle and some Bauer Officials shin guards would be a lightweight, breathable solution with enough protection to cover the odd fall or shot.

The friction wear is on both the rocker arms and where the front arms are inserted into the chassis. To prolong the life of the chassis and arms, taking them apart and cleaning them once in a while helps slow down this wear. Using them outdoors will make them wear faster since there's more grit and dirt out there - if you use them outdoors then you should clean them more frequently.

Well, I know I fit a 8EE Mako/Mako II with my toes lightly brushing the end and the Bauer 3D scanner says I'd be a 7.5 Fit 3 in Bauer...so based on that, the Bauer Fit 3 may be about a half size longer than a EE Mako. That's interesting that the EE Bauers are actually a little longer. It seems that the company should keep the length the same and only change the width, but based on your experience and Vet88's actual measurements, it does seem that the EE Bauers were longer than their D counterparts in the same size at some point. It's hard to say if that's still the case. Nothing will beat trying them on of course.

First, the EE Vapor may feel longer than the D Vapor simply because it's wider and isn't compressing the sides of your foot. When the side of your foot is compressed, it's elongated. I wear 8EE Mako II skates, but when I demoed Bauer skates at Modsquad events, I wore 7.5EE. I also scan as a 7.5 Fit 3 on the Bauer 3D scanner. I know in the Mako thread some people used the same size as Bauer, but others, like me, went up a half size. I also have a pair of True TF9 boots converted to inline and had to go down to 7W for those boots (the TF9 fits about a half size longer than Bauer and a full size longer than the Makos after baking and break in). Those are pretty similar to Makos, but are stiffer, have less flexible tendon guards and more volume in the toe cap. The new True Catalyst line has a more flexible tendon guard and a streamlined toecap; so, they're even more Makoesque. True adusted the sizing on those to better align with CCM and Bauer - so I believe I would need to go up to 7.5W with the Catalyst skates. In general, a half size is about a 4 to 5 mm difference in length.

The fact that you scan as a 7 doesn't surprise me at all since I wear 10W dress shoes and scan as a 7.5 Fit 3. Sizing can of course vary by brand and model, while I'd be a 7.5 Fit 3 in Bauer, I have 7W in True Tf9s converted for inline and 8EE in Easton Mako II's. Fit 3 is the deepest and widest Bauer skate and a D Vapor would be the shallowest and narrowest. So, the Vapor 8.5Ds were obviously way too narrow and long for your feet. That would certainly explain the discomfort. It's good you went with fit over brand. I hope the ASV's treat you well.

The 8090's in D were more like an E width in most skates. They're definitely both wider and deeper than a D width Vapor. The Bauer length also changed sometime after the 8090 came out - most people needed to go down a half a size. So, if you picked up Vapors in the same size as your old 8090s, you may have bought skates that are too long and too narrow for your feet. They may have felt like the right length because the sides compressed your foot and made them feel shorter than they really are. I'd start by going to a good shop with a Bauer 3D scanner and get your feet scanned. That will give you a good starting point as it'll recommend a size and Fit for Bauer, but try on various skates around that size in all the brands and models you can.

Either buy serviceable bearings (the ones you can take the covers off) and clean and relube them a couple times a year or buy really cheap bearings and replace them a few times a year. I notice a big difference between cheap and quality wheels, but I can't say I notice a big difference in bearings. I'll usually use bearings for a while indoors and then relegate them to outdoor use when they get a bit loud (even after cleaning and relubing if they're serviceable), but still spin fine. If they aren't rolling smoothly and they can't be serviced then they're thrown out.

I have TF9 boots converted for inline and they're very good boots, but the toe cap isn't quite as comfortable for me as the Mako toe cap. I tried on a pair of Catalyst skates the other day and the Catalyst toe cap feels VERY similar to the old Mako toe cap. I believe that they'll also be using the same toe cap on the new Hzrdus skate that will replace the TF line this summer.

You can't make any boots smaller or remove negative space. There's no brand or model that allows for this. You're right, the thermoformability of Trues makes them expand around your feet, plus you can get a good wrap, but it definitely doesn't allow them to shrink around your feet. Beyond thermoformability, with Trues or any skate brand, you can punch or stretch them to make them wider, longer or deal with pressure points. Plus, padding compresses with use. That's why if you're between sizes, it's generally better to go with the smaller size. With Trues, it's ideal to have them feel too small and a bit too tight before baking and break in. If you feel room before baking, that's definitely not going to go away with baking - you'll only get more room after baking and break in.

I guess I have hallway shaped feet as the TF9 boots in W really hug my feet, but I scan as a Fit 3. For Fit 1 type feet, I can imagine the hotdog in a hallway feeling would be accurate. I experienced that feeling when I tried in Nexus skates (my forefoot is wide, but my heel and ankle isn't) years ago.

I agree that the TF series isn't ideal Fit 1 type feet. In the TF series the R width is more likely to work for a Fit 2 type foot and the Wide is actually a bit wider in the forefoot than Fit 3, but provides better heel lock for my feet and has average depth. From what I have read, the Catalyst line in R would be much better than the TF series for a Fit 1 foot.

A couple things that may help getting them on and off: Make sure you really loosen the laces and completely undo the top two eyelets (to rethread the top two eyelets when they're on your feet, thread behind the tongue and then pull the laces in front) Twist your foot in and out. If you're already doing those two things and still have pain, try spot heating and flaring out the top of the boot a bit, like in this video: That won't help with the negative space, but should solve issues with getting them on and off. If the negative space is width wise, there may not be much you can do. If you're talking about the negative space above the toe box then powerfoot inserts or a homemade version of those could help. If you have a narrow foot, the Catalyst line in True might work better for your feet than the TF series. I have a wide forefoot and there's very little negative space in my TF9s - each foot is different though.

I would do the wrap first, see how that feels and if you still want to to try to tighten things up, you could try spot heating and clamping. Generally, it's hard to remove negative space in any boot - it's easier to gain a little space by heating, punching/stretching and just by padding compressing over time. That's why having a skate that's a little too snug to start isn't terrible. If it starts out too roomy, it's harder to deal with that. With all of that said, my experience with the TF9 has only been in Wide. I assume you ordered the R width and that won't be as wide in the forefoot as the W models. Hopefully they'll work well for you. If not, you could give the Catalyst 9's a shot with their 30 day satisfaction guarantee or see how the Hzrdus skates fit when they come out this summer.