freeflyer14

You will probably need to be in an "EE" width skate to account for the flat feet and/or low arch. That's been my solution for quite some time. Most skates (and shoes) have a narrow "pathway" on the bottom of the sole from the heel to the toes to give arch support, which is exactly what ends up killing my feet. At least for me, the wide widths allow my foot to "lay" stable and lower on the footbed, which alleviates the pain of a crushed or overly supported arch. The trick is to find something wide enough along the sides but narrow enough in the heel to prevent heel lift. This is why I used to love the pump in Reebok skates. It allowed me use wide widths and not worry about my heels staying locked in. I now use a pair of stock Bauer Vapor 2X pro in EE width, which fit pretty much perfect. This is my first pair of Vapors ever. The Jetspeed FT1 and FT2 wide width fit pretty well also. For background, I was in multiple pairs of Reebok 20K's for over 10 years, Graf before that, and a mix of CCM Tacks and Bauer Supremes growing up. I'm in no way loyal or a fanboy of any one single brand (except Tackla pants for life!) Superfeet black are definitely an option, but yellow will almost certainly not work due to their high arch support. I have not tried any of the other models/colors. I use the stock insole in the Vapors, which seem to work better for me than Superfeet black, as I have tried both. To those who would suggest True skates - they were absolutely miserable for my feet. I went through 3 pairs of trial and massive error. The initial pair had 1 skate which fit well (not great). The other skate was much much much too narrow and killed my arch. The one skate that fit well had absolutely terrible quality control however, and would've needed to be remade anyway (missed stitching, glue everywhere, liner already separating). With the second/rebuilt pair, both feet were in excruciating pain right from the start, throughout and after baking, and were again way too narrow and crushed my arch. I did a complete re-scan, foot tracing, sent in copious notes and pictures for what would be the 3rd pair - same result as the 2nd pair. Got a full refund and called it a day with True. I believe the main reason for this is that if you look at the bottom or a True skate, it is not a flat surface. It is molded and contoured - supposedly to your foot. In my case apparently it was not contoured to allow to foot lay flat (enough?) and ended up killing my arch. I really wanted to love them, but there is no way they could've worked. They were the most painful thing I've ever had on my foot. I took pictures of my foot arch area which was completely red, inflamed, and in obvious discomfort after the baking process. The fitter and people at Pure Hockey were witness to all this and in the end the stock Vapors are working great now. Your mileage may vary, and Trues may be perfect for you. They obviously work extremely well for others. I will say the quality control on all the skates other than the first pair was top notch. The first pair should have never made it out of the factory however. They were an embarrassment, especially for $1000 skates. I cannot recommend enough having a knowledgeable fitter at a local shop guide you through the process if at all possible. It will save you a ton of time and money. If your current skates are as uncomfortable as you suggest, I doubt anything will make them usable. Sell them and get something that fits.

This. All day. There is absolutely no reason for any of us to buy the latest and greatest retail stick for $300. Pros don't pay for their stuff so it doesn't really matter if and when they break or degrade after 1 month (and it would seem most of the latest super high end sticks are going soft or breaking in a very limited amount of time). Buy the previous year, or 2 years ago top of the line (after being well reviewed/vetted) equipment about half off retail. By then you will know what models are durable and have excellent performance. Let someone else be the beta tester. Exact same issue for golf equipment by the way...

I recently switched from a pair of beat up Tackla 9000 airs to a Supertacks girdle based on glowing reviews here and elsewhere. It is a little early to tell if I am going to keep using it vs going back to a new pair of Tackla 9000's but I will definitely agree with previous posters regarding size - it definitely fits snug/small to size. Go a size up if in doubt. I'm in a large and debated going with a medium when I bought it, but I am very glad I went with a large. There is no way I could fit in a medium. I have 2 pairs of 9000's actually - a size 48 tall and a size 52 regular. The 48 tall is somewhat snug and the 52 is slightly big. I would guess a 50 would fit me perfectly but they were hard to find up until recently. For reference I am 6'1", 195. As far as the Supertacks girdle goes, it is much more protective especially in the tailbone and lower back vs the Tackla 900 pants, but it is certainly a different feel coming from the traditional Tackla pant fit. I've only played a few games in it so far, and if what the previous posters have said is true it should start to break in and loosen up. It certainly seems more restrictive for now vs the loose 9000 pant feel. I also cut off that top "tab" above the beltline. It was incredibly annoying.

Can the Sparx Sharpener handle CCM Rocket Runners? Or does it clamp the blade in such a way that they won't work? I know they're a PITA for conventional sharpeners / clamps.

I bought 4 Fischer SX7's back when Amazon had them (mistakenly?) priced between $5-$20. Great stick, well balanced. I'm a fan. I have since moved on to the Sherwook EK15, which I am still not as comfortable with yet. I love the lightness of the EK15, but the SX7 has arguably better feel and balance. Great stick for sure, and great for the money vs the top end offerings, but I'm not sure I'd pay $150 for it. I still have all 4, haven't managed to break a single one of them yet so the durability is definitely there. I skate multiple times per week, and have had 3 of the 4 in rotation.