mc88

My holder sits flush: Not sure if this is just for my pair, but I'm getting some liner tearing on both skates and in the same spot:

Drove about 40 miles to test my friend's Blackstone setup and he only had a 90/1 wheel on hand (I'm used to 90/75). Seeing as I'm relatively new to a FBV, my friend told me that "a 90/1 is a true 5/8ths", so I decided to give a go anyway. Test drove it during the Sharks game (don't ask), and it felt like my runners were glued to the ice. I'm pretty sure he's wrong about it being a 5/8ths as it reminded me of a 9/16ths or even a 1/2" ROH. Made for an interesting night.

Last years durability: - Tongue degradation within 6 months - Rusted eyelets within 8 months - Rusted rivets within 8 months, replaced after a year and a quarter, but they didn't hold if I took a puck to the holder - Boot integrity (upper ankle support) soft after a year and a quarter I've only had my new VHs for a couple months and so far: - Tiny bit of rust on the rivet spread-ends (my fault for not removing my footbeds when I was placing them on my boot dryer) - Tongue in tact without any fraying/major creases - Stiffness in tact (asked them to make the upper ankle stiffer) - Eyelets rust free (asked them to use a rust resistant coating--I will note that the coating has rubbed off from the interior eyelet from lace friction, but I think the boot dryer drys them well enough to keep them from rusting) On a side note, I just wanted to add that I've since moved over to bare foot skating and have absolutely no numbness/toe compression issues. As others have mentioned, the tongue seems a bit too thick and too wide near the toe box area, so I may switch to a maltese tongue because felt starts to cause discomfort after skating bare foot for awhile.

I've had better luck with these unwaxed laces (not sure if this will benefit you, but after skating in VHs for awhile, I found that what best works for me when tying them up is to go relatively loose from eyelets 1-4, then tighten up eyelets 5-9 and lastly finish off with a double loop): http://www.icewarehouse.com/descpage.html?pcode=EWIDE

I found that a tracing can vary as much as 3mm depending on how the pen is touching the paper. By doing multiple drawings, you can get an average reading and throw out the outliers. For example, I had a left foot tracing that was 273mm in length and 109mm in width. Despite this particular tracing being done by another person who was extremely careful not to bend the pen, the reading was way off! In addition, crush boxes/foot casts bring in a whole bag of other uncontrollable variables (foot movement, weight displacement, and limitations to the materials). This is why I'm assuming Scott moved away from these methods (3D scanning and custom plaster casts). While doing multiple drawings is and will be time consuming, it will ensure better readings (I'm a perfectionist and a do-it-yourselfer that lives by the artist standard: Don't just create 1 drawing and hope it turns out okay, instead make a 1000 drawings because of those 1000 at least one or more is bound to be great). This is not an arbitrary number. This was recommended in an earlier VH video. Also, there were instructions with my new set of skates that state that if you don't bake it in a skate oven, then bake at 180°F for 15-20 minutes! Also, by keeping this temperature low, a damp towel is not needed (I guess if you wanted to be absolutely safe you could do this, but I've never done this and haven't had any burning/smoking/catching on fire issues). Unfortunately, the majority of these fit centers are only located in the mid-west to east coast. For how big San Jose is and how popular hockey is becoming, we don't even have a reliable hockey shop around that can do repairs on equipment! It's sad when I hear stories of people getting whatever they need fixed locally, when I can't even find a shop to swap out some rusty eyelets (a LHS told me they only have pneumatic machines and their die was too large for my VH eyelets)! This is why I spend so much of my limited free time doing my own modifications and custom alterations

VH Ordering Guide (player only) Boot options: Option 1 (older generation boot) Option 2 (newest generation boot -- may only be available in smaller boot sizes) Additional options: Opt. 1: Hard Plastic Toe Cap -- hard plastic coating over the carbon fiber shell for additional protectionOpt. 1: Double Stitching near Toe Cap -- highly recommended option if going with the older generation skate; prevents the premature breakdown of the boot near the in-step and out-step silver toe cap graphic piecesOpt. 2: Nylon Plastic Toe Cap -- rigid nylon piece that overlaps the carbon fiber shell for additional protectionOpt. 2: Sidewall Color Options -- Red, White, Blue, Yellow, Silver, and GreenEnhanced Sidewall Protection -- adds protection to the sides of the boots, but makes the boot stiffer and 30 grams heavierLiner Options -- Tan Clarino or Black Wick LinerOne-Piece Tendon Guard -- one-piece polymer infused plastic tendon guard or Standard Tendon Guard -- a seamless tendon guard covered in Vibram and a sewn-on, synthetic leather pieceTongue Upgrades Options -- single black felt tongue with an optional enhanced metatarsal guard (for rigidity) and/or custom embroidery option (up to 3 digits)Rust Resistant Eyelets -- rust resistant coating to prevent premature rust on eyeletsBuilt-in Shims -- adds height by adding additional carbon fiber to the bottom of the bootsBlacked Out VH Logo -- removes the in-step and out-step VH logo for a blacked out lookEnsuring Accurate Tracings What you'll need: VH foot tracing template Ruler or T-squarePenTapeCameraScannerPhotoshop *optional* (this will ensure measurements are very, very accurate as the "line" tool has a built-in measurement system)Tracing Process: First take several pictures of your feet with a ruler in the picture, like so (do both feet): Top length, In-step, Out-step and Top widthPrint out 5 copies (10 tracings total) of the VH foot tracing template and tape them to a very flat floor Decide on whether or not you want to skate with or without a sock, then place a bare or socked foot onto one of the pieces of paper. Make sure the heel is slightly in front of the heel line, bend your knee, and then begin tracing with a pen (keep it vertical as much as possible, don't tilt in or out): Tracing example (yours does NOT need to be this clean, but it will make the following steps easier)Repeat until you have 10 tracings total (5 left, 5 right)Using a ruler/T-square or Photoshop (for Photoshop, you'll need to scan images at 300dpi, crop them to an 8.5" x 11" image, and make sure the canvas size is set to 8.5 in x 11in), create a rectangle around your foot tracing by using the center dotted line as an anchor, then bisect that center dotted line at 90° to find the top and bottom lines (length), then bisect those lines at 90° to find the left and right lines (width): Tracing rectangle example Write down the length and width measurements on each tracing (eventually, you'll want to convert inches to mm)Compare each tracing measurement to the pictures you took of your feet (top length and top width) and see which tracing matches the closet. If none, then repeat the process again. For example, this tracing most accurately represents my left foot: Tracing final when compared to: Top length and Top widthBaking Instructions: Heat the oven to 180°F (convection*** setting if possible, if not bake will work too) Note: Leave the oven on. Do not turn it off during the baking process!Unlace the skates down at least two eyelets, then pull the slack down, and pull the tongue back to allow heat to penetrate the interior bootPlace a small towel on a cookie sheet, then place a SINGLE skate on top of the towelPlace the cookie sheet on the middle rack and close the oven doorSet a timer for 15 minutes*** (no more than 20 minutes)Halfway through the baking process, flip the boot over and close the ovenCheck the boot after 15 minutes and see it's soft and malleable, if not, leave it in for another 2-5 minutes (in my oven, I placed my boots in for 17 minutes)Carefully insert your foot into the skate and lace up.While the boot is cooling on your foot, take your hands and press in and around your entire foot to ensure a proper molding/fit.*Optional* Use a tensor wrap during the molding process (lace up at 80% tightness and then wrap the tensor bandage around the boot)***For a convection bake, no more than 8-10 minutes!*** Adding this here to avoid any confusion about where the heating temperatures and heating times are coming from: Here's a video of Scott doing an at-home bake (he places it directly on the rack, however I recommended placing a towel on a cookie sheet, then boot on top): Completing the ordering process: Take your final tracings, your pictures of your feet, your boot specifications and send them to sales@vhfootwear.com Pricing is as follows (CAD for Canadian buyers and USD for everyone else): Custom VH Hockey Boot only - $800 Custom VH Hockey Boot with Holder only - $850 Custom VH Hockey Boot with Holder + Steel - $900

Numb toes are never a good sign and most likely won't fix itself. Refer to my post on how to permanently fix the problem.

Pavs Warrior Stadium Series shell, size L (made in Canada!) Burns CCM CL, 14"

disregard.

Took apart a 2XL jersey stitch by stitch, seam by seam, and tailored it to a medium:

Skate Pitch? Skate Height? Feel of skate bothering you? For me, I found that the biggest difference I felt from my previous VHs to these was the shim height. Since I had 1/16th shims built into my boot, my stick sat differently, so I needed to bend my knees more. In addition to that, since I'm no longer using custom insoles (which lifted my heel and put my weight toward my toes), I noticed my acceleration was slower, albeit I was much more stable on my heels. Every once in awhile, I'd catch my outside heel edge when trying to stop on my left side. However, since using these insoles, I haven't had that problem! Try to give it some more time (took me about three 1½ hour skates to get comfortable). If it doesn't feel/get better, start adjusting: Switch from a ROH->FBV (I just switched from a 5/8ths ROH to a 90/75 FBV, love it), Runner radius (I use a combination radius 8'/12'), runner pitch (I use a slightly forward pitch), hotspots, stick height, and/or stick lie.

If you're getting numbness in the lower portion of your foot (ball of foot to your toes), then you'll probably need to do what I did: You'll need a heat gun for this... 1. Remove the laces from the boot 2. On the low setting, heat up the in-step sidewall (out-step as well... if needed) between eyelets 1 to 4 (near the toebox) by continually moving the heat gun in small circles about 6 inches away from the boot 3. When the material becomes soft and malleable, roll the sidewall up and outward 4. While still warm, place your foot inside the boot, and tuck in the tongue 5. Look along the eyelets to see that tongue is flush and flat across the foot 6. If not, take off the boot, and continue to roll it up and out until desired (re-heat the sidewall if necessary) 7. If you're still getting pressure after rolling the walls outward, then remove the red insoles if you haven't already... OR... use a thinner insole What the tongue should NOT look like (notice that you'll see the foot through the eyelets--the arrows in the diagrams below represent pressure when the laces are tied; yellow arrows represent excessive downward pressure since the tongue can't sit flat; green arrows represent pressure spread evenly across the flattened tongue): What it should look like: The tongue should sit flat and symmetrical across the foot, like so (green=flat & even pressure across foot, yellow=raised & excessive down-force on top of foot):

Been using LS3 with DLC and it's holding up just as well as my Step Steel Black.

Had the opportunity to switch from a 5/8ths ROH to a 90/75 FBV. I have to admit, I really like the feel. As far as glide is concerned, it's nothing special. I didn't notice much difference (I'm on the ice at least 1-3 hrs, 3-4 days a week). I did, however, notice a huge difference in bite. When teaching big, one-foot crossovers, I noticed my blade would start to slide out on a 5/8ths ROH, not at all with the 90/75 FBV. Same held true for tight turns. Despite the better bite, it doesn't feel any sharper than a 5/8ths ROH. Not sure how, but it feels great. One thing I will note though is that FBV is heavily dependent on ice conditions. With a 5/8ths ROH I can skate on a hard/soft ice and not feel too much of a difference in terms of bite. With FBV, when the ice is hard, I noticed that the FBV doesn't grip nearly as well. Since I switch back and forth between two different ice surfaces, it's a bit hard to make adjustments by constantly changing the sharpening (around here it's about $15/sharpening and since I switch between surfaces so often, that's not a financially smart decision). And... since I hate having to go sharper for both surfaces, it only leaves me with two options: 1. Deal with it. 2. Since I have the edge holders, buy another set of steel and have it sharpened to a 90/1 or 95/75 and use it only for hard surfaces. That said, I don't think I'll be going back to a ROH any time soon.

To be honest, it looks much better without the logo. The logo sticks out like a sore thumb. It needs to be better positioned and not so damn large.

I had the same issues with a pair of Mako 2s when I owned them. Apparently it's a sign of poor circulation.

I'd say just a tad stiffer than the standard felt tongue, but not enough to restrict movement.

From concept: LS Edge 263mm Holders with LS3 DLCBuilt-in 1/16" shimsVH Logo Blacked Out (Instep & Outstep logos)Black Wick LinerNylon Plastic Toe Cap Overlay Enhanced Sidewall ProtectionOne-Piece Polymer Tendon GuardBlack felt tongue with Enhanced Metatarsal Guard Black Coated Rust-Resistant EyeletsStiffen up area around ankle opening and sidewallsBlack on Black Stitching Thread To final product:

Joe Pavs rockin' the VHs!

Sounds like a licensing/sponsorship thing. For example, the NFL has a strict and exclusive partnership with Bose headphones. So if you wear a pair of Beats on camera, you'll be violating NFL policy (this holds especially true if your team is directly sponsored by a specific company, like Bauer, who may not want a competing brand to be viewed AT ALL, even if it's "blacked out" or covered up, on camera): http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11671032/colin-kaepernick-san-francisco-49ers-fined-10k-beats-dre-headphones

Don't use plasti-dip. It won't hold up. I took the plasti-dip coating off my toecap after a few weeks because it went from this... to this... Supposedly there's a spray-on coating that'll make it more durable, but it was another $20 just to find out if even worked.

My current VHs do the same. I think the wrap is too tight around the top of the ankle that it pushes the tongue to the outside. I'm not really sure if there's an easy fix for the issue, but perhaps you can send them back to VH to have a tab sewn into the center of the tongue, so that when you lace through this tab, it'll hold it center:

I also went with some custom insoles. I was getting some serious pinching on my instep (couldn't punch it out) and the insoles managed to alleviate about 95% of the discomfort. Due to the thickness of the custom insole, I took the red insole piece out as well. Thankfully, I didn't have any volume issues.

This has been well-documented. And is an unfortunate track record: http://modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/63437-vh-footwear/page-16#entry998686 http://modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/63437-vh-footwear/page-18#entry998958 I can say after owning the skates for over a year and half that despite the poor presentation, the skates are worth it. If you want to remove any excess glue, the best solution I've found is to use some brown masking tape. It's tacky enough to remove glue, but not strong enough to ruin the materials underneath. After a little elbow grease and some lighting, they came out pretty nice: http://modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/63437-vh-footwear/page-19#entry999417

If that's the case, I'd be curious to know what design would be used if you didn't order the nylon toecap nor a coated toecap.