JunkyardAthletic

My point was/is that the majority of buyers want to pound their chest about the pro player item they've purchased more than it's usefulness. Taking sticks as an example, the reality is that anyone can be accustomed to use any flex and curve given time to get used to it, yet, it isn't made to their specs.

Because people want to beat their chest and say "I have so and so's skates." Not much different than buying pro stock/custom gloves, pants, sticks, etc., except custom skates are "truly" custom, if you catch my drift.

In all fairness, @dkmiller3356, players are taking notice that many others are switching/trying TRUE, however, if those skates don't resolve the problems they're having in their current skate (could be Bauer or CCM), or, exceed their expectations, then those skates end up in the secondary market as you've seen. Every team makes their way through Winnipeg and I'm sure TRUE is Johnny on the spot to fit someone and have their skates back to them the next day. It certainly is appealing to have that kind of service and hopefully have someone who can make minor changes on the spot while the team in still in WPG. If it's an Eastern Conference team that only visits once a season, then they may be SOL. If it's a Western team with two visits, the chance is greater, I think, in landing and keeping a player. When it comes to the retail market, you're relying on the retail store for help and I'm not sure one is going to get much more than the two hands up "I don't know what to tell ya" response.

Similar system, one change, better than TRUE because of that, but still not what the process could, or in @Nicholas G opinion, what it should be. It will NEVER be perfect out of the box! Further to my previous post, I was on the spot back in the day when Kor fitted Peter Forsberg. The skates were perfect; he didn't think so.

I've been involved in pro hockey, in one way or another for 22 years. I post from professional experience in seeing these things first hand. Sure, opinions are like assholes; one is always bigger than another, however, NOTHING has changed with regards to custom skates. Ask Jeremy Roenick about his experience in LA with Easton skates and every skate rep being called at 11pm to be at the practice rink by 8am in order to fit him for skates. Your belief is that if you spend that kind of money, it should be perfect right out of the box. You'd think that would be the same whether you paid +$1000 or a NHL team paid $+900USD for the same. Unfortunately, there's a preconceived notion that custom skates should be PERFECT, and that's just not how it works. It certainly doesn't work with the TRUE brand fitting system and hate to say it, it will ALMOST work with the Bauer, but not 100%. I've seen one of the top NHL players IF NOT THE top NHL player receive skates from the company HE endorses and the skate was off! As a matter of fact, said player got the skates in last years playoffs and spent all of this season in last year's model skate (cue the Google searchers...LOL). I've seen a TRUE brand skate fitting. It is ANYTHING but perfect. I was invited to watch how it works and I wanted to kill myself after it was complete. It was that painful to watch and I felt bad for the fitter! What I came away with is that there's so much room for error just because of how the fitter has to move around. If TRUE had created a track with a tripod attached that the iPad could fit in and could slide around and capture all of the proper angles, I think that it would improve the fitting process and the final fit of the skate for the consumer. Would it be 100%, no, however, it might be closer than the "try and hold the iPad properly and walk around this poor bastard you're trying to fit, while making him/her stand in different poses to get the fit.

Yes, you indeed come off sounding like a primadonna. NHL equipment managers "hack" solutions together for the best players in the world, day in and day out. They all wear custom skates. I've seen it for 20 years and it won't change anytime soon.

Bet I can prove you wrong...EASILY! Did it 15 years ago and can still do it today with ease.

He's been in the gloves for about 2 months that I've seen. Loves the product, really liked their rep. Ritchie in Anaheim was in them for all of last season and most of this until the company did some downsizing with staff and the rep was let go. He may be back in them at this point... Nope, see above.

FU BTW, the boy keeps asking when you're coming down to play hockey with him again. Claims that his Sherwood Rekker outplays TRUE...