krisdrum

I'd check out the Bauer Supreme line. Especially the newer ones with the AMP system. My son has been in his for awhile now and really likes them. He likes the low profile stuff as well and came from CCM Jetspeed shins from a season or two back. The Vapors definitely sit more on top of the leg. The Supremes are deeper and give you more wrap, but are ergonomic so give you a pretty low profile. Personally I really like the CCM Tacks and don't find them heavy or bulky, and they should give a similar fit compared to his Reeboks.

What size equipment are you wearing? I debated getting the Junior size when I received the senior bag as a gift, but it seemed like the Junior was going to be a really tight fit for my gear, so I stuck with the Senior. I mostly wear Adult Small gear.

@noupf Nice. Thanks. Sure looks like a Sparx. Prosharp Home may not be as pretty but looks a lot easier to transport and use for the intended purpose - travel / mobility / small footprint. Interested to learn more, but not sure I see the benefit outside of being able to watch the wheel go wheee!!!

Is it just an updated ProSharp Home?

Really all they changed was the added "spike" behind the retention hook. I think mostly as a reaction to the Shift holders being more prone to loosening up and allowing the steel to wiggle/rattle/click/move.

Like @Sniper9 I think the added security of the Max Shift holders is worth it. I found the original Shift holders sagged out a bit and allowed my runners to move around and make clicking noises in the holder. The Max do this as well, but to a much less extent and it takes longer to get there. My son's holders were getting there as the boot cracked. But he puts a lot more wear and tear on the components than most.

Max and Shift use same hole patterns, so they are a straight swap. I did it on mine, as they were starting to squeak and blades were moving in them. Haven't gotten around to grabbing Max steel yet, but that is the plan.

Not sure this is a predictable thing. I have older TF9s and have had zero issues over several seasons with them. I bought mine used in fact, but am guessing they are from the 1st 1 or 2 initial production runs. My kid's Cat9s were bought almost a year after they hit the market. Had issues within 6-8 months.

Less than 8 months (end of March skates purchased to November when I finally reached out to True), probably closer to 6 months. And that includes the entire summer, where he was on the ice much less. Maybe 1-2 times a week. He is 13 - first year of full body contact. He is in a very intense program and will have completed over 70 games by the end of the season. So definitely mix of practice and games. No obvious reason for the cracking. The only thing we can think of is he likes to bang his heels back into the skate when lacing up, but based on the position of the cracks, no way it was a shot block unless people are taking slappers at his back on a regular basis. I would think he'd be having other issues (bruises, etc. elsewhere on his back if that was the case). Maybe getting stepped on in battle drills? But I think that is doubtful as well. The irony is I also bang my heels back, but have had zero issues with my TF9s. Those heels are still smooth as the day they came out of the box.

Cracking boots is the black eye they need to fix asap. For someone like me, who is only on the ice a day or two a week, no big deal. But when the boot cracks for my kid, who is skating 5, 6, 7 days a week 8 months of the year, that is a huge problem for me. Luckily he was able to continue to use his cracked Cat 9s while the replacement was en route. If the failure of the crack had been more catastrophic, I'm not sure we would have stuck with True, despite my kid saying they are by far the best skates he has ever worn. The replacements I am keeping a very close eye on. If they start to go down the same path - we'll have to have a very serious talk about what to do next, as he also really liked the way the Bauer Machs fit pre-bake.

You bakes them all before initial try-on to determine best fit? These skates need to be warm when trying on. Trying on cold out of the box is not an accurate approach.

100% agree. At least we have options now. Everyone's feet are different. And I've suffered through enough discomfort with my feet to know a pair of well fitting skates is probably the most important piece of equipment you can invest in. I haven't been skating since I was 2 like most of the NHL guys. And I'm also not getting my skates for free. Having a "near custom" fit experience at multiple retail price points is amazing for those of us who need it or see the value in it due to unique biomechanics or whatever. And yes, the durability issues need to be addressed or what inroads they've made in the retail space will start to decline. Hopefully these new models fix at least some of those issues.

Pretty sure True's claim to fame is "built from the inside out". At least for their custom offerings. Believe some of their other offerings are similar to what you are assuming Bauer and CCM do. To me I think where the big 2 fall down is in the material and thermo-formability. I've just never seen any other boot do what the True boot does when you apply heat to it. So in some ways regardless of what others are doing, the Trues have the advantage on forming to the unique shapes and structures of each foot in a way that I don't think is really possible with the other 2.

Sure, you going to pay for the molds? No? Go check out the customizers of the folks who are in that space right now. Bauer does custom. Prostockhockeysticks does custom, Hoapa does custom, etc. The question is - do they have access to the molds that will make you what you are after? That isn't a question anyone can answer except the companies themselves. But to manage expectations, you are going to be limited by what each source has access to. I don't think there is anyone out there playing in the "design it from scratch and we'll make it" space, unless you are ordering large quantities and dealing directly with the factories, which is cost prohibitive for just about anyone out there, unless you think your spec can sell a ton of sticks and you want to hang a shingle yourself and see what happens.

Could be any number of things really. I had a similar experience when I moved to the TF7 and 9. I felt way more grounded and supported and stable. Some boots just work for some people more than others. I wasn't in custom boots prior to that, but in what I thought was a pretty well fitted pair of Grafs, a brand known for their multiple fits and "custom like" fit options. I know I pronate and collapse a decent amount. I'm sure I still do, but I've gotten stronger and the TFs support me in a way that significantly reduces it. I can feel that. For whatever reason I am better aligned over the blades. Sounds like it works for you (whether for the same reason or not). I wouldn't overthink it too much. The 5 years with the Bauers let you work on your skating and game until you discovered the TFs. Now you can really appreciate them.

The Cat 9s in the 6 should fit right and the TF7 in a 5.5 is my educated guess. Be warned if you decide to go with the Cats, the heels on them are getting a bad reputation for cracking. My kid's cracked and were warranty replaced and the new pair appear to be developing cracks as well. Supposedly they addressed the issue with the Hzdrus that are now out and the new Cats coming out this summer.

Thanks. Not cheap is an understatement. Luckily out of the question budget wise and very few of their offerings provide protection where I would want it for his injury. If it really came down to it, I'd buy some d3o sheets and figure out a way to place them to bolster the protection of his current gear.

We don't see a ton of "finishing checks" either, except for a few bruisers here and there. Most of the time if it is more than a heartbeat after, it gets called. This was an elite tournament with 2 good sized teams from Canada. Both plays were against the Canadian teams and in most cases they were finishing their checks any time they could. The tournament was US-based, so - to your point - USAH rule is "separate the puck from the man" and they seem to be trying to take the "finish the check" mindset out of the game. The refs let it slide in just about every case I saw (they weren't calling a lot of stuff and when they did, were very inconsistent). Unfortunately it was my kid who was naïve, didn't brace, wrong place wrong time, whatever and got two nasty shots on him. Like I said above, I think some valuable lessons learned come out of this beyond anything we might do from an equipment perspective. We used to have one of the old Bauer padded shirts. Will have to see if I can find him one. I remember them being very well thought out and executed.

1st one was unavoidable, it was after the whistle and he would have had no reason to be braced or ready to avoid. Refs completely missed it as they were dealing with a penalty that was the reason for the whistle. Second one was less dirty, but borderline. High elbow for sure, puck was long gone as well. Kid should have pulled up, but he had a 5-6 stride head of steam up and I guess didn't feel like it. My son could have avoided/reduced the impact of that one, by moving towards the boards (he had a foot or so separation, which is what killed him, as he fell awkwardly against the boards and ice). Hard lesson to learn, but yes - head on a swivel, situational awareness, expect the unexpected. Luckily just 1 game this weekend and he played well and didn't seem to shy away from contact. Proud of him for that, as I'm sure he was a bit gun shy after those two hits.

Can't speak for other brands, but I am pretty confident there is no structural / design difference between the larger senior sizes and the smaller intermediate/junior sizes with the True lines. Less material needed for a smaller size = less money. And I'm sure to some extent they need to make it more palatable to parents as their young one's foot grows, so probably making more profit off the senior sizes to offset the smaller sizes at lower prices.

Catalyst fit about a 1/2 size smaller (more inline with the other big brands / "true to size"). So going for a 6 in the Cats would probably give you a closer fit. If you like the TF7s, see if you can get them in the 5.5, really no difference in the stiffness or performance of the Intermediate/Junior sizes compared to Senior. I'd definitely suggest sizing down instead of trying to stuff the extra space with something. The TFs also tend to continue to break in and feel a bit larger as the foams compact. For instance, I have very small feet and am in a size 4 in my TFs, and I'm 190lbs

You might get more responses if you pop this out into the general forum area. What do you mean by "heavy"? Stable? If so, you want more steel on the ice. A larger radius on the profile. I was on a Quad (not sure which one) and was looking for more stability (I have small feet, so small runners) and recently switched to a Zuperior Small at the suggestion of a few folks here and a skate shop owner that does a decent amount of profiling. I've been really happy with the change, it feels like I am way more stable yet don't feel I've lost any agility. With the Quad I didn't feel I could trust my edges to really push into crossovers. Since switching, I feel very secure on my edges - enough to push into my crossovers. Obviously YMMV, but so far it has been a beneficial switch for me.

My kid will need a long sleeve version, since he tends to get a rash / reaction to his pads if they are on bare skin. I grabbed the cut and stick McDavid stuff someone suggested above. We'll see how that works as some added cushion to his shoulder pads in strategic areas. If not, the padded shirt will be my next option to present.

Based on your description, I'd look at the True retail offerings TF series, if you can find them in your size (probably 1/2 smaller than what you are in now), the Catalyst series (a bit softer boot and a bit more narrow forefoot), or Hzdrus series - which replaces the older TF series (both Cats and Hzdrus probably the same size as your current Eastons). I'll let someone more familiar with the Easton Stealth RS weigh in to confirm. I'm in a pair of TF9s and have very similar foot shape to what you describe. Wide-ish forefoot, narrow heel, high instep. These skates are the first I have ever tried that do not give me some sort of lacebite over the instep while also not squeezing the sides of my forefoot because they are a bit too narrow. By far the most comfortable skate I've ever owned. Extremely heat moldable to provide a great fit (and need to be heated to assess fit, don't even bother to try them on if they aren't baked first). The TF series is deeply discounted right now, as are the Catalyst right now. Hzdrus replace TF, new Cats are coming out this summer. And they have a 30 day money back guarantee I believe for all models.

Thanks. Yeah, I probably need to figure out a short term solution to help him get back on the ice (we have a few more regular season games and then at least 2 rounds of playoffs to be ready for) and longer term.