puckpilot

It's not about like or dislike. It's more about pros and cons. Superfeet tend to get promoted as this universally great thing, but there is no free lunch. The are pros and cons that have to be weighed against each other for each individual. Superfeet get sold to people like myself who really don't need them, so without needing the pros, I'm left with only receiving the cons. Superfeet are great for those who's feet need them, but for those that don't, for the most part, they're better of not using them at all. It's like wearing a knee brace when there's nothing wrong with your knee.

The front is a 13’ radius and the back is 26’ 😛

I got new skates about 3 years ago. Here's the story of my trials and tribulations with insoles and profiling. Maybe it'll help you out. When I got my new skates, I got talked into buying superfeet carbon. They worked well enough and the soles of my feet were comfortable, so I kept them. As I got used to my new skates, I noticed, I was on the tips of my toes too much and my general stability was off. These are issues I've had in the past because I'm a 175lb dude with small feet, and figured, because I moved down half a size from a 5 to 4.5 skate, and thus was using an even smaller runner, I'd just need to do some work to get things re-calibrated. So, I worked and worked and worked on get it all sorted out by working my skating more. Well, after about 6 months with little to no progress, I decided to look at other options. I did my research and decided to get a flatter profile. Went to a 12' profile with a +1 pitch. Instant positive results. As time went on, I moved to a 13' profile and then to a neutral pitch. Things got progressively better with each change, but there were times where I'd get on my toes still. So I did some more research and re-familiarized myself on what pitching actually does. Pitching your skate with a forward lean involves moving the balance point of the skate along with the profile edge back towards the heel. This makes it easier to get onto your toes. Good for some, not good for me, so I went and got a negative pitch to my skate, which moved the balance point and profile edge forward towards my toes more, which put me on my heels more. Some things you read will say this is not recommended, but for me, it was another positive step. Unfortunately, moving the profile edge forward lessened the stability in my heels, which wasn't terrible, but I wanted to get things perfect. On that same day that I took the negative pitched profile runners out for their first test, I was taking my insoles out after and realized the superfeet carbon had a raised heel, which would put me up on my toes more. The next time I was on the ice for stick and puck, I went to the stock insoles, which I'd never used in these skates and noticed an immediate change for the better. Not only did the superfeet pitch me forward, which wasn't right for me, it also deadened the feel for my edges. Using superfeet for me was like putting mittens on and trying to type. The stock insoles weren't as comfortable, but they didn't hurt my feet either, so I stuck with them. During that stick and puck session, I swapped between a 13' neutral pitched steel and my 13' negative pitched steel to get a feel for what i liked. I thought I'd be going back to a neutral pitch, but as it turns out, I still liked the negative pitch more. But there was still the issue with stability in the heel area. So I went to the shop and asked if they could maybe give me a 14' or 15' profile. Well, they couldn't because they didn't have the profiling template. Nobody asks for something so out of the box. As fortune would have it I'd seen a video on Elias Petterson talking about tweaking his profile at that time. He was using a Detroit II profile, which is a 13'/26' dual profile that some goalies use. So, with nothing left to try and nothing to lose, I gave it a go, a Detroit II profile with a -1 pitch, and after one stick and puck session and one game with it, I can definitely say it was another right step for me. Probably some room to tweak some more, but definitely not going back. In addition, going to the flatter profiles made it so I felt comfortable enough to practice with completely loose laces during stick and puck and skate with looser laces during games, preventing me from getting lacebite, which is another long story in itself, so Ill leave that be. Maybe there's something useful in here for you in this very loooong post. Maybe not.

Check out Hockey Supremacy website. They’re always having a 10-20% off sale going on at any one time. As long as it’s not elite CCM or Bauer, you’ll get the discount, even if the stick just came out like the Warrior DX. They also have a clearance section you can check out a loyalty points program.

I'm on 3/4. I've used as deep as 3/8. For me, I find I get more glide, but going to a shallower hollow coincided with going to a flatter radius. I'm on a 13' radius. But I find I like the shallower hollow more, and skating feels--I don't want to say effortless, because it isn't, but things feel more smooth.

I'm not sure that's how it works. Unless, we're each interpreting the same information in two different ways, everything I've found tends to support the way I'm thinking of things. When I was doing my research a while back, I found this video, which I found very helpful and it seems to confirm what I'm thinking, too. Sure, it should in theory, but for me, it doesn't. Hence why I've been experimenting.

From everything I've read there is a correlation. Here's a couple of links from Sparx and Wissota, two sharpening machine manufacturers, that directly say this. Flatter radius equals more blade on the ice. So, I'm assuming they're a reliable source. https://blogs.sparxhockey.com/3-simple-experiments-all-hockey-players-ought-to-consider https://wissota.com/skate-blade-profile-rocker-explained/ Sorry, I think there's a misunderstanding here. The neutral pitch profile doesn't give me enough blade under the toe area. That's why I went with a negative pitch. It moves the glide surface forward. But then, I lose some stability in the heel. It's not a deal breaker, but I'm trying to figure out if I can mitigate things with a tweak in pitch and radius. You're absolutely correct, but I'm pretty confident that I'm in the right boot. Or rather the best retail boot for me that does't involve custom skates. It's not perfect, but in terms of length, width, and heel lock it's right. I have small feet but they have adult girth, so I have some volume issues. I'll spare you the whole drawn out story, but basically, when I was buying skates, I went to a shop, got properly measured, and I tried every line that was out at that time. I narrowed the choices in fit down to two skates, the Nexus and the Supreme, each with pros and cons. I currently own both those skates, and found the best choice is the Supremes, which I've since tweaked with mods so volume is no longer an issue.

At first I notice a the loss in agility, too, but I could do other things better for the most part, so I figured it was one step back and two steps forward. As I got more used to the profile, I didn't even notice the loss anymore. Tweaking the pitch and profile is a means to an end. Right now I have two blade profiles, 13' neutral pitch and 13' negative pitch, that I'm generally happy with, but each has a 'flaw'. So, I'm trying to get the glide edge situated so that it begins where my -1 pitched blade would be at the toe and ends at least where my neutral pitched blade ends at the heel. A negative pitch actually moves the balance point forward towards the toe. I know it's not recommended, but I was having some issues with being too much on my toes, so gave it a shot, and it did what I hoped it would. The only thing that's giving me pause is I'm losing a bit of stability and bite in the heel area, so this whole exercise is me trying to figure out what the best way to teak things is in order to see if I can have it all so to speak. In order to do this, I'm trying to find out when they pitch a skate, how far do they move the balance point/glide edge. Google says 5mm, but I'm not sure if that's accurate, because the internet being the internet. I'm also trying to find out how the glide edge's size changes with a change in radius. Best I could find is information on CAG profiling and how it corresponds to radius. According to what I could find, a 25mm glide edge is similar to 6' radius, a 50mm glide edge is similar to a 11' radius, and a 65mm glide edge is similar to 14' radius. So if I do the math on this, the glide edge on a 13’ radius would be around 60mm. But I'm not sure if this is accurate either. I'm hoping if I can get a confirmation on these numbers or the the actual numbers if these numbers are incorrect, I can do the math to determine how I want to proceed.

If anything, I'd rather have the 15 on the front and the 13 on the back. 😛 I have a pair of steel that's 13' neutral, and I'm happy with the heel stability on that. And I have steel that's 13' pitched to a -1, which moves the glide edge forward, and I'm happy with the toe on that, but obviously, I lost a little stability on the back side, so I'm wondering how much pitching the blade moves the the glide edge forward. From google, it says it's 5mm, but I'm not sure if that's true. I'm also wondering how the size of the glide edge changes with the size of the radius. If I know this for sure, I can hopefully determine the profile I'll need to be an approximate amalgam of the two profiles I'm using right now. From what I could gather and suss out--and I'm not sure how true it is-- a 13' radius should be around 60mm and a 15' would be 70mm. I'm just wondering if these numbers are true. I play center, and during games I end up playing pretty much every position on the ice at one time or another. At heart, I'm a distributer, hence why I'm a center. I do a lot of curls and shifts to buy time, so I can find open teammates. But I can shift my game to whatever is needed at the time. In terms of skating style, I'd say evolving, because I'm not entirely sure right now. I've always had issues with not bending my knees enough, but after going most of my life without doing enough about it, I recently started seriously working on things. Part of that has involved going from not paying any attention to what my profile was to, well, this mess I'm in right now. 😛 I found that the flatter radius allowed me to make large leaps on things I had stalled out on in terms of improvement. I'm actually quite surprised at how much of a difference it made. The extra stability has allowed me to start skating with my laces loose, and that has allowed me to get a better knee bend and a better feel for my edges.

I'm currently stuck between two skate profiles, and am trying to figure out what's the best direction to go next. The first profile is a 13' with a neutral pitch. This is OK, but at times I feel like I can get too much on my toes, so I tweaked things and went to 13' with a negative 1 pitch. This is good for not getting too much onto my toes, but since the glide edge is moved up, I've lost a tiny bit of stability in the heel. Not a major issue, but if I can address that I'd like to try. I'm trying to determine if my thinking is sound and if the facts around which I'm basing things are correct. My first thought was going back to a neutral pitch and going up in radius. From what I can gather--and I'm not sure how accurate this is--a negative 1 pitch moves the glide edge 5mm forward, so if I'm going up in radius from a neutral pitch I was thinking to add 5mm to each end of the glide edge, so it extends out to where the negative pitched glide edge would be around the toe while keeping and adding to the stability in the heel. Now to select what radius to go up to, I was trying to find out what the exact size of my glide edge was, but the only information I could find regards CAG profiling. Not exactly the same as Prosharp. According to the CAG profiling information I could find a 25mm glide edge is similar to 6' radius, a 50mm glide edge is similar to a 11' radius, and a 65mm glide edge is similar to 14' radius. So if I do the math on this, the glide edge on a 13’ radius would be around 60mm, which would mean in order to add around 5mm to each end I’d be looking at getting 15’ profile radius. Is this right? Using the data above, my second thought was to go up to a 14’ radius and do a negative 0.5 pitch. If my math and thinking is right, that would start the glide edge in the same position at the toe as the -1 pitch 13' profile and end it at the same part of the heel as the 13' neutral pitch profile. So, does any of this make sense or did I go down a rabbit hole and only to realize I stuck my head up an elephant's arse? What are your thoughts on this? Thanks in advance. BTW, in case anyone is wondering why I'm using such a large profile radius, I'm a 175lb guy with size 4.5 feet, in 238mm steel. I find the smaller steel isn't as stable.

The broad stokes should be similar, but smaller things do make a difference. When I tried on the MX3 skates they didn't work for me. Pressure points etc. But when I tried on a pair of S190s they were perfect. I believe there was a change in the toe cap. Regardless of what changes they made, the small difference can matter for some and not matter at all for others.

To add to Vet88's point. Here's a video of a product designer from True hockey explaining the relationship between flex and length.

Not exactly what you're looking for, but closest I've ever found. 3cm Lacrosse tape that's pre-cut so it tears of in 1 and 2 cm strips. https://m.dickssportinggoods.com/p/stringking-lacrosse-tape-2-pack-16sgkusklcrsstp2plxa/16sgkusklcrsstp2plxa https://www.lacrossemonkey.com/catalog/product/view/id/292133?gclid=CjwKCAjw4ZTqBRBZEiwAHHxpfrxLiErWUeLUkLvr0CC-FG0cny7My7RfhND3mfjqQm7c8vBTycAxNBoCe_sQAvD_BwE

Thanks to you both. Much appreciated.

Where did you get the eyelets/grommet for these, and what type are they? Finding the equipment to punch the holes and set the eyelets seems to be simple enough, but finding eyelets that don't look like they'll rip apart after one stride seems to be more of a challenge for my googling skills.

You can use one of these. They're replacements for the old CCM lace lock system, but I put them on the third eyelet down, and it raises the laces just like those eyelet extenders do. https://www.ebay.ca/itm/CCM-Helmet-Hockey-Skate-Lock-Replacement-Eyelet-Repair-Fix-Hardware-Inline-Ice/262744209403?hash=item3d2cc677fb:g:FREAAOSwxp9W8ya6 https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Reebok-Hockey-Skate-Lock-Replacement-Eyelet-Repair-Fix-Hardware-Inline-Ice/262975040573?hash=item3d3a88ac3d:g:Fp8AAOSwONBZESg1

In regards to Superfeet, a couple of things to consider. First, Superfeet will take up more volume than the stock beds. That could be a plus or a minus. Second, Superfeet lift the heels up, pitching the skater forward. For me, they made a neutral pitched skate feel like one that had at least a +1 pitch to it. I didn't realize it at the time, but that had a factor in putting me on my toes a little too much. I actually had to try a negative pitch before I figured out what was happening. Third, Superfeet are comfortable but becasue they're thicker, they mute the feel for the skate/edges. Again, I didn't realize this at first, but when I put my stock beds back in, it was like going from wearing mittens when typing to bare fingers. IMHO, if your kid doesn't need the arch support, the stock beds are probably better for skate feel.

They feel similar to rollerblade straps. I've actually ordered some rollerblade ratchet straps to see how they work. The velcro straps, though effective, are starting to stretch after about 8 months. They look like they'll hold for a good while longer, but they'll need to be replaced eventually. As for chirping. I've never had anyone on another team say one thing to me. I've had teammates ask about them with curiosity. I've only had one ever make a snide remark, but he's the type that has that "Real Men Don't" attitude. I simply told him it helps my lace bite and acted like I didn't give a shit, because I didn't, and he STFU, because with his stride, he's the last person who should comment on another person's skates and/or skating. For me, I'm at that age now, that if it saves me discomfort and pain and as a consequence, lets me skate better, I'll wear high heels, a too-too, and carry around a fairy wand if I have to. 😛

I had/have similar issues, but for me it only shows up when I'm spending a prolonged period doing drills that put pressure on that area. Durning games, it rarely pops up unless I'm playing 2-3 games in a night. I found changing to Option B skate straps helped. Another option I've used in the past was to add the old CCM/Reebok lace locks on the eyelets around that area. It elevated the laces in that area and releaved the pressure. They're a little tricky to find now that skates don't use them any more, but you can pick them up on eBay.

If your old steel has never been profiled, it's likely that as it aged, its radius has gotten smaller and you've gotten used to skating on a profile radius that's less, maybe even significantly less, than what the stock profile was. If this is the case, I'd hold off on changing anything until you've had a chance to feel things out more. It could be that after a few skates, you won't even notice anymore.

It sucks that you're not seeing much results with the stretching. For me, I could feel things getting better fairly quickly. Personally, I use a rather large step knob made from tape. When I look at it from the top, the long side measures 1.75 inches. I make the knob by wrapping 1.5 inch wide tape around the butt end ten times. Then I wrap 1 inch wide tape around the butt around 20 times, and finally, I split the 1 inch wide tape in half and go around the butt approx 30 times until the knob is 1.75 inches wide. It looks like a step pyramid. I grip the stick with my my first three fingers and my pinky hanging over the top. I find the knob gives my tiny hands more leverage when I shoot, so I can give a harder tug on the stick with my top hand.

I've had bouts with tendinitis in my top hand over the years. It first started with too much mouse usage from gaming and work. And later it would show up after long shooting sessions. One time it was bugging me for around six months, where I could barely grip my hockey stick. For me, I got under control by doing some simple stretching and strengthening exercises for my wrist. I'm not a doctor, but when my forearm muscles get tight from prolonged usage, I'm guessing it pulls the wrist tendon taught and they begin rubbing against something like the wrist bones when I move. That irritates the tendons and makes them inflamed. If I don't loosen the muscles, the tendons keep rubbing. By stretching, it loosens the muscles up and stops the the rubbing. No rubbing, the inflammation goes away. Since I started doing the stretches and exercises, I haven't had a bout of tendinitis, and I haven't changed any of my mouse and/or shooting habits. There were times were I could feel it coming on, like after a couple hours of shooting, but like I said, some stretching and exercise and I was good. I'm about the same vintage as you, and over the years, as I've gotten older, I've learned that I need to be stretching and doing maintenance work all the time, on my shoulder, on my hips, and my wrists. Etc. It's not the case where I do stretches, the tendinitis goes away, and never have to worry about it again. I have to keep doing the stretches and exercises on a regular basis, usually after exercise, to stop it from coming back. Maybe that's something for you to consider. Here's a video of some of the wrist stretches and exercises i do. Hope it helps.

Sure, but the money has been spent. There's nothing to lose by pursuing this before spending more money on another pair from a different company. But thinking the thousand dollars or so isn't worth a few stern emails and/or some conversations with a retailer, well, IMHO, that's not the stance most people would take and just shrug and walk away from, especially when there's more that can be done.

From my experience, the lie for curves is not consistent from brand to brand. For example, a Warrior W03 does not have the same lie as a Bauer p92. The Bauer is a 6 lie. The Warrior is something lower, a 5 or 5.5.

If you have a problem with the skates, don't just walk away quietly. Put on your a-hole hat and demand what was promised to you, properly sized custom skates, not sort of close enough skates. Be clear, concise, and firm as to what you want and what you won't accept. You have nothing to lose by pressing the matter, because if you're not satisfied and don't plan on going back to them if they don't make things right, there's no risk of burning bridges.