Santos L Halper

Have become curious about this myself... With the resounding success (right? I mean...I think so? It's been hugely successful, right?) of the Sparx machine, you'd think that the company would want to capitalize on the goodwill in the marketplace right now and revisit some of the corners they undoubtedly had to cut (be it in design, production, whathaveyou...) to get into production. Since they're dealing with a (relatively speaking) closed audience of potential buyers, I suspect that eventually they're going to reach something of a saturation point where most people that are willing to purchase a skate sharpener will have done so; and, as a result, sharpener sales will fall off. Sure, they have the built-in recurring revenue from grinding ring sales, but I can't imagine the per-unit margin on those is all that high. Eventually, they're going to want to convince some of their existing customers to buy another machine...and to do that, they're going to have to give them a reason to do so. Wonder what that's gonna be...?

Hehehe...I intentionally neglected to ask that. But since you went there..... My feelings as a skating coach regarding the wisdom of purchasing custom skates for young skaters are well documented in this thread. For those that don't want to scroll through 160-odd pages of posts, put simply, I believe that, barring a significant physiological concern that can only be addressed by a custom product, ANY custom skates are a complete waste of money for youth players whose bodies (and feet) are still growing and developing. If a kid is still pre-pubescent and doesn't have a glaring 'fit issue', then, why on earth would anyone spend $800US (or more...) on a pair of skates that won't fit for longer than 6 months? To my economical (read: cheap-assed) nature, it just doesn't make sense. However, in the end, whether it's OP's money or another parent's, they can spend it however they want. If only custom will do, then you can't go wrong with True....but at least go into it with eyes open....they're gonna be heavy and they won't fit next year!

True skates are heavy. There is no getting around it. You say you knew this going in, yet are surprised? Not entirely sure I understand that.... Anyway. If you're asking 'why' they're heavier, it's mostly because the entire True boot is made of heat-moldable carbon fiber weave, while skates from Bauer and CCM use thermoformable composite plastics. True's carbon weave is MUCH stronger than the plastics used in other skates...but it's also quite a bit heavier. Also, steel makes a big difference - particularly now that all True skates ship with Step holders and Step runners. For all of its wonderful qualities, Step is notoriously heavy steel. In the end, there is absolutely a trade-off; comfort, protection, and performance vs. weight. Is it worth it? The answer to that will necessarily vary from player to player. For me, it's worth it. For 68 NHL players, it's worth it. For your son? Only he can answer that.... ________________________ N.B. By way of comparison, my Trues with a size 272 Step holder and Step Blacksteel runners are 21.8% heavier than my old Bauer TotalOnes... ________________________ Edit: Many people have fit issues (Haglund's Deformities, unusual foot geometry, flat or high arches, bunions, extreme pronation, etc....) that make off the shelf retail skates a virtual impossibility. For them, even the lightest skates on the market would feel like they weighed a metric shit-ton, simply because they'd be so damn uncomfortable. When the choice becomes a skate that weighs more vs not being able to play at all, most people will choose to deal with a few extra grams....

Oh god....car manuals. Ain't that the truth? My wife's Audi has all of these fancy sensors and automated systems which are detailed in the owner's manual with constant use of the phrase, "within the limitations of the system..." My reaction, of course, is "Ooh, there's yet another effort to avoid a lawsuit!" Look, I get that Sparx is a (relatively) new company, and I get how such a company has to weigh the risk of expensive lawsuits and negative media (social and otherwise) exposure against the desire to provide a fully functional product to their customers. Hell, back when I owned my business, I constantly wrestled with whether or not to even SELL a certain class of products, because I couldn't control how my customers would ultimately market it to THEIR customers. However, in the end, I did my best to give MY customers what they wanted and sold them the products and documented the shit out of all the inherent caveats. I just wish Sparx would do the same.

Oh, I know. And, don't get me wrong, all things considered, I love the machine. This is just one of those issues that prevent the Sparx from being what I would consider the perfect solution for those of us that live in 'sharpening deserts' and have neither the time nor the inclination to master a manual sharpening system.

Okay. So. One genius ignores the safety literature, ignores the flashing light on his machine, and proceeds to fill his sharpening room with smoke. As a result, the company completely discontinues a hugely functional part of their machine. Talk about throwing the proverbial baby out with the bath water.... My kid's remote control truck's LiPo batteries can explode if charged incorrectly. The company that manufactures the batteries and chargers didn't stop selling them as a result of some dipshit starting his garage on fire - they included a warning in the literature. You don't read the instructions, sometimes you get to pay the damn price. At some point we, as a society, need to stop protecting people from their own stupidity.

Perhaps you can summarize for us. The only thing that I recall seeing is some vague notion that it clogged up the air filter 'too quickly'...whatever that means.

I don't disagree. But, that's kinda my point. It'd take a bunch of passes to get rid of this little nick/gouge...and this is one that really doesn't matter that much. If you have a bunch of nicks like that...or a bigger nick...then, what do you do?

He's currently working with the folks from Marsblade to try to dial all of that in. Aside from making sure that he has a sharpen that he's happy with, I kinda need to stay out of it. Also, I don't profile skates....😉

This.....THIS is why Sparx discontinuing their consumer cross-grinding ring is such complete and utter horseshit. Apologies for the crappy phone pic, but this is my kid's friend's Step Blacksteel blade. This gouge in the blade, which would take maybe 4-5 passes to get rid of with a cross grind would take probably 20-25 passes to grind completely out with a 'regular' grinding ring. At $60/pop (plus shipping) for a grinding ring, it would honestly cost me less to take the skate up to my local big box retailer and have them grind it out than it would to grind it myself....which COMPLETELY defeats the purpose of having a skate sharpener at home.... Seriously, Sparx guys, I KNOW you monitor this forum. It is patently ridiculous that this is happening. Bring back the damned cross-grinding ring.

No idea on shipping or anything related to the production aspects of Marsblade. I asked my buddy about that and he said that the Marsblade people told him that whatever profile a skater is currently using likely won't work when s/he moves to the Marsblade holder, so they took what he has on his standard holders and adapted that for the Marsblades. Now, what exactly that means, I can't tell you - I'm just the guy that sharpens skates! 😉

From what I could gather with the thing sitting in pieces on my workbench, there are no user adjustable options; but I could be wrong. I will ask my friend what 'adjustments' Marsblade makes and see if he was able to gain any insight.

I got my first hands-on look at a Marsblade ice holder and blade combination early this week - figured I'd post my thoughts for those that might be interested, as this concept has generated a fair bit of interest both here and elsewhere.... First off, by way of background, the holders (and the skates they're attached to) are not mine. They belong to a buddy of mine who is one of Marsblade's first investors. He received a set of Marsblades and a set of spare runners from Per last week and asked me to sharpen them over the weekend. As they are not on my skates, I DID NOT SKATE ON THEM. I just sharpened the runners. My buddy skated on them in an extremely high level (no...really...almost all former NHL players) pick up session on Sunday night and his comments are at the end of this post. Before I get to that, here are my thoughts based on some bench time with the holders/runners. (N.B. I didn't have express permission from Per or my buddy to take/post any pictures, so I cobbled together a quick diagram of the chassis/blade combo in MS Word. Hopefully this helps illustrate how these things work. Any questions, please ask and I'll do my best to explain/clarify...) Anyway... They're freaking heavy...AND bulky My buddy's skates are Nexus 2Ns, which aren't the lightest things in the world...add the Marsblades, and they're approaching my Trues in heft (928g for his Nexuses w/Marsblades vs 987g for my Trues with Step holders and runners -- both size 272 holders). I know, I know...don't skip leg day. But, if minimizing the amount of weight you're lugging around the ice is high on your priority list, then Marsblades are likely not for you. Also, the way these things work necessitates a pretty bulky construction. The "towers" (part that is mounted to the boot) are pretty standard. Where they get hefty is towards the bottom. See, the blade itself is integrated into a plastic chassis that then fits into the holder. As such, the slot in the holder is about twice the width of one on a non-Marsblade holder, giving the whole thing a bit of a 'bloated' appearance and feel. Given the movement designed into the Marsblades, I can't see how they could have designed the holder to be more streamlined, but there is significant bulk inherent in the system that I guess I wasn't anticipating. They don't 'move' anywhere NEAR as much as I thought they would...and the whole assembly is much 'tighter' than I anticipated Given the premise of Marsblades, I figured they'd be somewhat 'teeter-totter-ish'. They're not. At all. They actually move very little - a total of maybe 1/8" to 1/4" of total travel is possible under hand pressure. Additionally, the way they're designed, there's a limit as to how much they can actually move, so under a skater's body weight, they might move a BIT more, but not a hell of a lot more. Also, it takes a fair bit of effort to get them to move much at all - which is definitely by design. The flex/movement response is designed to be progressive - meaning the more the skater pushes (either forward or backward), the more the holder slides up (or down) the chassis/blade combo. Put differently, it's not like these things are slamming forwards and backwards in their holders. They're very tight and the movement is surprisingly subtle. Once I took the Marsblades apart, I discovered that there is a composite 'bar' that forms the basis of the rocking system. When the skater leans forward, the chassis rocks forward into the toe of the holder - that motion is controlled and, ultimately, limited by the flexing of the bar against a spacer bolt that goes through the entirety of the holder and chassis. Same on the back of the skate. The design is truly ingenious, as the only part that really 'moves' is the blade/chassis assembly - which is really only two pieces (bar and chassis). There are no gears to strip, no levers to break, and no channels to wear out. The composite bar is likely subject to wear, but it seems extremely robust and, should it weaken or fail, it can be replaced. Here's my MSWord diagram to (hopefully) illustrate this whole concept... Anyway. Moving on. There's a bunch of hardware involved and they're a total pain to work on The blade/chassis combo is held into the holder by 4 spacer bolts that go through the whole assembly from the lateral side. Each of the spacer bolts is then held in with a machine screw that is secured from the medial side of the skate. Yep. It's like a CCM SB holder on steroids - FOUR freaking bolts per holder!!! Anyway. In between each of the machine screws and the blade holder, there is a clear silicone washer (just wait until you drop those little bastards....) with no discernible purpose, as the screws are designed to bottom out in the spacer bolts, preventing over tightening. (Marsblade provides a tool (hex wrench on one end, spacer-pusher on the other) that will help you take them apart, but you'll need to provide your own flat-head screwdriver (or another hex wrench) to add preventative torque, or the spacers will just spin around in their holes when you try to loosen the screws.) Anyway. Getting the blade chassis out of the holder requires removing all four screws and pushing the spacer bolts out of the assembly. Then, you get to find somewhere safe to keep track of the spacer bolts, the screws, and the four teeny, CLEAR silicone washers. Once all the hardware is out, the blade/chassis slides out of the holder with relative ease and the composite rocker bar falls out of the chassis and on to the floor. Of course. Aside from making sure you have the blade/chassis combo going the correct direction (half notch goes towards the toe) and remembering to put the rocker bar in to the slot on the chassis, putting them back together is just the opposite of taking them apart. However, you have to put the two middle spacers (and corresponding screws) in first, because those control the positioning of the blade/chassis assembly in relation to the other bolt holes. Yet another thing to remember as you're working on these things. Again, you can't over tighten anything because the screws bottom out before they get too tight, so you just screw everything back together and proceed on your merry way. Honestly, no one part of working on the Marsblades is particularly difficult, but taken all together, it IS a pain. There are too many small parts and they all need to fit together just so. In an ideal world, you'd really want to be working on these on a bench in good lighting and without being in a hurry. Any other situation, you're risking forgetting or losing something...and I can't even imagine trying to work on these in a player's bench setting. Put differently, if you get Marsblades, be aware that you're not going to be doing any blade changes between shifts....or, most likely, between periods. They're just too damn complicated and have too many teeny parts that will undoubtedly find their way into the graveyard of missing critical parts. I presume Marsblade has spare parts...and I recommend anyone that gets them have access to plenty, because unless you're being REALLY careful, you're likely to lose something. The steel SUUUUUUUUCKS...and is not replaceable I mention this because there is no other option. Since the chassis/blade combo is one integrated unit and the steel itself is not removable, you're kinda stuck. There are no third-party replacement runners available and, given the proprietary nature of the chassis/blade combo, I can't see how there ever will be. If Marsblades catch on, perhaps this will change, but as it stands right now, if you want Marsblades, you have to get Marsblade steel. The runner is made of your garden variety stainless which burrs terribly and doesn't hold an edge well. Which, if we're being honest, isn't all that different from stock steel on a mid-level skate from either of the major skate manufacturers. However, since you have to pay a hefty premium to get Marsblades in the first place, it'd be nice if the steel didn't suck. On ice review - again, from my friend So, just so we're clear, my friend played more than 500 games in the NHL. I mention this simply because his experience with the Marsblades is colored by HIS past and HIS ideas of how skates should work FOR HIM, and a novice skater/average beer leaguer is likely to have a very different experience than he had. Plus, this was ONE skate on what amounts to a prototype, so it is safe to say that once the kinks are worked out and full production begins, a great many things could change. As such, all of the opinions that follow need to be taken with the appropriate grain of salt. Anyway. Long story short, it was a struggle for him. Here are some quotes: "I felt off balance the entire time and was WAY too far back on my heels" "I was digging into the ice on every turn and couldn't keep any speed" "I felt like there was too much blade on the ice" "I wound up moving back to defense - it felt like I couldn't keep up as a forward" As a result of his feedback, I re-sharpened them yesterday, taking him from a 1/2" flat bottom radius (Fire ring on the Sparx) down to a 5/8" flat bottom radius; and the folks at Marsblade are going to make some adjustments to his holders and he is going to try them again. Should there be anything noteworthy to report after his next time on the ice, I'll post a follow-up. Final Thoughts Though the Marsblade concept is still super interesting and seems to be based on relatively sound science, the execution kinda makes the whole thing feel a little "gimmicky" to me. In the end, they are heavy, bulky, and there are too many pieces to lose. Now then, I'm aware that this is essentially a prototype and much could change before the final production models are rolled out, but I simply can't see how a great deal of what Marsblade is trying to do here can't otherwise be accomplished by profiling your steel. A good profile can control the amount of steel that is ultimately on the ice and also control your pitch...and do so without adding a layer of complexity that the average hockey player (IMHO, anyway) doesn't need or want. To me, the best use of the Marsblade concept remains making a rollerblade 'feel' more like an ice blade. Time, of course, will tell if I'm right....

Bwahhahahahhaaa!!! Love it...

Completely understand where you're coming from with this and I don't necessarily disagree. That said, the central point of the True skate is that it IS customizable for different skaters' needs/wants, so I don't think you can definitively put a 'weight threshold' on the applicability of shot blockers to an individual skater. I (6'1", 225) don't have the shot blockers in mine and am very happy with the stiffness. A guy I coach with (6'4", about 240) is on his second pair of True skates. He didn't have the shot blockers on his first pair but does on this pair...and is MUCH happier with his second pair than he was with his first because he felt like the first wasn't quite stiff enough. Different strokes and all that...

Agree on the tongue. Thing about the shot blockers, they make the skates stiffer - particularly laterally. If you're a heavier player and want/need that extra support (or just like an extremely stiff boot...), they might be worth the extra weight.

This. Be aggressive kicking your heel back. The first time I baked, I was pretty namby-pamby with my heel kicks and wound up with zero heel lock. Not good. On both subsequent bakes, I rammed them back pretty hard and was much happier with the result.

True skates are used by players on 26 of 31 NHL teams. Doesn't get much more 'high level' than those teams. 77 NHL players use True skates. The True pro custom is the third most popular individual skate model currently in use in the NHL. Again, doesn't get much more 'high level' than that. Look, I'm not discounting what your son says about the skates. If they're not for him, they're not for him. And that's completely fine. They are (relatively speaking) heavy and, when compared with the Mako, are a little 'clunky'. What's more, every player is entitled to his/her opinion. However, you seem to be insinuating that True skates aren't for 'high level' players, and that's just not true. Some of the 'highest level' players in the world use True skates and seem to be doing so without 'getting slower'....

Presuming your X90s fit you reasonably well (and it sounds like they do - save for the width issue), skates made by True/VH will be pretty much the same physical 'size' as your existing skates. They will be narrower inside the boot, simply because the scan and build process creates a skate that is specifically built to fit your feet. But they really shouldn't be any longer...or shorter. And, unless serious wonk is introduced into the manufacturing process, they will use the same size steel. Oh. And they will be heavier. Quite a lot heavier.

The Clarino in my skates doesn't get tacky or slimy. It just gets wet.

Correct me if I'm wrong, here.... None of these suggested leather treatments prevent your feet from sweating - they just prevent the Clarino from absorbing a bunch of sweat. Can anyone speak to the benefit of adding the waterproofing, aside from protecting/extending the life of the leather?

Same. Reasons given were for durability and comfort. For what it's worth, however, I'm kinda wishing I'd gone for the wick liner - I'd never thought I had 'abnormally sweaty feet', but in my True skates, I sweat way more than I did in my TotalOnes....

Or when the stragglers come sliding into the group at the board and take your legs out from behind. You can tell groups of 6U and 8U kids 6,382,728 times "NO SLIDING" and, mark my words, whether on purpose or not, at least ONE kid will always come sliding into the group like s/he's playing baseball. It's gotten to the point where, if I'm not actively writing on the board, I make sure I'm well away from the mob until ALL of the kids are in.

Ugh. My specialty is skating backwards into an unseen tire or border patrol/foam pad and then tumbling over backwards. Usually right in front of the kids. Of course. Definitely be careful out there...

So...as promised, here's my detailed assessment after about a month of having True skates... (Sorry it took a little longer than expected - practice, back to school night, and a concert in LA all conspired to keep me away from my computer!!!) Anyway. First off, let's get the background demographic information out of the way, as it will affect how I perceive these skates vs. how someone else might. I'm a 43 year old guy - about 6'1", 225 lbs. This is my first pair of custom skates - my previous skates were Bauer TotalOne NXGs. FWIW, I've never worn the Easton Mako. I'm on the ice 2+ hours a day, 6 days a week as a full time hockey coach, both coaching teams and doing private lessons. Though I played NCAA hockey, I rarely play these days - beer league has no real appeal for me and, quite frankly, I spend enough time at the rink as it is. My feet (size 9.5, running shoe) are a little wonky, in that I have a wide forefoot, but a narrow heel and relatively high arches - I also supinate (walk on the lateral side of my feet) slightly. The Bauer scan voodoo machine recommends a Vapor in 8 EE for me. Whatever. The thought of my heels in a EE skate is nothing short of hilarious. I underwent the True scan process while I was working at a hockey camp in Canada over the summer - the scan was performed by an employee of True, NOT at a Fit Center or by an LHS employee. Overall Impressions (TL/DR version): Overall, I'm very happy. They really are the perfect skates for me. They're extremely comfortable while, at the same time, allowing me to perform at a high level when demonstrating both team drills and complicated edgework. It did, however, take three 'bakes' to get them where I wanted them - but now that they're dialed in....awesome. The skates are DESIGNED to put your body into the correct position, which means you don't have to think about it - as long as you don't fight the skates, your body 'just goes there'....which, for a coach that demonstrates stuff all the time, is awesome. That said, it cannot be disputed that True skates are HEAVY. They weigh almost 21% more per skate than my Bauers and I'm not sure I would like them as much if I were still playing. But for coaching, I can't imagine a better fitting, more comfortable, better performing skate. The Fitting/Ordering Process: As mentioned above, I was scanned in Canada by an ACTUAL TRUE EMPLOYEE, not a LHS employee. Does this matter? Maybe. I don't know. However, I presume that, as a representative of his company, he actually knows what he's doing. When scanning, he also took pictures of my feet and noted some areas where I have had discomfort in the past. Additionally, I filled out a form where I noted my height, weight, current skate size and model, blade holder size, etc...etc...etc... Now then, there has been much consternation as to whether or not True offers different models of their skate - while I can't definitively answer that; I CAN tell you that, as part of the process, I was asked if I wanted the 'pro' fit or the 'retail' fit. I asked what the difference was and was told that they're "basically the same skate", but the pro fit is designed to eliminate as much negative space as possible in the boot; while the retail fit leaves some room for thicker socks, etc...since I HATE negative space in my skates, I asked for the pro fit. Now, as mentioned earlier in the thread, I do have an acquaintance that works at a big box LHS, but since I didn't order my skates from him, I've tried to avoid talking in too many specifics about the actual process of ordering True skates from them. Put differently, I do not know if you can walk into an LHS or a True fit center and ask for a 'pro fit' skate. However, it was an option offered to me and I bring it up because it's possible that my experience may differ from that of another skater as a result of my being offered that option. Anyway. Moving on. The Delivery/Sharpening/Baking Process: My skates were delivered to my door about 2.5 weeks after I ordered them. First impressions were, "WOW, these are HEAVY!" And, "Oh look! The vent holes in the bottom of the boots were drilled by my 3rd grader!" I know it's tough to drill into carbon fiber, but good Christ, True - invest in some high quality drill bits, put a stainless grommet around the holes, and try to space them evenly. Other than that, fit and finish were fine. The stitching in the liner and on the tongue is exemplary and the blade holders (Step) are mounted securely and appear to be straight. Yes, there is some excess epoxy in a few places where the upper is joined to the carbon fiber, but you can't tell unless you're looking for it and, honestly, I chalk that up to the fact that they are a hand-made item. Anyway. The day after receiving them, I took them up to an LHS and had the blades cross-ground and got a 'preliminary' edge put on them. I then parked them in my Sparx and sharpened them up to my usual 1/2" FBV/Fire spec. That night, I baked them in my home convection oven at 180 degrees F for 15 minutes, shoe-horned them onto my feet, laced 'em up, and rested there for 20 minutes. Per the instructions that came with the skates and the videos out there on the internet, I had my wife crimp behind my ankles for the first few minutes of resting. I then pried them off my feet, cooled them, put them away, and prepared to skate on them the next night. The First Skate: The first skate was...weird. And, initially, frustrating. Not realizing it, during the baking process, I had allowed the eyelets at the top of the boot to fold over too far, so getting them laced up in the coaches' room was an unmitigated disaster. I finally had to pull them off, lace them up OFF my feet, then shoe-horn them back on. Ugh. Not a good start to the evening. And then I stepped on the ice.... ...and STOPPED. DEAD. IN. MY. TRACKS. It was like I'd skated into a patch of sand or superglue or play-dough. I had NO glide at all. I was completely non-plussed and didn't know what to think...so, in classic hockey player fashion, I put my head down and plowed through it. But, everything was weird. I wasn't gliding. I felt like I was falling forward. I couldn't feel my edges, so I could barely turn - forget about stopping or transitions. I felt like my right toes were jammed into the front of the boot. And my heels were skyrocketing off the footbeds with every stride. Honestly, after about 5 minutes, I thought I'd made a giant (and very expensive) mistake. But I kept going. Once I finally RELAXED into the boots, a semblance of glide returned and I could start to feel my edges again. I tentatively tried hockey stops, transitions, and cross-overs...no falling, no disasters. I then tried single foot pivots and Mohawks and came to the startling realization that, biomechanically speaking, these skates are designed like they are for a reason. If I simply relax and 'go with the skates', my body will naturally settle into a 'good skating position'. I don't have to think, "bend ankles...bend ankles...bend ankles" when doing a single-foot inside to outside edge pivot, because if I'm not fighting the skates, my ankles are already properly bent. Same with my knees and hips. Encouraged, I kept them on for my second of two back-to-back practices and, by the end of it, I was less worried that I'd made a mistake....but my heels were still shooting off into the stratosphere with every stride. Also, my feet were SOAKED. Like, REALLY SOAKED. Like, wetter than I've ever seen them, coming out of a hockey skate. If I'd wanted to be gross, I probably could have wrung sweat out of my socks onto the floor of the coaches' room. But it was late and I didn't want to piss off my buddies, so I shoved them back into my bag, went home, and vowed to rebake in the morning and see if there was anything I could do about the heel-lock problem. Rebaking...and rebaking again: So, I did a rebake and REALLY jammed my heels back into the boots. I also tied the mid-foot curve tighter to try to lock my ankles back further. Additionally, I slid some wooden dowels in-between the upper eyelets and the tongue, so that I could keep them from folding over so far. The next time on the ice was better on the heel lock front and WAY better on the lacing up front, but the overall fit was still not where I wanted it, so I hopped on MSH and read almost all 150-odd pages of the True/VH forum, figuring I'd find some insight. MSH (of course) did not disappoint and, I discovered that a combination of tensor (Ace) bandages and small ratchet clamps could be used to press the areas of negative space out of the boots and really emphasize that heel lock. Equally helpful were posts recommending against baking with the skates laced to the top eyelet, as it can actually CREATE heel-lock problems. So, I fired up the oven and baked again. Hoping the third time was the proverbial charm, I wrapped, clamped, left the top eyelet undone...and crossed my fingers. Oh, and I also sharpened them at a 5/8" FBV/Fire ring because there was NO WAY I needed that deep of a hollow anymore! On the ice that night, it was honestly like skating in really well fitting slippers - no heel lock issues and zero negative space left in my skates! I had finally found the perfect coaching skate!!! Final Thoughts: Now, I'm willing to stipulate that at least some of my positive feelings about the skate may be due to the improvement of the StepSteel runners over the stock Bauer runners; and that an additional portion may be because of the placebo effect - i.e. I did SOMETHING (spent money on skates), so my brain is telling me that there was a correlating positive effect. Whatever. I'll take a placebo, because, for me, the best thing about the True/VH skates is that they make it easier for me to do my job. I find that in my Trues, my 43 year old body effortlessly slides into proper ankle, knee, and hip alignment with very little in the way of conscious thought on my part. When I demonstrate drills and complicated edgework, I'm far more confident and I've found that I have to think WAY less about what I'm doing than when I'm in my Bauers. Now, please don't misunderstand - they won't take a crappy skater and miraculously make him/her a good skater; but if you allow them to do what they're designed to do, they will get out of your way and allow you to 'just skate'. But it takes some work to get there. You have to be willing to bake several times and MacGyver with the fit until you're happy. Yeah, yeah, I know - You True haters are foaming at the mouth as you prepare to frantically bash at your keyboards in order to regurgitate everything you keep saying in these threads. Let me save you the effort. "Shouldn't they just fit out of the box?!?!?!" "Why bother with a foot scan if the end product doesn't fit your foot?" "WHAT'S THE POINT OF PAYING FOR CUSTOM IF YOU HAVE TO TINKER??!??" And, quite frankly, maybe you have a point. In most cases, if you buy a 'custom' product, you don't have to attack it with a hacksaw and blowtorch to get it to work. In this case, however, I'm happy to do all the customizing in the world because I'm able to tweak the fit to what *I* like. You undoubtedly have a different idea of how a skate should feel than I do...so the fact that we each CAN take a pair of True skates and tweak them to work with our ideas of how a skate should fit is...well, it's pretty damn cool. Now then, it's not all roses with True, because there is no denying that they are heavy. True apologists are great at throwing about platitudes -- "a hundred grams per skate isn't much...and if it is, don't skip leg day!" Yeah. Okay. That's funny and all, but it doesn't change the fact that, over the course of a game or a hard practice you have to multiply that "100 grams per skate" by however many strides a player takes. And it adds up! Your muscles still have to lift that extra hundred grams and, though I don't notice it while coaching, if I were still playing at a high level, I'm pretty sure I WOULD notice it over the course of three periods. Anyway. Once again, it's off to the rink for me (and let's face it, this is long enough as it is...😉) In the end, I suppose it all comes down to one simple question: "Would you buy True skates again?" For me, the answer is, "Absolutely....."