Anyone with Custom Bauers?

[Anyone with Custom Bauers?]

On 10/17/2020 at 7:48 AM, GearSnob said:

Hey hockey world,

Is there anyone here who has custom Bauer skates who wouldn't mind commenting on their fit and feel?  It would be especially helpful if someone with unusual feet could comment on the fit of custom Bauers.  It amazes me that although the vast majority of the NHL is Bauer skates, there is very little information on the internet about them other than propaganda.  

I am a southern redneck who moved to the midwest a couple years ago and at the age of 45 I stepped onto the ice, with my then 5-year-old son, for the first time.  We were both hooked.  I do totally suck at skating but I have goofy feet and I love having really nice equipment so hence the discussion.

All that being said, I have had two pairs of Trues made thus far and they were the most uncomfortable thing I have ever put on my feet.  Incredible pain in the forefoot, toes had to curl up, squeeze like a vice, feet went numb quickly, etc.  Each time the LHS agreed this wasn't right and sent them back but now the ball is in my court.  True has offered to try a third time but I'm scratching my chin trying to decide if I should try again or move on.  For the record, the LHS and True have both been incredibly nice about this and have worked with me.  I just have goofy feet . . .

Being a gear snob, I am now in Bauer Supremes (10 EE) which are punched to the hilt and still not wide nor deep enough but I love the boot (and moreover, the name) so I am thinking about getting a pair of Bauers made.

Right now I am just looking to get feedback from anyone who has first hand, or first foot, experience with the Bauer customs.  I am amazed at how little public feedback there is out there.

Thanks everyone and thanks to the hockey community for being so supportive of myself and my son over the past two years!  Great people is all I have found and I love it! 

How did the above post devolve into "LEARN TO SKATE NOOB!"?  Please sir, for your own personal and intellectual evolution, reread the above post and ask yourself how those words led you to such a comment.  And I realize you may not be directly responding to my original post but the same logic applies.

Since my first exposure to the recreational hockey world, I have met a lot of hockey families and personalities and I have to say that by far and away most are very good people . . . and until this post every single person has been very receptive to a guy and his kids skating for the first time.  

Neither my wife nor I have the slightest bit of concern over me dropping a couple of dollars here and there on custom skates even if I have absolutely no need for them.  

 

To all others who have commented, I appreciate and respect the time and effort you invested into my question.

[Anyone with Custom Bauers?]

On 10/17/2020 at 7:48 AM, GearSnob said:

Hey hockey world,

Is there anyone here who has custom Bauer skates who wouldn't mind commenting on their fit and feel?  It would be especially helpful if someone with unusual feet could comment on the fit of custom Bauers.  It amazes me that although the vast majority of the NHL is Bauer skates, there is very little information on the internet about them other than propaganda.  

I am a southern redneck who moved to the midwest a couple years ago and at the age of 45 I stepped onto the ice, with my then 5-year-old son, for the first time.  We were both hooked.  I do totally suck at skating but I have goofy feet and I love having really nice equipment so hence the discussion.

All that being said, I have had two pairs of Trues made thus far and they were the most uncomfortable thing I have ever put on my feet.  Incredible pain in the forefoot, toes had to curl up, squeeze like a vice, feet went numb quickly, etc.  Each time the LHS agreed this wasn't right and sent them back but now the ball is in my court.  True has offered to try a third time but I'm scratching my chin trying to decide if I should try again or move on.  For the record, the LHS and True have both been incredibly nice about this and have worked with me.  I just have goofy feet . . .

Being a gear snob, I am now in Bauer Supremes (10 EE) which are punched to the hilt and still not wide nor deep enough but I love the boot (and moreover, the name) so I am thinking about getting a pair of Bauers made.

Right now I am just looking to get feedback from anyone who has first hand, or first foot, experience with the Bauer customs.  I am amazed at how little public feedback there is out there.

Thanks everyone and thanks to the hockey community for being so supportive of myself and my son over the past two years!  Great people is all I have found and I love it! 

 

[Anyone with Custom Bauers?]

3 hours ago, SkateWorksPNW said:

Part of the reason for the lack of general knowledge is that most of these processes are proprietary, its basically each companies secret sauce, so they want to keep that information internal and provide retailers basic general information. 

You also have to consider that most staff working at stores aren't educated on custom skates since the number of custom skates sold is very minimal compared to the abundance of customers buying off the shelf retail skates. Not to mention many employees of the larger stores which offer custom skates just don't really care all that much. As someone who has owned multiple pro shops I can tell you that not a single one of my staff truly ever understood how each custom skate differs even though I provided them with literature, videos, and even spent time trying to educate them. I was the only person who could handle these questions which is ludicrous considering I am the owner of the stores. 

But, back to your initial question...

Bauer and CCM take your measurements and basically grab the components to match the specific sizing and assemble the boot. After assembling the boot they 3D print a cast of your feet and insert that into the skates. They then apply high heat and pressure the skates to form them to your foot. 

How much pressure? A lot. Specifically how much, no clue, that's proprietary. 

How much heat? A lot. Specifically how much, no clue, that's proprietary. 

How does TRUE make their custom skates? Depends on who you ask. TRUE used to create a custom last based on your specifications and then build the skate around the last. This allowed them to make many adjustments to the skate as they are building it. It's a very hands-on process which requires a lot of work and truthfully the end result is only as good as the person doing the work. We did a ton of TRUE customs and yes, there were times we had issues with skates being too big or had a holder that was not properly aligned and 99% of the time TRUE fixed the problem. There is only one customer I can think of that we couldn't satisfy and he had significant foot issues. That customer also tried custom CCM and Bauer skates and those also didn't work for him as well. 

My suggestion, give TRUE one more try to get it right. Provide them as much feedback as possible. The more information you provide the better understanding they have of what works and what doesn't. If that pair comes back wrong still then I would look into other options. 

Thank you, sir, for the advice.  You clearly have a lot of experience with custom fittings and I appreciate you sharing it with me.  It'll either be TRUEs, Bauers, or both if I just cannot make up my mind.  TRUE does seem to win people over and that is what has captured my intrigue.

 

Thanks

[Anyone with Custom Bauers?]

3 hours ago, epstud74 said:

Seems like you're spending a lot of $$ to learn the hard way! haha

Take it from people who've been around skates a long time and make sure you find a retailer that is reputable.  I'm not familiar with the Chicagoland area hockey shops but it sounds like you're reasonably close to Madison, WI too.  I'd check out Suter's

Have you tried on the CCM Ribcor skates?  Just curious

Nah, I have only been in a couple different pairs of Bauers and then the TRUEs.  And yes, I am spending a lot of $$ to learn the hard way but that's part of the game.  I'll never be able to play or even skate well but at least I can have good equipment!  I truthfully think the Bauer custom Supremes would be just fine particularly if they are made like SkateWorks just explained.  My current off-the-shelf Bauer Supremes aren't too far away.  In fact, I think most people would say I am foolish for not using them and perhaps I am but I like the idea of making improvements.  I'm also probably making a mountain out of a mole hill but just because I don't mind spending money on a pair of custom skates even though I suck at skating doesn't mean I want to turn around and buy two pairs of custom skates because I just don't like the first one or perhaps the first one doesn't feel as good as I had hoped.  So I'd like to make a purchase that I really feel good about.

I've got Jerry's Hockey and Pure Hockey around me in abundance.

And, gentlemen, thanks so much for all the input.  You guys put a lot of effort into your answers and I appreciate it.

[Anyone with Custom Bauers?]

On ‎10‎/‎18‎/‎2020 at 9:02 AM, start_today said:

Where in the Midwest are you, do you have access to other stores? The fact that your Trues have come back with separate issues each time makes me wonder how good the fitting process is from the shop. Sounds like they are nice people and willing to work with you, but perhaps aren’t very skilled at custom fitting and measuring True skates. If they can’t measure you correctly for Trues, they probably aren’t going to do any better for Bauers. 

If the shop and True are willing to do full refund, might be better to back out and find a new place who is better at fitting. 

I'm about an hour northwest of Chicago so there are tons of stores around me.  Over the past year since I started looking at custom skates, I have been to four different stores and worked with countless fitters and everyone has a different recommendation.  I fear that part of the problem is the lack of understanding even by the retailers of each brand's manufacturing process.  I like the idea of adding pressure around a heated boot but how that pressure is added is critical and this is all hush-hush.  How Bauer makes its last is hush-hush.  I was recently told by someone I believe in that they don't make a last; rather, they only print parts of your foot and add those to a sort of jig.  TRUE does the best job of trying to educate its following but even at that I am mystified as to how I have had two pairs that don't fit.  Maybe the scanner just isn't that accurate.  Maybe I am wiggling too much during the scan.  Maybe the front part of the foot just presents additional challenges.

The LHS has offered to credit me back for the last pair of TRUES so I just need to decide my next move.  I have been talking with a fitter in another store who seems pretty knowledgeable so I may go there and just get a set of Bauers made and use the store credit at the other LHS for other goodies.  It seems like there is no way to really know unless I get all three made properly and compare.

So thanks to everyone for commenting.

[Anyone with Custom Bauers?]

5 hours ago, epstud74 said:

Also, using a proper orthotic will position the arch correctly (along with the toes) in the skate and you won't be having those movements inside the boot that lead to arch/toe pain and other maladies associated with high insteps. Your feet should NOT being going numb in the boot while skating.

"Your feet should NOT be going numb in the boot while skating."  Very well said!  Can I quote you on that the next time the LHS provides me their list of excuses such as, "You may just need to keep skating in them a while longer" or "these are TRUEs, they are supposed to fit snug"?

I went the custom orthortic route once about ten years ago for running shoes and ended up taking them out.  They did position my feet perfectly but became a crutch.  I kept them around the house for a few years and used them in my day-to-day shoes during periods when I needed to recover from plantar fasciitis or similar issues.  But as far as using them in my running shoes, I ended up taking them out, taking my shoes off, and running barefoot for a couple of years until my body adapted and that it did very well.  I just discovered something similar in skating that after two episodes seems to have cured my arch pains--skating with loose or no laces!  I haven't actually skated like this yet.  I just put my skates on without tightening the laces and began walking around the house.  The next time I got on the ice, after merely two 45 minute episodes of this, and lacing one eyelet down, man what a difference!  I could finally feel my edges and no more arch pain! 

But, being a gear snob, I still want custom skates because they should be more comfortable, they are cool, and I like great equipment!  🙂

[Anyone with Custom Bauers?]

1 minute ago, mojo122 said:

I have no issues.  Retail 2S Pros were uncomfortable, more so on the outside forefoot area for a month or so when I first got them.  Ultrasonics were comfortable from day one.

Nice!  That seems to be the skate I am leaning to but I am skeptical.  My Supremes are okay now after getting them punched so many times--no major issues--but I wouldn't say they are 'comfortable'.  I am just wondering if something of this nature would be a significant upgrade or, even better, it would fit like a slipper.  I think if I am patient with TRUE that they will eventually get a boot that fits like a slipper but I don't want to have to go changing out holders in order to get the pitch right.  And what's more, trying to wedge my exceedingly wide foot into that boot just isn't fun.

[Anyone with Custom Bauers?]

Just now, mojo122 said:

I have My Bauer Ultrasonics.  Short version is that I have wide feet (EEE+ and EE+).  You still have to work with someone knowledgeable that has fit stock to dial in the length related to the scan recommendation to determine how you want them to fit.  Width is determined by the Bauer folks and in my case they nailed the fit.  

 

Thanks.  I have high arches and wide feet so we may be in a similar boat.  How would you describe the comfort level of the skate?  

[Anyone with Custom Bauers?]

SkateWorks,

No, thank you for the lengthy post.  I appreciate the discussion and input and you are one of the few people who can personally attest to the three brands of customs.

I agree with the idea of having too many options.  I am way too green to know how all of the options in a CCM Total Custom, for example, would manifest in a boot so I would have to rely on the skate fitter to advise.  I am, however, okay with the price on the custom Bauers or CCM so that's one variable I can eliminate.  For whatever reason, I seem to have my preference set in the following order:  Bauer, CCM, TRUE.

 

Pucks_putts,

Thanks for your feedback as well.  It's unfortunate that the customer is not able to work with True to establish the skate's holder and steel as custom options.

[Anyone with Custom Bauers?]

29 minutes ago, epstud74 said:

Why are your toes curling up?  Do you have proper arch support?

Hi epstud74 (now that sounds weird to say in my head as I type),

Thanks for the follow up questions.  My toes curled only on the second pair but not the first and they did so because the boots were just too short.  In order to get my foot in them, I had to curl my toes.

The arch support in the second pair, on the other hand, was amazing!  That part of the boot did fit extremely well; it was only the front part, in both pairs, that didn't come out right and squeezed my forefoot, at about the ball of the foot, like a vise.

So, hence the reason I was just curious about the Bauer customs.  I have heard many people claim that the CCM Total Custom skates fit like a glove and we have all heard the same about Trues but I really have heard only two cases on the Bauer customs.  Both of them, by the way, also claim that the Bauers were super comfortable.  In theory it sounds like I couldn't go wrong with any of them and I have a funny feeling that I will eventually end up buying at least two if not all three to satisfy my curiosity.  

[Anyone with Custom Bauers?]

SkateWorks,

I agree that it is very odd for True to have ill-fabricated skates for me on two separate occasions.  Almost everyone I have talked to who uses True claims they fit like a glove and nobody I've talked to has had these issues.  The foot pain leading to numbness was due to lack of width.  And this lack of width was shockingly apparent.  It was as if though these were in fact not molded to a last of my own foot but I want to emphasize that this is merely my perception and I am not implicating True.

True remade the second pair rather than attempting to rework the first.  They re-scanned my foot.  The first and second pair were not the same in their defects so it's entirely possible that something just happened to go wrong twice.  True has been very supportive or so it seems as I don't get to talk to them directly; rather, I have to communicate through my LHS (actually not that local).  And the LHS has been very supportive too.  

Out of respect for the group who is helping me, I prefer not to reveal the store's identity but I will say that they have been great.  My second pair arrived in March and I didn't get them to the ice until September.  After skating on them for a few weeks I called the store just to see if they wanted to try punching and adjusting but after inspecting the skates they determined it was best to return them.  Despite the time lapse, True offered to remake them again with no additional charges and the LHS also offered to credit the purchase price in full to another pair.  So both parties on that regard have been great.

My curiosity about the Bauer customs is two fold.  (1.) They are very mysterious to me given the lack of public information.  Go to YouTube and search a review of about any oddball item and you can get tons.  I can't really find anything anywhere and that really puzzles me.  (2.)  I have Bauers now and after adjusting they truthfully are just fine.  I am driven by the assumption that there is a better product out there than what I am currently using and I want to get my hands on that product.

There were other things about the Trues that I didn't care for but could probably get used to.  They are hard to get on, super hard to lace the top two eyelets once they are on, and they feel like high heels when you stand up in them.  If the fit was as perfect as they seem to be for other people, I am sure I would adapt to these other issues but they were miserably uncomfortable.

[Anyone with Custom Bauers?]

Hey hockey world,

Is there anyone here who has custom Bauer skates who wouldn't mind commenting on their fit and feel?  It would be especially helpful if someone with unusual feet could comment on the fit of custom Bauers.  It amazes me that although the vast majority of the NHL is Bauer skates, there is very little information on the internet about them other than propaganda.  

I am a southern redneck who moved to the midwest a couple years ago and at the age of 45 I stepped onto the ice, with my then 5-year-old son, for the first time.  We were both hooked.  I do totally suck at skating but I have goofy feet and I love having really nice equipment so hence the discussion.

All that being said, I have had two pairs of Trues made thus far and they were the most uncomfortable thing I have ever put on my feet.  Incredible pain in the forefoot, toes had to curl up, squeeze like a vice, feet went numb quickly, etc.  Each time the LHS agreed this wasn't right and sent them back but now the ball is in my court.  True has offered to try a third time but I'm scratching my chin trying to decide if I should try again or move on.  For the record, the LHS and True have both been incredibly nice about this and have worked with me.  I just have goofy feet . . .

Being a gear snob, I am now in Bauer Supremes (10 EE) which are punched to the hilt and still not wide nor deep enough but I love the boot (and moreover, the name) so I am thinking about getting a pair of Bauers made.

Right now I am just looking to get feedback from anyone who has first hand, or first foot, experience with the Bauer customs.  I am amazed at how little public feedback there is out there.

Thanks everyone and thanks to the hockey community for being so supportive of myself and my son over the past two years!  Great people is all I have found and I love it!