skates73

Do you find quite a noticeable difference when skating with Supremes vs Vapors even though they've normalize the fit system now? I'm kind of worried it would feel drastically different trying to go from Supremes for many years to Vapors. I'm unsure if there are a lot of nuances specific to the two lines that may make it tricky to switch from one to the other.

Interesting. I did notice a high end boot like the 3X Pros went to a plastic outsole (TPU). High end skates, as far as I can remember always had some kind of stiff composite outsole. I'm curious as to how the plastic would compare with composite outsoles as far as performance, feel and durability.

Thanks, I guess it's kind of like why McDavid still uses the original Jetspeeds from like 2015. I noticed he tried to switch to the Tacks ASV Pro in training camp/preseason and 1st game or two of the regular season but promptly went back to the old Jetspeeds. My guess is he doesn't like the one piece boot and prefers the traditional separate outsoles.

I know skates have evolved over the years to become stiffer and stiffer and it got me wondering, if I really liked a skate like the MX3s (2014) should I really be going for Mach's now? I would assume they would be vastly stiffer than the MX3s were. So would it almost be better to go for a second tier M5 pro, if I liked the MX3s? Not sure if I'm correct but I would assume even the M5 pros would be stiffer and overall a better skate and fit and better features than the MX3s. Also, it's a bit confusing but would the second tier Vapor 3X pros or Supreme 3S pros be better skates than the previous top line Vapor 2X pro or Supreme 2S pro? One would assume so from the nomenclature but I'm not sure.

Thanks, interesting lacing. I've tried that loop thing at the top eyelets before but it did not provide good forward flexion. I will definitely give this a try though.

I find, for me, they apply pressure differently as far as feel. The "in to out" feels tighter and more pressure down through the top of my foot/the tongue. The "out to in" just feels like less pressure on the top of the foot, but kind of holds the sole of the foot to the insole not too badly though still a bit less snug compared to "in to out" and doesn't lock the heel as well. I tried the "out to in" exactly like the guy in this video below (except I go all the way to the top). I noticed it's not just me... when he pulls the laces tight the laces above where he's pulling tightens as well. For me, the laces above gets tighter than the laces below where I pull.... this seems wrong and counterproductive. Just a strange thing that definitely doesn't happen with "in to out" lacing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkPPI6N8Vro

Thanks, I actually bought some Howies wax laces a couple days ago as another option. I use to hate wax laces because they use to be so waxy and tore my hands up but I was surprised that these particular laces did not feel too waxy. I did try the out to in lacing as well and it's the same thing as before. Just feels a bit less tight/snug, especially at the heel/ankle. I must be doing something wrong because a couple of people I knew that did it, swear out to in much tighter than in to out.

Thanks, I'll give it another try. I've tried this years ago but it also felt a bit weird and even less tight than in to out (especially at the heel/ankle). It's pretty straight forward but maybe I did some detail not quite right. I remember it was weird that the lace ABOVE where I was pulling got tighten and tighter than the lace below with this out to in method. Probably doing something just slightly wrong with the method (ie the way I'm pulling etc).

Anyone who's tried both the injection eyelets and traditional eyelets notice the differences in they way they make the boot feel and fit and stay tied tight? Jumping to the Machs with the traditional eyelets (from several Supreme skates in the last bunch of years with inj eyelets) I feel like they just don't feel as tight on my feet and more importantly STAY tight on my feet. I'll try wax laces (prefer not to) but I wonder if the eyelets have an effect on fit and feel. I'm even in a Fit 1 now with the Machs which actually feels nicer and tighter but the boot just doesn't want to stay secure. A few aggressive turns and cuts and start to lose heel lock and need to retie the laces. I'm considering switching to Hyperlites with the injection eyelets. I've never tried Vapors before though.

Is it true that if you were to go get custom skates that the only real or "true" custom fitting skate would be through True? I've heard Bauer custom skates are not truly custom and more of just a general tweak to improve fit and to might as well just get their stock Fit 1, 2, or 3 skates instead if you want Bauer. Not sure about CCM.

So I guess the foot scan for custom made skates do not compensate or factor in what insole you may want to use. I use superfeet carbon pro for my insoles and I know they make my (non custom) skate fit and feel noticeably different than the stock insole the skate came with. I wonder if anyone has had experience with custom skates that might not fit like they thought because they use a different insole not accounted for by the foot scan?

Thinking about it more, it is a little weird that the Vapors are the only line that have the injection eyelets anymore of all skate options out there. About 50% of NHL players use Vapors or an older Supreme that had injection eyelets as stock. Although many of them might have custom designed their skates to have traditional eyelets. I guess if the injection eyelet technology was that great more lines would have them or give them as an option with custom fitting.

Has anyone been a long time Bauer Supreme skates guy and have to go from the injection eyelets (MX3s, 1S, 2S pros) back to the traditional with Ultrasonics and Machs? Is there a big difference in feel/performance going back to the traditional eyelets? I'm afraid the boot will feel too different with different eyelets and the lateral boot stiffness won't feel the same anymore on the ice. I'm hesitant to go to the Vapors because of the slight differences in boot construction vs the Supremes.

Hi, how did you find the transition from injected eyelets back to traditional eyelets? I've been on injected eyelets since around 2015 and love them so I can't even remember what traditional eyelets would feel like anymore. I'm concerned it would affect the way things feel on the ice and it kind of sucks that the Supremes don't have the injected eyelets anymore. I'm hesitant to go to the Vapor line just for the eyelets as I've been Supremes since forever.

Is it just the edge holding longer or would you say, if both pairs (Pulse and Pulse Ti) right off a fresh skate sharpening would feel equal in performance or does the Ti grip the ice better and better for agility. I'm now hearing Pulse Ti is grippier on the ice, better for lateral agility and players who take more strides (quick crossovers etc) whereas regular Pulse glides a bit better with less grippy feel and better for smoother skaters who take less strides but more smooth gliding skaters. Supposedly a significantly different feel between the two.

Thank you, I kind of had a feeling it wouldn't be worth the extra $70 for the Pulse TI over the regular Pulse.

Hi, does anyone know specific differences as far as performance of the LS Pulse Edge vs LS Pulse Ti Edge (speed, agility, control, grip etc)? Is one higher (blade height) than the other? There's a significant price difference. Also I hear the Carbonlites are terrible. Wonder if there's a difference in ease of sharpening for the technician or blade durability (some runners break/crack easier than others). I hear people have issues with the Carbonlites.

I definitely agree that the Supremes had a more neutral pitch (whether it was the boot/eyelets or the holder or both) in the "pre-Fit1,2,3" era. I wonder if that has remained the same with the current line of Ultrasonics and Vapor 2X Pro. I'd assume so.

Yes, I think the only way to really know is to actually skate in them because to me both the lines with the same Fit felt fairly similar when I tried them out in store. I'm just a bit leery about the offset boot in the Vapor since I've always been with the regular cut boot the Supremes have.

I figure with the new fit system the Vapor boot might feel like the Supreme. I did get to try the Vapors (in a fit 2) on and they did feel more similar. I just don't know how the offset boot and other differences between the two models would feel on the ice when I'm actually skating though. When I last bought Vapors several years ago before the new fit system, it just didn't work for me. Fit, feel. To be honest I didn't deeply analyze exactly what I didn't like when I had them for like a few skates. Just that it was quite noticeably different than the Supremes I always went with. Fit wasn't bad, but just a bit different and something I didn't expect would be as big a deal until I got on the ice. I feel like there were probably other nuances about the boot I didn't like too but it's been too long ago to remember.

I have always been a Supreme guy but considering Vapor due to the fact that I the Ultrasonics do not come with injected eyelets. I honestly don't even remember the difference in feel between the traditional eyelets and injected but I know I like the injected eyelets. I think it gave it more of that stiff stable feel for lateral agility etc. Talking with the box store people about this and they seem to all say, due to the new fit system, there's no difference between vapor and supreme now as far as feel and on ice differences. I doubt this though because there seems to be a difference in the boot being offset at the sides in the Vapors and I'm not sure what else (ie pitch etc). All I know is that a few years ago I decided to try a pair of Vapors (because my skating style is much more "vapor like") out and there was a significant difference and feel than compared to the supremes. Didn't like them and sold them. Wondering if people have any thoughts as to whether there is a difference in feel between the 2 lines now that the fit system is the "same".

Thanks, ya the general overall grip wasn't up to par. It's a bad feeling. Like when I go and warm up with those single leg c-cuts (inside edge-outside edge). Just can't get the edge to grip on a "bad" sharpen, but maybe the outside edge is usually worse come to think of it.

For me, Superfeet Carbon help with my heel lock but I think it pitches me a bit more than I like to the toes and supinates the foot a bit more than I'd like too.

Thanks! I think you might be right about the honing. I'm not too knowledgeable with the technicalities of sharpening but I assume honing is vastly different than using your hockey stone? I do onece in a while see the technician doing something in terms of applying some gel or something and "polishing" the steel out with some device. I assume this is honing. What is it actually doing to the steel/edges? Because ya, it might be the difference between why the edges seem to grip and feel good sometimes and feel too "slidey" other times. Does the steel/edges benefit from a "re-honing" after every skate or two even without sharpening?

What do people like to use? What do you think the pros use? I've been wondering why companies, especially nowadays with skates being so expensive (at the top end) just put that crummy thin stock insole in there. One would maybe then have to assume that functionally, for skates, those "crummy" thin insoles are actually what's best for skating? I wonder if not a lot of pros use Superfeet because there's doesnt seem to be any endorsements. I do believe the insole can very much affect how well you can control/feel your edges though.