Larry54

JRZ took over from Step Steel for non-CCM. Supposedly they are made in the same factory as Step Steel.

The one at the back is an old Base Hockey PM9 Lie 4 (They gave a choice of lie 4,5, or 6 for the PM9 and I wanted the lowest lie that I could get). Next is the Pro97 from Hockeystickman.ca inter Flex55, followed by a True AX3 MC / LIE5 / FLEX58, and ending with a Bauer 3S P28 - 50 FLEX - LIE 5 at the forefront. I tried to be pretty perpendicular to the faces of the blade for this picture to get an accurate representation of the lies.

The PRO97 is a lie 4 stick. Prostockhockeysticks show it as a lie 4. Hockeystickman shows it as a lie 5, but I bought mine from them and it's definitely a lie 4 when I compare it to some lie 4 and lie 5 sticks that I have.

Don't feel so bad. My custom VH skates are around size 6/6.5 and I use 72" laces, lol. I also used to skip the top 2 eyelets but now I skip eyelets 1 and 3 instead. I also don't like dangly laces, and the top three eyelets are unlaced when I put on or remove my skates. I lace my skates in the typical in-to-out manner except eyelet 2 which is out-to-in. The reason would be a bit complicated to explain, but it makes it easier to insert the lace through eyelet 2.

I believe True custom skates have the option of integrated shot blockers.

I use the PRO97 mostly because of the 4 lie, so that's another factor to consider.

To add to what Davideo posted above, I think the two areas you should be comparing are what I circled in yellow on the modified picture below.

Is there any scientific research or data on profiles or does it just depend on how a player feels on different profiles? Maybe a player can feel better on one profile but end up performing better by getting used to another. How can a player's performance be measured on specific profiles? Without real objective data, I'm really hesitant to go down the profile rabbit hole. But I'd be really interested in any scientific evidence/data/ research on this topic.

To those who have tried the Genetix insoles and found them too soft and thick, did you bake them? Are they even heat-moldable? I ask because this video seems to suggest it. The video is cued to the heat-molding part.

Shouldn't you be asking this question to his doctor or whoever diagnosed his ADHD?

You tried shims under the insoles, or between the boot and the holder?

Have you considered shimming the holder on the skate that's on your shorter leg? Then you could use matched steel from then on.

One interesting note: While the Step Edge XL is only taller than the regular steel at the toe and heel, the Step LS2 XL was actually 5-6mm longer than regular Step LS2 Steel. So the 254 LS2 XL that I currently use are closer to regular 263 than 254. So when I went from 263 LS2 to 254 LS2 holders, going from regular 263 to 254 XL steel softened the transition a bit.

I feel that if you work enough on your skating, you reach a level of stability that makes flatter portions of a profile less necessary. And the flatter portions will only limit your agility. If one's goal is only top speed that might be another story. But I find agility much more useful than top speed in hockey, anyway. Each person has different needs, and the 10' gives me what I need.

I tried quad zero once on my 254mm blade only because I could order a new blade with it. After a year I never really gelled with it and I wasn't willing to go down the profile rabbit hole. So I went back to the 10' factory profile and felt right at home. Maybe my brain / muscle memory couldn't adapt to multiple contours. I think I'm better off practising on a single profile than trying to find a magic profile that might improve my skating somehow. The farthest I might go from a single profile is to try a 9/10 or 9.5/10.5. Just my 2 cents.