JDub

xvdarkvyx: LS4 will be available aftermarket June 24th

Who is JBub? As I stated earlier, the Speed Plate is about negative space reduction, heel lock and arch support resulting in greater balance (balance is something you learn from day 1 of skating). This is why it’s a Speed Plate and not a footbed. We consider this a performance accessory which can be used on any skate you desire. We use biomechanical research and algorithms as part our innovation and validation process. The Speed Plate is different than most other skate footbeds out in the marketplace. Honestly, you have to try it before you can pass judgment. With that said, as you can probably guess, the subjects we used in our testing (although not clinically diagnosed), had varying degrees of pronation. The molding protocol is no different as the Speed Plate adapts to your specific needs. Now if you have a severe case that causes stress on joints/ligaments, you might want to consider reaching out to a professional pediotrist for recomendations.

oldtrainerguy28: Interesting on the warranty. As it states on our website, it is 1-year from date of purchase for warranty (skate boots are 90-days, holders 365, runner 90-days). If you’re interested, PM me and we can exchange contact info and set up a call together. I wouldn't mind talking through details instead of on here as I would like to clear this up. Good conversation can go a long ways and I am more than happy to help out! Just an FYI, IMO everyone is entitled to their own opinion!! I respect that in people. As a matter of fact, it helps us at BAUER to look at things differently - which is healthy and keeps grounded. On the flip side, I am sure you respect that there are other opinions in the industry. For example, we currently have: +70% of NHL players using LS Edge holder (which means they use BAUER steel as well)+15% of NHL players use LS2 or TUUK custom+ Every team has at least 10 players using the LS Edge Holder with the exception of one (this one team has zero players) 5 Teams are 100% Edge Holders (would have 6 but 1-player on 1-team uses Cobra)It's important to state this not to demean your opinion but to rather point out that it's only 1 person's opinion and other opinions exist (which again, you probably support I am guessing). As mentioned, hopefully you want to connect on the warranty on Edge/Steel in general. Let me know either way. Not significantly. BAUER has heating protocol of standing during the heating process. Personally, I prefer sitting but to each his own. Skate fitting is a craft. Do what works best for the player and each good fitter I know and work with, usually has a unique trait.

Here are the instructions we recommend. MOLDING SPEED PLATES ONLY: Pre-Heat BAUER Skate Oven for 2-3 Minutes Once Pre-Heated, place Speed Plates in skate oven. Wait for thermo-chromatic ink on arch to disappear. This should take approx. 1-1.5 minutes Once the Thermo-chromatic ink disappears, remove 1 speed plate from the skate oven, wait 5-10 seconds. Insert Speed Plate into the skate and slide the skate on the players foot. Once the skate with speed plate is on the foot, quickly lace skate up. Once the skate is laced up, stand up and apply pressure to the skate for approx. 30 Seconds. When completed the 1st foot, repeat the same protocol for the other foot. MOLDING SPEED PLATES AND SKATES TOGETHER: Pre-Heat BAUER Skate Oven for 2-3 Minutes Once Pre-Heated, place skates in the oven. Total skate heating time is approx. 2-3-minutes Skates should be the oven for approx. 1.5 minutes by themselves. After 1.5 minutes, place both Speed Plates in bottom of the oven (not inside of skates) Wait for thermo-chromatic ink on arch to disappear on Speed Plates. This should take approx. 1-1.5 minutes Once the Thermo-chromatic ink on the arch disappears, remove 1 speed plate and corresponding skate from the skate oven, wait 5-10 seconds. Insert Speed Plate into the skate and slide the skate on the player’s foot. Make sure to turn off the heat (timer) on the oven and close the door to keep the other skate warm and speed plate at its optimal temperature. Once the skate with speed plate is on the foot, quickly lace skate up. Once the skate is laced up, stand up and apply pressure to the skate for approx. 30 Seconds – Do not flex on the skate. When completed the 1st foot, repeat the same protocol for the other foot. Sit with knees 90-degrees bent until skates are cool. I try to have the player sit a minimum of 8 minutes but the longer the better IMO. Now, for whatever reason, if the Speed Plate doesn't quite feel "perfect", you can re-mold the speed plates. Simply put the speed plate back in the skate oven until the thermo chromatic ink disappears. The Speed Plate will return back to its original stock shape (identical to how it comes out of the package). Repeat the process until you get the desired fit. It might seem like a lot but in reality, it's pretty simple. A little practice and you will get the hang of it. One of the key benefits to remolding aspect, a good majority of players purchase skates in Aug/Sept timeframe – near the end of summer when generally players take time off and not skate, wearing sandals etc. The player’s foot can have a certain dimension in at that point. As the player starts wearing skates, gets into winter months and wears more supportive shoes, etc. during the season, the foot can actually change shape a little. For example, some NHL players start a season in E-Width skate but end the season in a D-Width as skates feel “looser” through the course of the season. This is not a luxury most retail consumers have. So remolding the Speed Plates at the ¼, ½ or ¾ portion of the season will help with make the skate feel “new” again. You can remold the Speed Plate numerous times and it doesn’t compromise the integrity of the Speed Plate. It also works in all models of skates, not just VAPOR. For those of you who are retailers and retail employees, we will be on an educational tour in the next month and half. I personally can't make every stop but we will have staff at each event to help train on the molding process.

oldtrainerguy28: Bauer's warranty for holders on new skates and aftermarket is 1-year from the date of purchase. If the player has concerns after 6-months they should be returning to retailer they purchased the skate for warranty replacement or be in contact with Bauer warranty directly so we can resolve the issue for them. We would also likely ask the retailer or player to ship the holder back to our RD&D for inspection. This would help us in any required improvements and design considerations in the future. *edited*

Yes and no. Originally this is how we recommend the speed plates be molded and they can still be done this way if you want but we now recommending lacing the skate up before standing or applying pressure to the speed plate for molding. Helps stabilize the foot and integration of the foot, speed plate and skate.

shooter27: Yes the speed plate is molded with your skate. The primary objectives of the Speed Plate from a design and development perspective were: Further eliminate negative space between the player’s foot and the skate. This is something we have looked to do in the design and development of our skate lines for years. We feel strongly that a skate that fits close to the foot (yet comfortable mind you) helps the player maximize his energy output during the skater’s stride by eliminating any movement internally. Stabilize the heel by creating a heel cup that is personalized to the dimensions of the foot and improve heel lock inside the skate. Personalized arch support. Increasing the contact surface of the bottom of the foot and the skate’s insole. You will see in some of the communication in the catalog the contact surface difference between a regular footbed (think of this as our Form Fit+ footbeds in our current skate line) vs. Speed Plate.This is where the discovery of the proprietary Recovery Alloy material became such a critical aspect for the Speed Plate. BAUER felt strongly that in order to achieve all three aspects above that the Speed Plate (footbed) needed to be molded together with the skate vs. other custom footbeds out in the marketplace. The Recovery Alloy allows for the Speed Plate to be molded with the skate. With that said, you don’t have to mold the Skate again if you already own a pair of skates that you are happy with from a fit perspective. You can mold Speed Plates to any existing skate but you should mold them to the skate you are going to wear to ensure the best possible fit experience and enhancements the speed plate provides. If you buy a brand new pair of skates and Speed Plates (or 1X) optimally you would mold the two at the together. Basically the players choice

oldtrainerguy28: If you are comparing older produced LS2 steel (steel produced approx. 24-months or older) than yes you might feel a difference. We made a running change about 24 months ago to use identical grade of steel and same finishing between LS2 and LS3. As is the case with any running changes, it takes time for old inventory to flush through the channels but the change occurred on 2014 Supreme and was a rolling change on 2013 Vapor prior hence why you might see some mixed inventory currently. After market was changed at the same time and again, you might see mixed inventory in the market as it flushes through the channel. Hopefully this info helps. If not, let me know

LS2 is the same steel as LS3. Only differance is the height profile and radius (10ft on LS3, 9ft on LS2). LS4 is a grade higher and has similar steel geometry as LS3 - a litte more rounded on the toe/heel.