Sniper9

I did contact them and they are going to double check themselves and compare the stick I got to other brands to see how off it is. This one isn't form prostock hockey. The ones that are are, I believe are the "custom" pro blackout that are available in pro curves. Warrior and sher wood I recall being on the stiffer side as well but this was even stiffer.

I picked up a blackout extra lite from HSM in a 75 flex. Held it and felt good. Imo looks like an undressed rekker. Flexed it .... And was incredibly disappointed that it felt like a rock. I double checked the flex on the sticker and the name bar. It literally feels like an 85-90. It's so stiff I'm not even going to try to use it and I'll be out 50 bucks in total shipping after all is said and done.

Hmmm. Not a bad idea. How much wider is the large tongue. I actually think part of the issue is the thick genetix insole. But it seems like the boot was made around this thick insole. Because when I use my speedplates there seems to be a lot of negative space especially with the cat pro tongue. I did notice that when I had the speed plates in just to test them out the rubbing was significantly less or even not apparent. Hard to tell since my ankle area has become sensitive now. Even though I liked the arch support of the genetix insoles I don't know why they are so thick. It's kinda of overkill. So part of the issue I think might be the thickness of the heel and arch on the genetix is placing my foot higher up and in a position that is causing the rubbing. I just yet another rebake with my speed plates and stretch wrap. Well see how it feels. But if the insole isn't the culprit I'll try ur suggestion of going up on a size for the tongue. I'm not sure if this would work bc the felt tongue is already quite a bit wider than the cat pro tongue and that still have me issues.

That's so weird they would have different dimensions. Maybe it was to enhance fit and they redesigned it slightly since lots of people complained about how uncomfortable they were when they first came out.

I have. Like your video with the tf9 comparison of I bring it too far up I create a tonne of volume on the forefoot. And lower I don't think will help since the tongues width of relatively the same. I'm going to try to spot heat it today and see what happens

So the rubbing I felt when I first got these skates might have actually been the edge of the tongue, afterall and not the cuff. Well I guess it could've been the cuff as well but I know for certain now that the edge of the tongue is rubbing the part of my foot that's just above the inside ankle bone whereas before the rubbing was higher up. It doesn't hurt but it's annoying. I don't feel it while skating but I do when I'm walking in them so at least it's not that bad. I put in my felt tongues which are beefier and confirmed it as it rubs way more and harder too. For those who have had this issue before, does this go away after the tongue and foams inside the skate break in? I don't know why I'm having this issue with these skates and not with my tf customs. The cat pro tongues seem pretty resilient to getting compressed as it's not super soft. I considered cutting the edge of the felt tongue but it's only really 1/4" and not sure if it'll make a difference. One option I might do is to lace the skates up and spot heat the area with a heat gun to see if that area relaxes and creates just a touch of negative space to alleviate the rubbing. Any thoughts? With so many of these little issues I'm needing to resolve, it makes me think if I should've just gone retail, or spent the extra 200 and got the svh customs.

Just to follow-up with this. 100% clear silicone worked perfect for adding grip to the insoles. I used GE brand specifically for bath and tub if it makes any diff. I find there is a difference in quality between brands even if they are all 100% silicone.

You returned in store or online? You can always just remove the clip system off your old tongues and put them on a set of nash sniper tongue's

Interesting that your cat pros are 40 grams lighter than mine. With the same holders and steel.

It's worth it for the people who want to keep their gloves.

My cat pros are 900 grams in size 7. My tf customs were 950 grams.

Probably is since it helps with more flex too I'd assume. Also my tf customs with SB holders and step blacksteel were 950 grams My cat pros with shift holders and steel are 900 grams. So not as drastic as the 850grsms I've seen but those specs are prob for the cat 9s which have less foam inside

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No harm giving it a shot since the retail skates have a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. I will say as Hills posted on YouTube, the retail skates have noticeably less padding/ foam inside. Especially around the ankle area. I'm still getting used to the height of the holders and the flex of the boot vs my tf customs. I do feel I was more connected to the ice in the tf customs vs the cat pros however, it could be simply me using speed plates in the tf customs vs the genetix insoles now. The extra plastic in the shift max holders might have something to do with it as well. It's not a negative just different. Time will tell if I prefer the stiffness of the tf customs/svh. Comfort and fit/feel is pretty much the same between the tf customs and the cat pros for me other than the reduced toe box volume. Those who compare the tf9 and cat9 will probably notice a larger fit difference as my tf customs were made to fit my feet exactly and the cat pros are supposed to be similar on that sense as well.

So after the rebake I did the other day I was able to test the skates out at stick and puck. I actually switched back to the car pro tongues bc the felt tongues actually caused some rubbing on the outside of my ankle bc it was so tight against the cuff. I could've opened up the cuff with a heat gun but decided to try the pro tongues again to see how those felt l and to my surprise it felt very good. I was on the ice for an hour straight with no break and the cuff area that was bothering me before was 95% resolved. I felt it but it didn't hurt. I actually think the only reason I kind of felt it this time was because the area is still a bit sensitive from my game on Sunday. So needless to say I'm pretty happy overall. I have another game on Sunday and we will see how it feels then. If anything I might need to flare the inside of the cuff 1/16" to perfect it but I'm just glad it's not causing me any pain anymore. I'm pretty sold on the genetix insoles as the speedplates feel odd in this skates, probably because I would need to rebake the entire skate with the speed plates for it to feel better and I'm not doing a rebake lol. Genetix provides good support but like I said earlier, it's just a touch on the thick side but I'll just deal with it. Still debating on whether to put an extension on my sticks bc of the taller holders and steel. Overall the skates feel great and how I expected them to feel from the get to. Took a little bit of tinkering but I also had to do this with my tf customs. They do feel very similar except for the noticeable flex of the cat boots. Anyways. Unless something else crazy pops up with these I won't bore you guys anymore with my skates.

There's a difference between supporting as a fan and supporting as an employee

This is the protective film that's applied to the cat pros now.

That actually looks like epoxy. I'll take a pic when I get home of the film. If yours has a protective film you should see the lip/ridge under the river shield logo. It wraps both sides and also the heel of the skate. You can't miss it if you have it. Not sure when they started putting it on but they aren't on the demo skates.

I'm not home but it just looks like bubbles that occur when you don't properly squeegee vinyl stickers or paint protective film. It's really just cosmetic since the film itself is a protective film and not part of the skate.

This is what my LHS told me was a protective film to slow down and prevent chipping and damage to the carbon from skate cuts etc. I agree that they could've done a better job applying the film bit I appreciate the added protection. Mine only has a couple areas that have small bubbles. Btw, have you tested yours out yet.

I always thought it meant hk too lol which actually prevented me from considering buying them. Good to know.

Ya its confusing and annoying so the best thing to do is to actually try them on in person if possible.

Well I rebaked for 10 mins. And the pliability was night and day. Stretch wrapped the heck out of it. There is also wayyyyy more wrap now on the upper 3 eyelets. Going to let them cool overnight and then deal with the rubbing cuffs.

Let's be honest, you already knew it wasn't going to work for you before you even bought them.