Graf 735 vs ?

[LeafsNeedD 0]

I'm 5'7" 175lbs with flat feet. got narrow heel, wide forefoot. always been a Bauer guy, but never been totally comfortable in any of them. made mistake of buying CCM Tacks once & was painful experience, prbly b/c of the high arches.

went to LHS and sales dude put me in Graf 735 wide, which fit great (but unfortunately, very expensive).

any recommendations for other skates for flat wide feet?

any feedback on the 735's ... or Graf in general??

[Bruin88 0]

i had 735's. i had them for a year ,VERY durable but they really hurt my feet so i got some vapor 30's. When they didnt hurt my feet they were incredible. Very light ,stable skates. If they didnt hurt my feet i woulda kept them and maybe even gotten another pair. anyways ,great skates but not for me ,theres reviews on this site ,i think i even wrote one.

Edit-welcome to modsquad :)

[LeafsNeedD 0]

i had 735's. i had them for a year ,VERY durable but they really hurt my feet so i got some vapor 30's. When they didnt hurt my feet they were incredible. Very light ,stable skates. If they didnt hurt my feet i woulda kept them and maybe even gotten another pair. anyways ,great skates but not for me ,theres reviews on this site ,i think i even wrote one.

Edit-welcome to modsquad :)

thanks! you're the only one to respond to my question.

I guess not alot of peeps know about Graf.

did you feel like the boot was really shallow (ankles felt high in boot) when skating in them? before I shell out big bucks on Graf, I want to know that I'm not gonna break my ankles in them. just concerned about ankle support, given the boot's depth.

so what's your foot shape? wondering why the 735s were so painful for you.

[sogaduch 0]

well your ankle only goes two way forward and backwards never side to side. your foot goes side too side. so i wouldnt worry about breaking your ankles in a graf because if people broke there ankles in grafs then why would quite a number of players be wearing there skates. They are a very popular boot the 735 since it fits so many peoples foot.

[ozolinsh_27 3]

I've worn 2 different sets of Graf skates over the past 7-8 years so basically since 1998. I was in 705s for 5 years, and 704s for about 2 1/2-3 years.

Overall, when they're fitting properly they are a great skate. But after a couple years of wear/tear, my 705 boot just softened right down and was practically mush. The 704s I had problems with my arches toward the end of last season which didn't bother me until then. Don't know what it was that suddenly caused the arch pain.

One thing I really didn't like in particular about Graf skates was how heavy they would get over the course of a game due to moisture buildup, and these were the 700 series - I think they did address the buildup in the G series which I believe are meant to not soak up moisture as much due to the materials they make the boot with now. I'm nots ure with the 735s, which have the Teclite material- someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that has something to do with the moisture as well.

This year I've decided to try the Vapor XXX and already purchased them, was really looking forward to start skating soon but sprained my ankle 3 weeks ago and my physiotherapist might not clear me for skating until November.

I'm also in between sizes in Graf skates, one foot is a size 6 and the other is less than 5.5. But in Vapors I fit a 5 so it saved me $300 right off the top. (I'm a girl so I'm kinda glad I get to try a pair of Vapors which I never would've purchased if I fit the senior size)

trust me you shouldn't break your ankles in Graf skates. they're a great durable skate, the only real minus is expense but you gotta pay a price to take good care of your feet in hockey skates.

[masterpirate13 0]

i've always been a graf guy. My friend bought a pair of the new nike flexlite 12's. And i was in a shop with him and he told me to try them on. Well I ended up buying the nike's. They also have a flexlite 10 that is a better pricepoint. You can find it on some websites for around $250. The only difference between the 10's and 12's is the liner and the non perforated steel. 12's have perforated steel and a clarino liner. Both are quality skates...basically a product of bauer when you think about it.

[LeafsNeedD 0]

i've always been a graf guy.  My friend bought a pair of the new nike flexlite 12's.  And i was in a shop with him and he told me to try them on.  Well I ended up buying the nike's.  They also have a flexlite 10 that is a better pricepoint.  You can find it on some websites for around $250.  The only difference between the 10's and 12's is the liner and the non perforated steel.  12's have perforated steel and a clarino liner.  Both are quality skates...basically a product of bauer when you think about it.

THANKS TO ALL WHO REPLIED TO MY POST!!

I appreciate the info.

the sales guy did have me try the Flexlite. they felt like snowboard boots. roomy, wide, and light. closest thing to my old Microns when I was a kid. unlike the 735's the boot was deep, but the spot on the boot at the top really felt stiff & sharp and was diggin uncomfortably into my lower shins. plus, I still don't trust the Nike name, even if they're part of Canstar (Bauer).

the 735's felt much better overall. was just a little concerned about the shallowness of the boot. I guess I'll get used to it, just like the slight forward lean and longer rocker I've heard Graf's have compared to Bauer.

and yeah, Ozolinch ... I've also heard about the 700's clarino absorbing alot of sweat too. hopefully the 735's and a good pair of athletic socks will be able to better handle it, so they'll last a long time.

thanks again, everyone.

[echi24 1]

the 735s soak up ALOT of water. they even kind of dye you socks a slight navy blue at the bottom. i had a two hour practice last night and the boots were soaked and my socks were pretty blue. but i still feel its a great boot, and ive been using it for 2 years now. maybe some thinner athletic socks my help though. graf shoudl consider having holes pre drilled in the bottom.

[nsa97531 0]

have you tried 8090's?

personally i have a narrow foot and tried them on at my lhs and they were far to wide but they could fit u. i know youve been a bauer guy and havent been comfortable but these might work.