Choosing skates

[redwing 0]

Hi I need your guys opinion, my son tried on a pair of flexlite12 and rbk 5k pumps. He said they both felt great walking in ,but the problem is walking in and skating in are two different things.I need to know which is money well spent ?The guy at the lhs recomended the flexlites12 because they have been around longer.Any opinions good are bad are much appreciated. Thanks

[sogaduch 0]

the flexlite skates are a much wider fitting skate and also they are stiffer compared to the rbk 5ks. what kinda hockey is your son playing?

[dez 0]

yes, make sure your son feet is laying fully on the sole. The Nike should be wider.

Other than that, how old is your son. how long do u think he will outgrow it? I believe the resell value of 5K is better just because of the pump & Crosby hype.

Flexlite 12 is a top line skate while 5K is a mid-level skate plus the pump gimmick.

and heavier too. I believe the price is way different too. I saw 5K senior is going $209 now online.

If he fits in a 5K and u wanna save money, 5K is not a bad choice for a kid.

And, if he fits, he will be easier to switch to higher level skates later cause the RBK line will be here for a long time, while Nike model changes every year.

[Andoy 5]

Nike also depreciates very quickly. But in the end it's all about the fit if money isn't a problem.

[redwing 0]

Thanks guys for the feed back. My son is 10 playing peewee rep.When he tried on the flexlites he did say they were lighter,but not as snug. I'm thinking by baking them that could tighten them up.The price is not a issue,to a certain point{xxx}, more so performance and durability.

[Hockey DeVoTee 1]

Excellent advice from above!

Three considerations when choosing a skate ...... FIT, FIT & FIT. Don't count on baking to tighten the skate up!! It won't happen. The skate will actually looosen-up as he breaks it in. My 10 year old son and I both wear flexlites. I have 12's he wears flexlites 10's. He has found the 10 to be a stiff skate; it's taken a few skates, but he likes this skate above all else he has worn. (4 pairs in the last 1 1/2 yrs) We wear them because of how they fit our foot shape.

IMHO you don't want to put your son in a skate that is tooo wide and his foot slops around. Poor skating experience. The RBK and Nike fit differently you might want to try something in between the two. Bauer 8090?? Very very light, durable & closeout prices.

GOOD LUCK!

[zingbergeur 0]

Yeah, don't count on baking to tighten up skates because the opposite is actually more true. Have him try on both pairs while blindfolded...you might be able to eliminate any brand bias/hype around one or the other. Although, if the Nike feels a little looser, the RBK might already be the better choice.

[dangle7 0]

make sure you get your son to try on a whole whack of different skates. if he's playing pee wee and he's a fairly decent skater, he probably could make use of a stiffer skate. you might look into some bauers, or a 5/ 6 series graf skate. if you do decide on graf though, make sure the person you are dealing with knows the ins and outs of the brand. in terms of how the skate should fit/ feel. it shouldn't pinch or hurt at all when it's laced up and worn in the store. get your son to do a bit of a jog around the store on the skates. get him to feel the inside and outside edges to make sure that no sorespots are present. like all skates, the first few times on the ice are going to be a little sore untill the boot moulds to his foot a bit. look for a return policy at the store that allows for atleast one ice time on the skates, so you arent backed into a corner.

i remember when i got this one pair of ccm pro tacks when i was younger. the only reason i wanted them was because they looked cool, and all the kids on my team were wearing them, also, my dad liked the low cost. i had a pretty good season with them, but they really hurt my feet, and i ended up breaking my foot after blocking a slapshot.

make sure that the skate you pick has all the protection and stiffness that your son needs to progress as a hockey player, and dont just pick the first thing that you see.