Do I need new skates?

[Baconator 0]

Hi folks,

I'm obviously a newbie here and am somewhat of a newbie on the ice as well. Last winter I bought some Mission Warp skates which were my first pair of skates since I stopped playing 20 years ago and played about 10-12 outdoor pickup games with them. This year I've been getting in lots of skating time and have been playing three times a week for the last few months. Now I'm finding that I'm getting blisters on the outsides of my big toes after most games and I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to avoid this or if I need some different (higher end?) skates. Since I've been out of hockey for so long I don't even know if I would really benefit from the improvements in technology in the higher end models. I'm 5'10" - 200 lbs. and want to add another game or two per week. The skates are size 9E and other than the toe issue they feel fine although they took about 5 hours of skating to begin to really feel comfortable. I'm open to any suggestions.

[pldhockey4 0]

you michgt want to try ccm's, i have found the vector line to have wide toe caps.

[althoma1 575]

Usually blisters are a result of your foot sliding around a bit in the skate - perhaps your skates are slightly longer or wider than they should be for your foot or have become so through usage.

If you're just playing outdoor pickup you don't necessarily need the latest model of skate, however; given that you're 200lbs and are playing often you should get something that's reasonably durable and can take some abuse. If your current skates aren't comfortable anymore I'd look at getting some new ones, but what I'd suggest is getting a closeout model that was a high end skate a year or two ago..I'd just stay away from light models like the Vapor XX that are known for poor durability. The Mission S500s and S400s can be purchased reasonably cheaply now and people have had good things to say about them, but those are just two of many skates you should be able to find cheaply. Your best bet is to find a hockey shop in your area that's good at fitting people, go there and let them know you're interested in getting some good skates that will last at last a while and will be able to withstand playing several times a week, but don't want to spend a fortune on them and would be interested in closeout models. If you don't know of any good stores in your area then let people know where you're from and people can probably recommend one. Finding a skate that's right for your foot and fits you properly is important so finding a LHS that is good at fitting skates is useful.

[jjalb29 0]

I agree althoma, you should be able to find some pretty cheap high end stuff in closeout areas. Other suggestions I can offer is to pay attention to your heel while its in your skate. Does it lift up at all or does it stay snug in the skate. Also with getting a blister in the front the skate's could be too wide/big for your foot. A quick length check is take out the foot bed and, for as much as you have used them, your toes should have made impressions on the footbed. The impressions should be very close if not to the tip of the footbed for a perfect "lengthwise" fit. Once you do that you will be able to get a solid conclusion on length fit, and just need to focus on finding the right width.

[Baconator 0]

A quick length check is take out the foot bed and, for as much as you have used them, your toes should have made impressions on the footbed. The impressions should be very close if not to the tip of the footbed for a perfect "lengthwise" fit. Once you do that you will be able to get a solid conclusion on length fit, and just need to focus on finding the right width.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

After reading Puckmugger's guides I took a look at the insoles of the Warps. My big toe comes to within a millimeter of the end, so I think the length is ok. However, only about 2/3rds of the width of the toe shows up on the insole. I'm thinking that instead of being too wide that the toe cap is too narrow.

I went to my LHS last night and they seemed to think that Missions are too narrow a skate for my feet. I tried on the RBK 5K and it seemed alright, but I wasn't blown away by the pump thing and frankly I'm not convinced that the heel fit is that great. The regular 8.5 Ds certainly were wide enough in the tope cap and not too long. The 8.5 D Synergys felt much better, but were too narrow in the toe cap again. If I could find those in an 8.5E or EE they might fit the bill. Unfortunately, the LHS I went to is less than a year in business and being close to the end of the season they didn't have a great selection so if I want to get skates before the season ends I'd have to go to Sportcheck or Canadian Tire <_< .

Thanks again for the tips.

[althoma1 575]

After reading Puckmugger's guides I took a look at the insoles of the Warps. My big toe comes to within a millimeter of the end, so I think the length is ok. However, only about 2/3rds of the width of the toe shows up on the insole. I'm thinking that instead of being too wide that the toe cap is too narrow.

The insoles can help you determine the proper length, but they have nothing to do with the width. You can usually determine the proper width of the skates by tying them up and looking at the lacing pattern - if the opposite eyelets are less than 2-3 inches apart the skates are most likely too wide for you. If the eyelets are 3-4 inches apart that's the right width. If they're more than 4 inches apart they're likely too narrow. Unfortunately for me I only learned this after I had bought my previous skates and bought a pair that was too narrow for me, but learned my lesson and my current skates fit very well.

I've read puckmugger's fit guide as well and think it's quite good. You could always print that out and use it as a guide if you're going into the local Sport Check and don't trust the guys fitting you.

Oh, and if the 8.5D Rbk 5Ks were the right legth and width for you the used 8.5D CCM Vector Pros I have up on ebay might fit you well as the CCM Vectors and the RBKs fit similarily with the exception of the heel. The Vector Pro heels are narrower. You can look in the Sell section if you're interested in those - they should have Vectors at the Sport Checks and Canadian Tires that you can try on. Not trying to push you toward those skates - if another skate fits better and/or you want to buy new by all means do so. Just letting you know they're available.