New Skate Purchase

[NTKT10 0]

Hey guys, any input you have for me would be greatly appreciated. I'm in the market for a new pair of skates. I'm 23 years old, 6' 195 lbs and have played hockey all my life. I'm skating a couple nights a week playing in a competitive men's league, hopefully more often in the near future. I've had the same pair of 5000's for many years now and it's time for an upgrade.

My problem is that I'm trying to decide between Vapor XXX (8d)and RBK 7K or 9K (7.5d). I'm actually really torn between which RBK to go with. The durability of the XXX's is very questionable and is steering me clear of that option, but the urge to stick with Bauer is bringing me back

The PIAS carries RBK, but only up to the 5K line so I don't have a chance to see the 7K/9K in person. The LHS has moved its main store and the current one is a shell of its former self. There was a single pair of XXXX's that were somebody's pre-order (1/2 size too big for me) when I went in and only a few pair of one 30's and one 50's. I tried on XXXX's and 5K's though and both felt good.

What are your personal experiences, what do you recommend and why? In particular what are the differences between the 7K and 9K? I would think the perforated upper would make the 9K a bit lighter and that the 9K would be a bit more stiff than the 7K. Thanks for the help.

[mew1838 0]

I would recommend the 9k if you can afford it, good durability, stiff and wht pump is a neat feature. 7k would be less stiff and slightly heavier, you are right. Go with RBK.

[Kevin 5]

I have no experience with Reebok. However, I did wear the Bauer 5000 to 7000 to Vapor XX and liked them all. I actually had more durability issues with the 5000, requiring a few trips to the cobbler, than with the XX. All three fit the same.

[MLSman 22]

Try them on before you buy. Every foot is different and no one here will be able to accurately tell you what skate is better for you. From what you said (trying on the XXXX and the 5K), you are dealing with two very different boots. One is a top of the line pro boot, and the 5k is a mid-tier boot. The XXX has had issues with durability, but the 9K is not without it's share of stories of having to constantly pump them because they lose air in the bladder.

Where in northern NY do you live? It seems like you have not found a place that may be of further assistance with a better inventory. We can certainly help direct you to better places to go for individualized service.

[Hockeydog 8]

If you had good luck with Bauers in the past I would suggest staying woth something that works. RBK is a very different fit, not one I would spend money on without trying out on your feet first.

but the 9K is not without it's share of stories of having to constantly pump them because they lose air in the bladder.

I have a pair of 5K's and that is my experiance. I can't comment on the 9K's

but if the 5K bladder loses too much air it really changes the fit. I have thought about trying a pair of 4K's to see how good the heel lock is compared to the pump.

[NTKT10 0]

I'm in Plattsburgh...Kemp's is 2 hours away and Rousseau's is a little over an hour. Looks like I'll be taking a drive on Saturday either to Montreal or Albany. Most likely Albany, the Canadian exchange rate is not what it used to be.

I tried on the 5K, which I know is not on the level of either the 7K or 9K, but it felt good. I'll keep you guys updated. And keep the responses coming, anybody seen the 7K and 9K up close?

[Hockeydog 8]

Just make sure the RBK's fit your heel. Coming from Bauers the RBK has a wider heel. It may feel good in the shop but wear them and walk around for a while before you buy.

[TBLfan 25]

The wide heel is what kept me out of the 9Ks, I was surprised to be able to fit in the vapors but knew I'd need to either go custom or pump the hell out of the skate to lock my heel in place.

[MLSman 22]

I'm in Plattsburgh...Kemp's is 2 hours away and Rousseau's is a little over an hour. Looks like I'll be taking a drive on Saturday either to Montreal or Albany. Most likely Albany, the Canadian exchange rate is not what it used to be.

I tried on the 5K, which I know is not on the level of either the 7K or 9K, but it felt good. I'll keep you guys updated. And keep the responses coming, anybody seen the 7K and 9K up close?

I shop at Kemps quite a bit...great place. FYI:

They have the 9K in an 8D and up....smaller sizes look sold out.

They have the 7K in 7.5D and 8D ... you're good there.

They do NOT have the Vapor XXX anywhere near your size.

They have the One90 in 7.5D and 8D...I would certainly try those on as well.

I know they have the XXXXs...12 pairs in every size...just bought two 9Ds there last week.

Rousseau is great as well. Not sure what they have though.

[NTKT10 0]

Thanks for looking that info up MLS. I had checked Kemp's site earlier and thought they had the 9K in 7.5. Looks like it'll be Montreal. Rousseau's has Fuel 110 XP, CCM Vector Pro & 10.0, 9K & 7K, XXXX & one90. Just need to find someplace else that sells Grafs: might as well try everything.

[Hockeydog 8]

Try everything, even stuff you might not think will work.

[kovalchuk77 0]

go with the 9ks they are more durable then the vapor xxx but what ever fits your foot the best go with that

[J_kwan19 0]

My XXX's lasted me about a season and a half of playing about 3-4 times a week in the Winter. So durability wasn't an issue for mine.

[kovalchuk77 0]

My XXX's lasted me about a season and a half of playing about 3-4 times a week in the Winter. So durability wasn't an issue for mine.

lots of people i know have durability issues with the xxx.the vapor xxx is not built to last two years of playing hockey

[AnthonyJTa 0]

Hey guys, any input you have for me would be greatly appreciated. I'm in the market for a new pair of skates. I'm 23 years old, 6' 195 lbs and have played hockey all my life. I'm skating a couple nights a week playing in a competitive men's league, hopefully more often in the near future. I've had the same pair of 5000's for many years now and it's time for an upgrade.

My problem is that I'm trying to decide between Vapor XXX (8d)and RBK 7K or 9K (7.5d). I'm actually really torn between which RBK to go with. The durability of the XXX's is very questionable and is steering me clear of that option, but the urge to stick with Bauer is bringing me back

The PIAS carries RBK, but only up to the 5K line so I don't have a chance to see the 7K/9K in person. The LHS has moved its main store and the current one is a shell of its former self. There was a single pair of XXXX's that were somebody's pre-order (1/2 size too big for me) when I went in and only a few pair of one 30's and one 50's. I tried on XXXX's and 5K's though and both felt good.

What are your personal experiences, what do you recommend and why? In particular what are the differences between the 7K and 9K? I would think the perforated upper would make the 9K a bit lighter and that the 9K would be a bit more stiff than the 7K. Thanks for the help.

I actually own both the 7K Pump, and 9K Pumps IN size 7.5 (7K's are a D width, 9K's are an E).. the 7K is a little less stiff than the 9K. The 9K's took me a while to work in, and rid the aches and pains of new skates... where the 7K's, I've only worn about 8 or so times. When actually wearing the 7K or 9K, the weight isn't anything I notice, to be completely honest with you. I've had both pairs of my RBK's radiused, and sharpened to my liking.. so since I don't use the 7K's at all, I just swap steel. Again, the scalloped steel is something I don't even notice. (My brother skates in Pro Tacks, and gets rid of the scalloped steel right away... he cracks them easily)

I have a pretty wide foot/heel, and fit in the D width RBK's, no heel slipping, no slop in the boot (I wear a 9.5 Nike running shoe, btw). They get a little snug, so I wear the E width 9K's a lot more. The only thing I noticed is my 9K's feel a little more responsive. I skate bare foot, and I get a better feel/jump.. not 100% sure if that's the differnce in outsoles...

[Langkow22 5]

I had a pair of RBK 4Ks and was very disapointed at how badly they were put together the holder on right skate wasnt even centered and they practically fell apart. The e-pro holders hardware were constantly coming loose aswell the boot also lost a hell of a lot its stiffness. I have now got vapor xix (avator) and they are absolutely awsome. GO BAUER

[NTKT10 0]

I just returned from trying skates on...my fingers are pretty beaten up from tying so many pairs of skates. I tried RBK 9K, CCM Vector 10.0, Vapor XXXX, Nike Flexlite 12, and Graf Supra G5, Ultra G5, Supra 735. In the end the best fit for me is a toss up between the RBK 9K and the Graf Supra G5.

Unfortunately, 9K was only available in a 7E; lengthwise the skate was perfect, tightened up the width wasn't too bad, but my heels were a bit loose. A D width would provide a narrower heel correct? The pump actually works extremely well, I was surprised how good my heel through the ankle region felt after pumping up the bladder to fill in empty space.

The smallest size in the Supra G5 was an 8R. The skate fit like a glove, perfect everywhere except for the length. This is why I tried the 7.5R on in the Ultra G5, which is an amazing skate, I just hate the 2 inch thick tongue. The 735 was much too narrow in the heels. I thought I read somewhere earlier that the Supra G5 absorbed a lot of sweat and water...do you guys find this to be true?

The XXXX is the XXXX...that's about all I can say. It was exactly what I expected it to be like. It feels pretty good, but not as nice as the other two and who knows what the durability will be like.

The Vector 10.0 was nice, but it's pretty much the same skate as the 9K without the advantage of the pump.

The Flexlite in a 7D fit pretty well, it was just the most uncomfortable skate in the bunch.

It's a gonna be a tough decision, that's how close the 9K and G5 are. If you guys could help me with those two questions I had earlier I would be grateful.

[MLSman 22]

I do not believe that you will find a difference in the heel from a E to a D...JR will correct me if I am wrong, but I think an E width is still an A heel. If memory serves me right a EE goes to a B heel. One of my major issues with the 9K was the inability to get my heel to lock. The heel is quite roomy in the 9K. You may want to consider the option of a custom order of a 7 D/AA. Food for thought.

On the Grafs, the Supras have a leather liner, so they do absorb moisture and they do increase in weight when wet.

On the XXXX, so far no issues on my part. I have skated in them for about 15 hours so far. They still feel and look like they did when I took them out of the box...minus the puck marks on the toe and LS2 runner. If the fit was not as good as the Supra or the 9K, then don't bother with the XXXX.

I know waiting really sucks, but from your experience, you may want to consider a custom order. I would take one more trip to Kemps if you have time to try a 9K in a D width close to your size to check the heel.

[Chadd 916]

I do not believe that you will find a difference in the heel from a E to a D...JR will correct me if I am wrong, but I think an E width is still an A heel.

You're wrong. CCM/RBK offer D/A or E/B, they do not offer an EE width unless it's a custom order.

[NTKT10 0]

Thanks MLS and Chadd. I actually took a trip to Hockey Experts in Laval. Great selection and the guys helping me with skates showed a lot of patience grabbing skates for me for a couple hours. I feel bad not purchasing a pair from them today, but they understand why.

It's such a close call on fit I may be leaning towards the Graf simply because of the Cobra holders.

[kärpät 0]

Go with the Vapor xxx's.

Good mobility I have no durability issues and a very light skate.

[walkerdb7 20]

I am sort of going through this same issue...

one95's (wait til june) or 9k whites....

I wear CCM 852 Pump Tacks in Net. I have had them since they were the top of line in like 98... HA... They are 10 D

Last pair of player skates I actaully picked out were 10 D bauer flo-lite 4000s...

When I started dabbling with forward again, I picked up my buddies old Nike Ignite 3's for men's league... they are 10 D... They hurt my feet so bad that I don't know if I can wait for one95s. ... I always wore bauer player skates when I was younger and rotated between ccm & bauer goal skates... I have serious calcium deposits in my heels...

In reading this post, I am wondering what you mean by "Wide" heels... I am not sure that I have anyway to know if my heels are wide

Any advice to stear me towards the right skates? My local shop does not have anything that high end in stock...

Obviously nothing beats trying on the skates and I might try the lower end models on to guage fit... I am wondering if someone can point out what to look for the heel?

Also, which brand will have a wide toe cap?

[B-Nads 0]

If you come up around Montreal, Rousseaus has the 9k's on for a better price than the 7k's anyway - $499 for the 9k vs $549 for the 7k. You might want to check out Frasers on Dunegani - they uually have better prices or will match the prices and the customer service is better - Rousseasu's customer service is non-existant, and they won't even match prices. If the price is close, I would go with the 9k's, but the 7k is a fine skate - that is what I have, and I only have minimal slop even considering my relatively narrow heel. The heel is definitely wider than a Pro-Tack though.

[duch 0]

I would juat go with the skate that fits the best regardless of the manufacturer. The fit is everything when it comes to skates.

[MLSman 22]

You're wrong. CCM/RBK offer D/A or E/B, they do not offer an EE width unless it's a custom order.

I stand corrected. Thanks for the clarification. Is a EE also a B?