Skate Performance vs. Durability

[bobovski 1]

Ice is back for the Fall/Winter and I'm playing again...and pretty excited about it. What I'm not excited about is the condition of my Easton 1200c skates.

The outsole has separated from the carbon boot:

This is happening on both skates and on both sides of each skate.

I'm not really too disappointed, this seems rather cosmetic as I haven't noticed any decrease in the stiffness of the skate. Stiffness is important for us fatties :)

On the other hand, for some vain reason I would have liked to see the outsole attached to the boot for longer than a year. I'm not really that hard on skates and don't see any reason for what's happening other than "whoops, glue stopped working!"

Anyway, out of curiosity, what skate out right now does everyone think maximizes both durability *and* performance? Is such a skate necessarily a more traditional skate?

[Steve123 0]

I think that Graf has the most durability, they can just be a pain sometimes to find the model that your foot needs.

[kovalchuk71 212]

Just reglue the outsole. It's not stitched on.

[BoDangles 0]

The same thing happened to my cousin's 1200C's. He had to return his after 3 weeks because the stitching was all falling out. Mind you easton did send him a free pair, but still. Durability wise, I have to agree, Graf seems to be up there, haven't heard alot of people complain about Graf's durability.

[kovalchuk71 212]

KOR from what Ive heard.

[bobovski 1]

Just reglue the outsole. It's not stitched on.

Yeah, I'll likely do that. I don' think it's causing the ankle area to flex any more than it should. But, moving the ankle cuff side to side makes the separations between the boot and the outsole wider, of course.

[Steve123 0]

I'm just curious, why is kor only sold up north and not down hear in the south? ( or have they just not gained enough recognition to go nationwide.

[blues_91 0]

Bauer 8090s were excellent in both categories.

[willy0314 0]

I've put a ton of super glue to my 1500's. Haven't had a problem as far as performance is concerned, and the skates would look like hell if I hadn't kept glueing them back together. On a side note, the eyelets in my 1500's have turned to total shit after just one year, and last thursday, I blocked a shot and managed to break every rivit in the front section of the holder.

Im not sure if the rivits all sheering off is a product of Great Skate doing a bad job when they replaced the holder last summer, a freak accident because of the shot, or what. The rivits were a bit rusted, which certainly lead to them being weakened, but for all 8 to be in that situation doesn't seem right to me. I should take more care to air out the skates after I wear them, But I figured drying them with a towel and pulling them out of the bag when I got home would be enough. Maybe the next pair I'll pull the laces and footbeds out every time I skate.

[Steve123 0]

I've put a ton of super glue to my 1500's. Haven't had a problem as far as performance is concerned, and the skates would look like hell if I hadn't kept glueing them back together. On a side note, the eyelets in my 1500's have turned to total shit after just one year, and last thursday, I blocked a shot and managed to break every rivit in the front section of the holder.

Im not sure if the rivits all sheering off is a product of Great Skate doing a bad job when they replaced the holder last summer, a freak accident because of the shot, or what. The rivits were a bit rusted, which certainly lead to them being weakened, but for all 8 to be in that situation doesn't seem right to me. I should take more care to air out the skates after I wear them, But I figured drying them with a towel and pulling them out of the bag when I got home would be enough. Maybe the next pair I'll pull the laces and footbeds out every time I skate.

That seems a bit extreme. I don't know anyone who would do that after every use. I would blame the skates more than you.

[Chadd 916]

That's not the outsole pulling away in the pic.

[Law Goalie 147]

Er, yeah, isn't it the synthetic leather quarter pulling away from the carbon heel?

[McDougalfaschnitzer 32]

I agree with the sentiment on the 8090's. I've had mine for a while and after heavy use they still look relatively new.

[bobovski 1]

That's not the outsole pulling away in the pic.

Fair enough. I don't know my skate anatomy very well.

[thehighlife 0]

taking the insole out of the skate after each use is the best way to air your skates out. Moisture will be trapped underneath it and cause your rivets to rust from the inside out over a period of time. It is a simple thing but can add to the life of your skates

[Jason 65]

I always take the insole out of my skates. They are easy to take out of NBH skates. The shockdoctors in the Eastons are a bit trickier. Taking laces out it overkill if you ask me, but insoles is necessary for keeping the rivets in good shape. As for durability...my One90's have been great except for the tendon guard going floppy.

[blues_91 0]

That seems to be a common problem...the tendon guard on my One90s has a small rip after only about 30ish hours of use.

[DarkStar50 680]

For all the questions and comments about skate durability on this board, it is a simple thing to pull out your footbed after skating. The footbed acts as a sponge if you leave it inside your skate. It is also trapping sweat which is full of salt. If you skated in the ocean, you would take better care of your skates, right? Finally, if you have seen any of the locker room pics for Team Canada, note how the players' skates are always hanging upside down at their locker. Do the same and it will allow your skates to air out. The moisture will not collect on the bottom of the sole by doing this. Leave the laces in but be sure to pull them out enough to loosen the tongue in the boot.

[jimmy 194]

Not drying skates is the leading cause of breakdown and durability issues from liners to rivets to eyelets. Simply taking out the footbed and placing upsidedown is not enough, air has to circulate inside the skate, and especially it needs to get into the toecap area. Only a fan-type dryer can do this. I strongly recommend a commercial boot dryer, they can be had virtually anywhere for $39. They circulate gentle warm air throughout the skate and dry the skate in 30 minutes or less. They are great for those of us who play more than once or twice a week. Side benefit is they also double as a glove dryer.

[bobovski 1]

That seems to be a common problem...the tendon guard on my One90s has a small rip after only about 30ish hours of use.

Same thing happened with my Eastons. I have no idea how the inside of the tendon guard got torn, but it happened almost immediately.

[duch 0]

For durability I have to agree that Graf is just about the best on the market. It's true when they say you get what you pay for. Graf's overall quality is a well known fact even though they aren't the lightest skate on the block. I've also heard good things about the Bauer Supreme line and top end CCM/RBK skates. You can beat the crap out of them and cosmetically they may look bad but structurally they are still sound and give you decent support. Kor is a newcomer but indication is they seem to last over the long haul very well also.

[willy0314 0]

Maybe the next pair I'll pull the laces and footbeds out every time I skate.

That seems a bit extreme. I don't know anyone who would do that after every use. I would blame the skates more than you.

No, I was being a bit sarcastic. I have another pair of skates that are 5 or so years old now, and still have every eyelet, and show no rust on the rivits at all. Took care of both pairs of skates exactly the same. The only thing Im thinking, is I did start skating barefoot right around the time when I got my 1500's last year. Maybe the sweat that the sock used to absorb, is whats lead to these skates breaking down.

or maybe thats what you get when you buy a $450 pair of skates. "Thanks for the $$$, see you again in a year"

[B-Nads 0]

Bauer 8090 - especially given the prices you can get them for now...if you can find them.

As for the Graf comments, you'd better pray they have good durability, 'cause word is their customer service sucks.