vapor xxxx skates baking

[icedog76 0]

Hi everyone,

A quick question for vapor xxxx (40) owners.

How much extra space (length) in the toe caps did you get after heat molding the skates and breaking them in after a few games?

Was the difference noticeable once the heel pockets of the skate boots compressed?

Thanks !!!

icedog76

[Kevin 5]

I gained considerably more space. I can't say how much, but it was definitely noticeable.

[icedog76 0]

I gained considerably more space. I can't say how much, but it was definitely noticeable.

Hi Kevin, would a quart of an inch be realistic? thanks

[DarkStar50 680]

After baking, skating, and breaking in the boot, your foot will settle back towards the heel. Your foot will come off the front of the toe cap. It is ok to feather the toe cap when buying the skates but if your toes are crushed, I do not suggest buying that size. Did you buy them online or in a shop?

[Ogie Oglethorpe 14]

Here's my $0.02: it's my understanding (and someone correct me if wrong), your foot should feather while standing up straight. If it feathers while knees are bent you'll be in a lot of pain when standing up straight walking as well as skating backwards (as one tends to push forward in the skate briefly with your foot when transitioning from skating forward to backward and vice versa). So, if it only feathers while knees are bent, you likely have a size that's too small.

Baking will open it a bit, however, so this mucks with the science when trying on at the store. I can not state how much one should expect it to open up with on baking, though. I imagine this would vary by skate brand.

[icedog76 0]

After baking, skating, and breaking in the boot, your foot will settle back towards the heel. Your foot will come off the front of the toe cap. It is ok to feather the toe cap when buying the skates but if your toes are crushed, I do not suggest buying that size. Did you buy them online or in a shop?

Hi DarkStar50,

I bought them online but i tried them in a LHS first. My toes are not crushed but when i stand up straight they are more than just feathering the toe caps, I'm missing about 1/4 of an inch of length. I haven't heated them up yet because I am debating if I should resell them or give them a shot.

In the LHS, the size 9D was way too long and wide and the 8.5EE too wide but a good length (feathering toe cap when standing up straight).

In your opinion is 8.5D the right size for me? thanks icedog76

[DarkStar50 680]

I run a LHS. Sorry to hear you bought them online............

How long have you been skating? You should be able to figure this one out for yourself.

[icedog76 0]

I run a LHS. Sorry to hear you bought them online............

How long have you been skating? You should be able to figure this one out for yourself.

I have been playing hockey for a few years but all my other skates were generally broken in already since they were pro stock models (game used) so I don't have that experience of breaking in a brand new pair of skates.

About buying them online, it bought them from a store in the US and it was considerably cheaper than here in Canada. I know it sucks for the LHS but they get to sharpen my skates, and I buy alot of other stuff from them regularly (tape, blades, etc)...

Thanks for your help

[DarkStar50 680]

Pull out the footbeds and stand on them. Are your toes over the front end? If they are, the boot is too small. But if 9 D was too long, you could be a tweener.

[icedog76 0]

Pull out the footbeds and stand on them. Are your toes over the front end? If they are, the boot is too small. But if 9 D was too long, you could be a tweener.

lol yes i think I'm a tweener, the footbed is about 1/4 too small. I guess I would need a custom fitting. A size 8.75D sounds right, how would I do that? A LHS would set me up with an apointment with a NBH rep?

There is a big difference between 8.5D and 9D IMO.

[lb33knight 0]

I bought them online but i tried them in a LHS first. <_<

Did you approach the LHS about offering them at the same price?

lol yes i think I'm a tweener, the footbed is about 1/4 too small. I guess I would need a custom fitting. A size 8.75D sounds right, how would I do that? A LHS would set me up with an apointment with a NBH rep?

There is a big difference between 8.5D and 9D IMO.

Call the online site where you bought them and see if they'll help you, :lol: :lol: :lol:

[icedog76 0]

I bought them online but i tried them in a LHS first. <_<

Did you approach the LHS about offering them at the same price?

lol yes i think I'm a tweener, the footbed is about 1/4 too small. I guess I would need a custom fitting. A size 8.75D sounds right, how would I do that? A LHS would set me up with an apointment with a NBH rep?

There is a big difference between 8.5D and 9D IMO.

Call the online site where you bought them and see if they'll help you, :lol:

They don't do deals I asked, there was 300$ difference in price.

I can always send them back but I could probably resell them locally. As for fitting no can do long distance. Like you say :lol: (I get it). It's the risk you take when buying online.

[shifter 0]

In the end the skate wasn't made your foot then :S

[icedog76 0]

In the end the skate wasn't made your foot then :S

guess not

[Jordan 13]

get them stretched

[Ogie Oglethorpe 14]

the 8.5EE too wide but a good length (feathering toe cap when standing up straight)

On the wider width skates, your foot sits further back in the boot as typically it is wider all around the skate - including the ankle. Thus, foot = further back. It can mess with length perception.

get them stretched

If he does that, he can't return them. However, if he can't return them anyway, bake first, then see where you're at. If close, follow Jordan's advice try a stretch.

[revolutionz_s13 0]

another thing you can try, similar to a stretch is have the lhs punch out the heels of the skates...it essentially breakes in the heel area for you so your foot should sit farther back like it would after they are broken in.

[icedog76 0]

Ogie Oglethorpe

Jordan

revolutionz_s13

Thanks for your helpful advice, the padding in the vapor xxxx's is rather thick, I could gain considerable space if they are flatened or punched out as you say. I only hope my ankle bone won't hurt afterwards?

About the stretching how does that work? Is it possible when you consider the materials used in the vapor 40.

Thanks

[icedog76 0]

Update: I have put a very flat footbed in the skate, I gained a little more room in the toe cap about 1 mm. With all the helpful advice and once I heat up the skates and use them in game situation, I hope to be okay :)

Keep on sharing, thanks guys !!!

[Jordan 13]

Stretching is done on a machine at your LHS (one of the several reasons it is good to buy from them).

The machine has what looks something like a foot form that goes inside the skate. There is wheel, that turns a screw that forces the front half of the "foot" apart from the back half. They crank it hard enough to create the appropriate amount of force to cause the boot to stretch. They usually have to leave it on the machine over night.

Yes, I believe that you could stretch the 40s...but it would be better to check with one of the experts on the board that run LHS.

[icedog76 0]

ok thanks Jordan!

[Havok19 0]

I understand icedog from buying online tough.

Been a canadian hockey player is costing a lot more for us.Anyway back to topic.

He can stretch them my line mate had his done.

[flashgordon 0]

Hey Icedog - any update on your Vapor XXXXs? Assuming you've used them some, did regular use give you more room in the toe box? If not, did you get them stretched / punched? I have a similar concern. Standing up, my toes are feathering, but when I get up on my toes on the skates (indoors, not on the ice, as I haven't skated on them yet), there is pressure against the toe box that I'm worried will cause pain in a game situation...

[Sven 1]

As someone said before, when you bake or break them in, you gain some room. The padding gets pushed in and so there is more room for you after a while.

When i got me my skates a while back, i tried a size in the store (they were kinda broken in from a lot of customers, since the heel pockets were pushed in) and they felt fine. Then they ordered me a brand new pair (same size) and when i put them home they were too small. At first i was totally mad and wondered how i could not fit in those, but then i realized the paragraph i wrote above and after a couple of skates they were fine.

[icedog76 0]

Hi FG,

I decided not to go with the 8.5 but got a size 9 instead in the vapor xxxx skates, it has a little more space that I am used to have compared to a size 9.5 in the vapor xxx. I think if I had punched out the ankle padding alot, it might have made a difference, but I didn't risk it and resold the skates on ebay. If the pressure is bareable stay with the 8.5, but if your foot is longer than 2 mm when standing on the footbed, the skates will be too small in my opinion, even after breakin. In a size 9D only my longest toe (the one after the big toe) feathers the toe cap.

If your toes are only feathering (not curled when standing straight in them) the skates are the ideal size. When bending both knees the toes should not touch the caps or barely touch them. More info here:

http://www.epinions.com/content_3832651908

Hope this helps

icedog76