How long should I wait before I mess with my skates?

[mickz 107]

Hey guys, I've been wearing a pair of NBH Vapor XXII for about 12-15 ice times. They felt fine in the store and I have had them baked once so far. However when I step on the ice, the skates feel narrow and I'm getting considerable pain on the sides of both feet. The only way I've found to combat this problem was to tie my skates very loose.

I hear it takes roughly 20 hours of skating or so to break in a pair of skates. I am coming off an Entry Level Mission Skate (also a D width) which fit me very well. Could it be the stiffness of the boot on the XXII that I am just not used to or haven't broken in enough yet?

How long should I keep skating in my skates before I take them back to my LHS to tweak them? I've heard of other guys on this forum talk about "punching out" skates or what not. What exactly is a punch out?

I've also tried different styles of lacing but I am still getting the same discomfort on the sides of my feet.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[AnthonyJTa 0]

How long should I keep skating in my skates before I take them back to my LHS to tweak them? I've heard of other guys on this forum talk about "punching out" skates or what not. What exactly is a punch out?

That's when they put certain 'hot spots' (ie: pain areas) of your skate in a vice-type mechanism for a few days and it literally compacts some of the padding down, giving your foot a little more breathing room.

[sinkhole84 0]

sounds like you got d width and you might need ee. but if you heat them up they may feel better.

[duch 0]

I find it unusual that there would be a problem with comfort coming from a Mission D width skate. I find my XXII's fairly wide and have had no comfort issues whatsoever with them. I came from an Easton EE skate and found the Vapor XXII had more than ample room, especially near the toe cap. Of course the Mission fit is different and is pretty good even in their lower end models. Hang in there for a few more games and if they still are unbearable take them in and have them streached in the area where their irritating you. If that doesn't work then try some different insoles,maybe a pair of Superfeet greys to give you some arch support. If all else fails you may be resigned to go back to Mission skates or another model that compliments your foot shape a little more.

[YouTuuk 0]

well the XXII's are not thermoformable with heat, so you will prolly have to go back to LHS and they can widen them with little pressure - it will have to stay overnight to get the best stretch. Don't wait too long, if you foot hurts its telling you something is wrong and you should fix it. If you keep skating in skates that don't fit it can injure your foot and the worst of it is your game goes down a couple knotches because you keep thinking about your foot pain, instead of the pass your going to make or skating hard. Believe me the best skate is when you totally forget about it when you put it on. You focus should be on your game, when your foot is in pain - your game will suffer. Rememeber in hockey "When there is foot pain, there is NO GAIN..."

[TBLfan 25]

Whats wrong with loose? I like my skates semi-loose.

[GrafPro55 0]

How long should I keep skating in my skates before I take them back to my LHS to tweak them? I've heard of other guys on this forum talk about "punching out" skates or what not. What exactly is a punch out?

That's when they put certain 'hot spots' (ie: pain areas) of your skate in a vice-type mechanism for a few days and it literally compacts some of the padding down, giving your foot a little more breathing room.

A ball press or boot punch isn't a vice you leave your skate in for a few days. A tight spot on a boot can be pressed out in a few minutes. The boot should be heated up first though to aid in the process. Every shop that services skates should have one. If they don't, ask them why. It is a vital tool in skate fitting. Your foot might be a D width but there is one small spot that sticks out a bit. Poor fitters just bump you up to a EE width instead of pressing out a little pocket exactly where the pressure point is.

[YouTuuk 0]

yes moderatly loose skates aids in foot circulation, if your skates are too tight circulation is cut off and feet will start hurting and issue will arise.

A "punch out" is done with a small metal round sphere, its put into the area where there is localized pain - ( i.e. "hot spot" ) and left overnight will only "punch" that small area out. It will not widen the skate or lengthen the skate - but just "punch out" that area.

Skate "streaching" is where you put a foot shape metal boot into the skate and warm the skate - then buy turning some type of handle the LHS can increase the lenght of the "foot shape" and this will "stretch" the lenght of the skate...."Widening" is done in a similar manner but it increases the "width" of the skate.

[JR Boucicaut 3810]

well the XXII's are not thermoformable with heat,

Yes, they are.

[GrafPro55 0]

A "punch out" is done with a small metal round sphere, its put into the area where there is localized pain - ( i.e. "hot spot" ) and left overnight will only "punch" that small area out. It will not widen the skate or lengthen the skate - but just "punch out" that area.

I have never seen anyone leave a skate in a ball press overnight. It isn't necessary. Just get the guy to put on the skate, stand up, point out the area of discomfort, and mark it with a small sticker or pen. Then take the skate off and throw it in the oven for a few minutes. Then press out the area of concern and get him to put it back on. 99% of the time, they smile and say "wow! that feels awesome!" Then they can go to the rink and enjoy them. No overnight skate loss.

[Jarick 5]

I had the EXACT same problem with my Vapors, both feet would get really bad cramps. This problem didn't happen until after a couple months of skating. Turns out I was sized incorrectly, needed a EE width (and a half size smaller). Got new skates, and they've been a dream.

Sounds like the skates are yours now, I'd take it in ASAP and have them stretched and heated. They should be able to widen them a bit, although I'm not sure how much.

[YouTuuk 0]

yea my bad the XXII are heat moldable, thanks for the heads up JR....that just makes the punching job a little easier then, just "heat'em and punch'em"

As for the "punching" overnight - I had my skates brought to LHS in Minnesota my XXV's where tight in the toebox - pinching the side of my big toe near the knuckle - and he said to do a proper job he would have to leave them overnight - maybe the "toebox" area is more difficult because of the thicker plastic near the "toebox" - or maybe he did more of a "widening"...

[greatsave31 0]

Yeah a quick punch out after a quick warm up in the oven should do the trick

[tsanga 0]

yea my bad the XXII are heat moldable, thanks for the heads up JR....that just makes the punching job a little easier then, just "heat'em and punch'em"

As for the "punching" overnight - I had my skates brought to LHS in Minnesota my XXV's where tight in the toebox - pinching the side of my big toe near the knuckle - and he said to do a proper job he would have to leave them overnight - maybe the "toebox" area is more difficult because of the thicker plastic near the "toebox" - or maybe he did more of a "widening"...

Which LHS in MN did you get to enlarge your toe cap? I haven't found any that didn't just tell me, "No, we can't punch plastic."

[YouTuuk 0]

Which LHS in MN did you get to enlarge your toe cap? I haven't found any that didn't just tell me, "No, we can't punch plastic."

Well they did not "punch" the toebox perse, but the area where the toebox meets the stiching, near your first knuckle of the big toe. They told me that area had some "issues" for the Vapor XX and XXX's, but he thought NBH fixed it for the XXV's and XXXX's - so he was a little surprised, but he did tell me it would be an "overnight" job for the best work.

If you have some Vapors just unlace them and you can see a some plastic protrutions of the toebox in this area. The plastic of the toebox was pinching my big toe, actually leaving a painful impression on my toe after a 5 minute "walk around" with the skates.

Whatever he did worked, I actually walked around in the repair shop and saw all their machines and stuff - boy I wish I had that in my house.

The shop was Daves in Fridley....very professional, very serious about hockey.

[mickz 107]

Thanks for the replies so far guys.

I understand where the shop who offers the service that keeps the skates overnight is coming from. I remember when I baked my skates at my LHS the fellow there told me not to skate in them for 24 hours.

I have also been thinking about getting the Superfeet but if they don't resolve my problem then that's another $30 down the drain. A bit off-topic but does anybody else find the stock SuperFit+ footbeds in the current Vapors are paper thin? I can feel the rivets underneath with my toes.

[GrafPro55 0]

Superfeet has a 60 day money back guarantee. Even if you trim them to fit and wear them for 4 weeks. If you don't like them, take them back.

[mickz 107]

Superfeet has a 60 day money back guarantee. Even if you trim them to fit and wear them for 4 weeks. If you don't like them, take them back.

Thanks for the heads up. I had no idea there was a guarantee on them. Looks like I'll pick up a pair to try.

[Jarick 5]

I really like Superfeet, but they don't help with those kinds of issues. Get the skates widened, that should help with the foot pain.

[shifter 0]

the reason that it felt great at the store is because you were sitting down and putting them on. Did you standup on them at the store? ...because when you stand on your feet they tend to flat out more and take up more room if you have a low arch or a weak arch ..

[mickz 107]

the reason that it felt great at the store is because you were sitting down and putting them on. Did you standup on them at the store? ...because when you stand on your feet they tend to flat out more and take up more room if you have a low arch or a weak arch ..

I walked around the store in the skates for about 15 minutes. I didn't experience any pain at all, just a bit of stiffness with a pair of new skates.

I had them baked and put them on my feet for about another 15 minutes while sitting down. I walked around for a bit after than and the skates felt fine.

Then every time I've laced on the skates after that, they feel fine until I hit the ice. After a few half laps around the ice thats when the cramping feeling starts to hit the feet.

[YouTuuk 0]

I walked around the store in the skates for about 15 minutes. I didn't experience any pain at all, just a bit of stiffness with a pair of new skates.

I had them baked and put them on my feet for about another 15 minutes while sitting down. I walked around for a bit after than and the skates felt fine.

Then every time I've laced on the skates after that, they feel fine until I hit the ice. After a few half laps around the ice thats when the cramping feeling starts to hit the feet.

yea because skating apply alot more pressure in many different areas than standing or walking....I got to the point now with my Vapor XXV's - where I have a couple "hot spots". So what I did was put some duct tape on the side of my Big Toe ( about 1/4" thick ), and then some duct tape on the side of my little toe - then I put on 2 socks over that. I heated that part of my skates with a blow dryer ( Using an Oven Thermomature says its 180 degrees ), put the skate on - blow dry the outside for a few minutes - Then let them cool down about 15-20 minutes. Take them off, then quickly place them outside where temp is about 34 today in Minnesota.

[jimmy 194]

When punching near on on the toecap, sometimes leaving it in the press helps with the process. I jury rig the press and use wax laces to tie the handle down and hold it there for a while. Some toecaps will spring back to where they were, others will retain the punch quite nicely. Regular punching only takes a minute.