How to order custom Bauer skates

[raganblink 82]

3. Alive composite boots are 3 minutes, one at a time.

[lohnman 0]

I was in no way trying to argue I just stated the bake time for these skates in a Bauer oven and that these guys know Bauer as good as anyone. If an issue developes with these skates I am very comfortable that I would be taken care of.

[AIREAYE 248]

maybe you included the pre-heat time with your number?

[wchow16 0]

First post. Has anyone successfully ordered Custom Bauer Skates in Calgary, Alberta, Canada? Which shop did you go to?

I am looking at the APX. I bought a pair of 6.0 D (based on past Bauer fittings) and the left skate feels fine, but my right skate pinches at the widest part of my foot [Hammer toe my LHS (Pro Hockey Life) says)]. I went back to the store and had my feet re-measured and the widths of my feet are an E on the left and EE on the right.

Trying the EE I had no pain but the skates feel too large (perhaps I am use to the pinching closeness of the D).

I asked the sales guy if I could order a left D skate and an EE right skate. He called the Bauer rep and they will do that for a $100 up charge. I figured if I was paying for the custom charge I might as well go the whole way with a custom skate.

Thanks in advance.

Will

Edited June 28, 2011 by JR Boucicaut

[SolarWind 23]

I asked the sales guy if I could order a left D skate and an EE right skate. He called the Bauer rep and they will do that for a $100 up charge. I figured if I was paying for the custom charge I might as well go the whole way with a custom skate.

yeah - that's precisly what I was thinking a year ago when I decided to go customs, and from my personal experience I got to tell you: there's a serious flaw in this logic!

besides the usual 'more is not better, only better is better' here's the rationale:

customs process when isn't done right might completely mess things up, and there's no return on customs, plus not to mention - it does take a long time!

so if you know exactly what your size is and your feet more or less fit the retails lasts that are available, plus if you aren't in need of any specific custom features such as different liners, different eyelet orientation, different quarter sizes etc unless you're 100% confident in the shop & the person doing the fitting my best advice would be to pick the sizes you feel will work for you, maybe adjust the stiffness & the holder size if needed but don't mess it up any further.

[wchow16 0]

Good advice. Thanks for sharing. I think I will just tinker with ordering two different sizes.

yeah - that's precisly what I was thinking a year ago when I decided to go customs, and from my personal experience I got to tell you: there's a serious flaw in this logic!

besides the usual 'more is not better, only better is better' here's the rationale:

customs process when isn't done right might completely mess things up, and there's no return on customs, plus not to mention - it does take a long time!

so if you know exactly what your size is and your feet more or less fit the retails lasts that are available, plus if you aren't in need of any specific custom features such as different liners, different eyelet orientation, different quarter sizes etc unless you're 100% confident in the shop & the person doing the fitting my best advice would be to pick the sizes you feel will work for you, maybe adjust the stiffness & the holder size if needed but don't mess it up any further.

[MyBoxersSayJoe 133]

I ordered two different-sized APX's. I went to Darkstar for the fitting last month. 6.5D retails were just ever-so-slightly too small and narrow. 7's felt a bit too big. My X60LE's were 7EE, and the heel was too wide, so I had constant heel lift, my toes never ever came close to the toecap. My left foot's a half-size larger than my right foot. We went with 6-3/4 EA for the left and 6-5/8 EA for the right. Wider forefoot, but standard heel. We also had the right toecap stretched 1/8" since they touched a little more while trying on the retail 6.5's. The options are there if you want/need them, but the skate's pretty solid overall in retail form. The only other option I got was a 1/2" wider tongue, which Pete suggested. I just picked them up today, I'll hopefully get to skate on them sometime in the next few days.

It's a very informative and insightful process. So far, I'm really happy with the fit and feel while walking around in them. Looking forward to trying them out on the ice.

[Jason 65]

maybe you included the pre-heat time with your number?

A couple stores in my area bake skates for 7 mins, but don't preheat. I don't know why they don't just follow the instructions. Lazy I guess.

[AIREAYE 248]

A couple stores in my area bake skates for 7 mins, but don't preheat. I don't know why they don't just follow the instructions. Lazy I guess.

Perhaps, but sloth comes from management down. We have a specific list of bake times for each brand and model series for example.

[Cove 38]

My advice right now is if you want customs from Bauer do them NOW! Don't wait much longer because when they NHL orders, the AHL, CHL, NCAA orders come in you aren't going to be getting any sort of favor. I did my skates in the low point of the season and from fit - arrival was 15 days. 8 days from payment to arrival. (including weekends)

Edited July 1, 2011 by Cove

[Neo5370 132]

From reading this thread and older ones, I understand that you can adjust the boot depth, but can you adjust the boot height? For example, if someone likes to leave the top eyelet undone, can you just eliminate that "level"?

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

Factory shutting down for 3 weeks on the 15th.

[Cove 38]

From reading this thread and older ones, I understand that you can adjust the boot depth, but can you adjust the boot height? For example, if someone likes to leave the top eyelet undone, can you just eliminate that "level"?

I doubt theyll let non-pros do that

[skyscrape 5]

It looks like they just leave the eyelet out.

[ckudler29 0]

What is the best custom shop in South East area? I am in GA but willing to travel after see a couple pairs T1 become very worn after a few months.

[sikocycles 1]

I pretty much tried every skate on the market and my right ankle hits between the pad and eyelets. Looks like I will need to get some customs.

Now where to go?

[Jason 65]

I'm wondering if one of the custom order guru's (JR?) are able to help me out here... I'm wondering why all of the custom Bauer skates use a HDPE innersole instead of the Alive or Curv composite of the retail versions? Which is better? I do notice that my custom T1's are noticeably heavier than a retail skate of the same size and yet the stiffness is retail(2) on mine and the they are C/AA's with low vamping, so really they should be lighter. Anyone know what would account for that added weight? Innersole maybe? I didn't add reinforced eyelets or anything and my tongues, outsoles, etc. are the same as the retail skate.

One more question... Do they offer LS3 steel for custom orders? I know I've seen it before, but I've tried ordering it and they always ship the skates with regular LS2 or Fusion. It's really annoying.

Thanks guys.

[Tondog 12]

I think JR announced his last custom work on here just a month or so ago?

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

I've had them ship LS3, not sure why they haven't for you.

[SolarWind 23]

I've had them ship LS3, not sure why they haven't for you.

that's just because Bauer seems to ship you whatever you ask them to, and everybody else just get leftovers ;)

kidding aside like with everything else there's got to be some method to this without which results aren't always satisfactory...

[DarkStar50 679]

The dealer probably did not have the updated Bauer custom spec form which has LS3 steel on it as option.

[squat 5]

The dealer probably did not have the updated Bauer custom spec form which has LS3 steel on it as option.

Do people know why they want ls3 steel? Im guessing they don't. They just want to be like the pros.

[reverseit 0]

Do people know why they want ls3 steel? Im guessing they don't. They just want to be like the pros.

I know personally I want taller steel because I find I bottom out the outside of my boots when I really dig in to turn. So the additional height would give me a little bit of extra angle.

[Jason 65]

I like my steel to be longer and flatter when new. You can always take steel off, but you can't add it, so it gives you more options. Plus, if you haven't noticed, 272mm Tuuk steel is for some reason the shortest size. I think it's a conspiracy. If you look at Step, the steel gets progressively taller as the sizes go up. 272 is probably the most common size that Bauer sells and they probably make a whack more dough on replacement steel because it is shorter in that size.

[Jason 65]

that's just because Bauer seems to ship you whatever you ask them to, and everybody else just get leftovers ;)

kidding aside like with everything else there's got to be some method to this without which results aren't always satisfactory...

I was once again told that it is "not possible" to get LS3 steel on the custom order I put in. Whatever, they'll end up with Step in them anyway. I don't know why Bauer doesn't wake up and put LS3 in all their skates.