I've gone off the deep end

[epstud74 24]

I've suspected that I've been awfully hard to fit for a boot for quite some time and also that I may be in a skate that is too big for me. Saturday night at Aldrich Arena in St. Paul was the clincher for me. Unseasonably warm weather+soft ice+too big of a boot=piss poor skating experience and sore quads/hips.

I stopped in at Westwood Skate & Sport this afternoon and took my One55's in..I love the boot, very comfortable, but TOO big. A HS/College kid worked with me at first and I told him I'd go down to a 9D in a Bauer boot. After trying on a few pairs of skates, he got the owner when I asked about the Superfeet insoles and also baking a boot with my pre-existing Graf heat moldable Graf insoles. The owner took a look at my custom sidas footbeds after we took them out and the imprint of my toes were a bit off from the edges of the footbed...He's like "whoah" your skates are way too big for you. I was apprehensive about getting new skates, especially when the store does not sell the One55 model and the One75s and One95s are quite expensive. I actually tried on a pair of One75s and they didnt have my size in a One95 at the moment so he brought out a pair of Vapor XXXXs in a size 9. The reason I've been taping my ankles and overtightening the laces was due to the fact that the skates did not fit me properly and I was getting slop, resulting in lost power and stride. Well, after trying them on and baking them, the skate fit snug, but comfortable and very stiff/supportive. It was nice to have 2 older guys rather than a HS kid helping me make my decision and BS with. So I bought a Vapor XXXX skate for less than the price of a One75 and they fit perfectly..plus they'll adjust the pitch for me free of charge..similar to the work done on my other boot. Looks like I'll empty out my skate inventory via the "sell" section. $399 is a decent price for a top of the line boot, plus the other work being done.

+1 to Westwood Sports Bloomington, MN

[lampliter87 8]

Good to hear. If only every skate fitting experience was as such...

[nspeen 0]

Nice to hear you got what you wanted. I was working in the morning but left at 1pm for class. Would have been cool to meet another MSH member.

[epstud74 24]

The younger kid working there..had a bad cold haha He knew his skates, but the younger kids arent going to strongly suggest or tell a customer they are in the wrong sized skates like an older guy..Like the bearded guy in the "Bauer 27" tee shirt. I'm sure the cute brunette chick working the cash register didnt have any idea either hahaha A guy in a red "Canada hockey" sweatshirt is going to profile my skates to the exact specs of my old ones..Said it may be different because the boots are cut differently but we'll see.

[Jarick 5]

They do a great job of fitting skates...got my XXV's there last year and still have absolutely zero foot pain since changing sizes. And the cashiers aren't hard on the eyes either.

[fatwabbit 93]

Ok, thats a place that I'll put on my wish list...

[epstud74 24]

Come on up Wabbit.. Jarick will let you crash at his place

[interpathway 9]

edit: Nevermind.

[epstud74 24]

I hate it when people do that.

[interpathway 9]

Sorry. I couldn't believe you got your XXXXs for less than the ONE75s at your LHS. A quick search online showed me the ONE75s were still going for 400 USD, which I couldn't believe. And that's online pricing. I though they'd be in the $350 range.

[epstud74 24]

I'm guessing the prices were identical..but to get a top of the line Vapor for the same price as a One75 is a pretty good deal in my opinion.

here is the link to Westwood's prices on the One75 and Vapor XXXX

http://www.westwoodsports.com/browse.cfm/4,1340.html

http://www.westwoodsports.com/browse.cfm/4,786.html

they'll also adjust the pitch and profile them as part of the deal..They did for me anyways..Must have been a slow day.

This was at the Bloomington store, not the Apple Valley one.

The Vapor XXVs in the store were $199 not $249 as advertised online.

[interpathway 9]

I'm guessing the prices were identical..but to get a top of the line Vapor for the same price as a One75 is a pretty good deal in my opinion.

My thoughts exactly.

[fatwabbit 93]

$199! that sounds like a good price anyday!

do they have any in size 8.5D?

[epstud74 24]

Apparently they do according to their website

http://www.westwoodsports.com/page.htm?PG=nikebauervapor

[interpathway 9]

They've only got two pairs left though.

[epstud74 24]

Vapors have been going pretty fast at shops around here. I'm glad I stopped in when I did.

[Jarick 5]

Yeah last year I bought my skates around this time (tax return), and everyone got sold out within a few days of when I was shopping. I paid $299 for my XXV's, so $399 for the XXXX would be a heck of a price.