Awkward feel in skates

[Warriorsdman 1]

Hopefully one of you guys has seen something like this, because I am completely lost on what my problem is exactly.

A little background here: This past season I played AAA hockey, looking at 100+ ice times in about an 8 month span. I am 16, almost 17, so my feet are likely still growing, but at a rather slow pace. In august, i went into my LHS and was "fitted" for new skates. In the past 2 seasons, I had been wearing a skate a couple sizes too big in order to compensate for my extraordinarily large feet. I am fairly sure this is where I developed some pretty nasty Bauer bumps. Length wise, I should have been about a 7.5-8. With the width of my foot, the shop owner (who is very experienced) suggested flexlites, as I had expected.

We get the skates, and I go in to the shop to get them and have them baked. They did feel a bit cozy before baking, but I assumed that would get cleared up by baking it. The first few skates, I felt very uncomfortable. I did get the steel profiled to what it was on my previous skates, and that helped a little. Still, I had to switch to a much thicker sock to keep my feet from feeling crunched.

Now, 8-9 months after purchasing them, the skates are in good shape. However the problem is this: somedays I feel that they are the best skates for me, other days I feel like I am wearing someone else's skates. I have had numerous sharpenings, so it is not that. The profile and radius is correct as well, as I have had them checked numerous times (my skate guy used to do skates for the LA Kings). I am pretty anal about both of my skates being equally tight, which I didn't seem to worry about before these skates.

What I am hoping for is someone with a similar experience, or some advice on what I should do. These were not cheap skates (4.0 pros), and I am wearing a EE in them. When my toes feel crunched, it is more at the sides of the toe cap, on the sides of my big and small toes. I feel it in both skates, although the severity of the crunch varies skate to skate. Occasionally, I get pain in my arch as well. i have been using a Shock DR insole, as with my past 2 pairs (the huge ones), but still can get some pain.

When we first talked to the shop owner about this issue shourtly after we got them, he said they should expand a little bit with a few skates. They may have, but not nearly enough.

So what it comes down to is:

- Is there anything I am missing with these skates? What can I do to make them work?

- Am I a guy with feet for custom skates? I have a bit of a width issue in EE's.

- Any other insight would be awesome!

Thanks for sticking with the long post.

[Slapshot9123 0]

Not to positive but, it sounds like you might have to go the custom route and get skates that are wider. Superfeet might be helpful with the arch pain as well.

[Warriorsdman 1]

I am a little unsure about the superfeet because I have never had any problems with the shock doctors. Is this a case where a lower level model may fit my foot better?

And I assmed a toe cap can't be punched; that is correct right?

[Slapshot9123 0]

I would get arch pain every once in a while while wearing shock doctors, switched to superfeet and never looked back.

[MLSman 22]

You may have no choice but to go custom. There is a little give in a toecap...but certainly not much, and the plastic will just return to its form without substantial heat to permanently warp it. That would be hard to do - a toecap isn't exactly easy to fit a heat gun or hair dryer into...and figure out a way to stretch out.

It is hard to describe the difference in a retail boot from a custom boot. It is more like a sock than a boot when it comes to fit. I am still getting used to the feel, as I now feel more sections of the hockey boot than I ever did before. What is amazing is how responsive the skate becomes. I remember the whole sales pitch on the original One90 skate about zero negative space. The problem is that unless a retail last is identical to the shape of your foot...it is all but impossible to eliminate that negative space.

I have your opposite problem, but the solution is the same. When you are on opposite sides of the bell curve for foot sizing (too wide or too narrow), you really have little to no choice. Your biggest dilemma at this point is to find someone you trust to do the proper sizing for you.

[Warriorsdman 1]

Thanks for the advice guys. I heard from a couple other guys that lacing the lower part of the boot looser may help a bit, so I will give that a shot. Possibly a second bake as well. As for superfeets, which color would I be looking at? the different colors are for differen foot styles right?

And MLSman, it sounds like we are in a sinilar place. trouble is, it may be tough to find someone to fit customs well out in Colorado.

Thanks for the replies guys. As always, if anyone else has anything that might help that they would like to chime in with, that would be great.

[chk hrd 164]

The shop should have never sold you skates a couple of sizes to large. My first thought is the insoles and thicker socks helped take up the skate volume and now that you have grown your foot is fitting the boot better. Toss the insoles and use the stock ones. Don't lace the boot tight over the arch of your foot. Since you are a AAA player I would think you can skate in looser skates without any problems. The other pain can be from new spots rubbing that didn't rub when your foot was smaller. You may need to build up calluses. Re-bake the skate and make sure your heal is locked into the back of the skate. If the skates were baked and are to big you are not getting the best fit out of them.

IMHO most (average) people don't need a custom boot unless you have one foot larger than the other or have feet like a hobbit.

[Warriorsdman 1]

You are correct about the larger skates, however I compounded the problem by ordering a larger pair when I felt that the first big pair was getting small, rather than getting my foot sized correctly.

The reason i switched from the stock insoles was because they hurt my feet right away. I would really like to stick with something more supportive and cushioned if possible. I will ry the looser laces next time out.

As for the socks, I have switched to the CCM Oxysox from my old Under Armours, and the CCM's are the thinnest sock I can find. I don't think that the spots where I feel pain are areas where calluses can be built. It is right around the outside tip of my big and small toes, which have pretty considerable calluses now.

I think the first steps to take would be a second bake, and different lacing.

If new skates are the solution, would my best bet be to order a larger flexlite and deal with some room lenghtwise in the toebox if this gives me the width I need? Or is there another skate out there (stock or custom) that may fit my foot better?

[shooter27 118]

If I were you I'd go the custom route - I had issues with sizing when Bauer went to the heat moldable material (first generation 7000) and it basically cost me half a college season because I was too busy fighting with my skates to feel comfortable on the ice. At the age and level you're at, thats the last thing you want.

Also, if you're looking for thinner socks than the CCM's, try old school sanitary socks. I've never seen the CCM's so I can't be positive the sanitary's are thinner, but I've yet to see a sock that is thinner than the sanitary.

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

might as well try dress socks as well. I refuse to use anything else.

[Warriorsdman 1]

I believe the oxysox are pretty much the same as sanitary socky. I have tried dress socks, but those seemed to be a little too thin -- to the point that I would get blisters.

I don't play until late tomorrow night so I may go get a second bake tonight.

Thanks for all of the advise guys, I really appreciate it.

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

I believe the oxysox are pretty much the same as sanitary socky. I have tried dress socks, but those seemed to be a little too thin -- to the point that I would get blisters.

I don't play until late tomorrow night so I may go get a second bake tonight.

Thanks for all of the advise guys, I really appreciate it.

I like going barefoot, but get blisters. The closest thing to barefoot for me was dress socks lol

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

Hopefully one of you guys has seen something like this, because I am completely lost on what my problem is exactly.

A little background here: This past season I played AAA hockey, looking at 100+ ice times in about an 8 month span. I am 16, almost 17, so my feet are likely still growing, but at a rather slow pace. In august, i went into my LHS and was "fitted" for new skates. In the past 2 seasons, I had been wearing a skate a couple sizes too big in order to compensate for my extraordinarily large feet. I am fairly sure this is where I developed some pretty nasty Bauer bumps. Length wise, I should have been about a 7.5-8. With the width of my foot, the shop owner (who is very experienced) suggested flexlites, as I had expected.

We get the skates, and I go in to the shop to get them and have them baked. They did feel a bit cozy before baking, but I assumed that would get cleared up by baking it. The first few skates, I felt very uncomfortable. I did get the steel profiled to what it was on my previous skates, and that helped a little. Still, I had to switch to a much thicker sock to keep my feet from feeling crunched.

Now, 8-9 months after purchasing them, the skates are in good shape. However the problem is this: somedays I feel that they are the best skates for me, other days I feel like I am wearing someone else's skates. I have had numerous sharpenings, so it is not that. The profile and radius is correct as well, as I have had them checked numerous times (my skate guy used to do skates for the LA Kings). I am pretty anal about both of my skates being equally tight, which I didn't seem to worry about before these skates.

What I am hoping for is someone with a similar experience, or some advice on what I should do. These were not cheap skates (4.0 pros), and I am wearing a EE in them. When my toes feel crunched, it is more at the sides of the toe cap, on the sides of my big and small toes. I feel it in both skates, although the severity of the crunch varies skate to skate. Occasionally, I get pain in my arch as well. i have been using a Shock DR insole, as with my past 2 pairs (the huge ones), but still can get some pain.

When we first talked to the shop owner about this issue shourtly after we got them, he said they should expand a little bit with a few skates. They may have, but not nearly enough.

So what it comes down to is:

- Is there anything I am missing with these skates? What can I do to make them work?

- Am I a guy with feet for custom skates? I have a bit of a width issue in EE's.

- Any other insight would be awesome!

Thanks for sticking with the long post.

The simple and easiest solution is SuperFeet Yellow. Make sure they are a size larger than your skates so the arch is in the right place for your foot and is more comfortable. this will pull your toes off the front and twist the heel so the sides dont pinch as well as feeling better in the arch.

After working with this stuff a very long time I have had maybe 5% return them only because there only a small improvement and didnt see the benefit of the extra cost so 95% of customers and friends cant be wrong!

[jeffw 1]

Try re-lacing your skates, skipping the first set of eyelets down by the toe cap. This gave me some relief in a pair of skates that were tight there.