Stop heel from lifting in skates?

[Hradsky 1]

Well, the title pretty much says it all. Is there a way to stop your heel from lifting in your skates? I'm in CCM U+ Pro Reloadeds and comparing them to my old skates, there is just NOTHING there to stop your heel from lifting... It seems like other people who have these skates have their heels move around and lift too so it seems like it's a common problem.

[Darkbyte 0]

buy and fit lace locks

change the way you tie your laces to make use of the lace locking technique: http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/locklacing.htm (a manual and free version of the above)

wear an eezefit boot to take up the extra heel space

somewhere along the line I thing i remember reading about people rebaking their skates and squeezing the heel area to make it a bit narrower

[Monty22 833]

Did you try them on before you bought them? It sounds like the heel cup is too wide.

[Hradsky 1]

Thanks for the help Darkbyte, but those things just don't seem to be helping :S

Screw it, I'm getting SE16s.

[starsfan71 9]

Try a skate on.....

[puckhoggy 0]

If you did try them on, and they were the best skate in your price range you wanted (fit-wise) I would recommend looking for some insoles with an elevated heel cup (i.e. Superfeet, Sidas, Shcok Doctor), or try wearing thicker socks, or try a product such as Bunga Pads (specifically the achilles pad), or ?Maltese? (i think that what the product company was?)

Do you find the skate to have too much room in the toe cap area by any chance?

[NextBobbyOrr 0]

That's definitely a sign, your skates are too big. Not sure if those techniques help but theres no problem with SE16's provided they fit well. I recomend unless you fix the problem, you stop using those skates soon to avoid getting heel spurs and hagmund bump.

[Hradsky 1]

Yeah well I don't think that the skates are THAT much bigger, I mean there is some room...but my heel lifts like right up.

I wear size 10.5 shoes, and the skate is a size 9D so it's technically the right size. Just looking into the heel area on my old skates though (SE6) and then the Reloadeds, you can tell there is nothing to really hold your heel in place...

But yeah anyways, I'm trying to get rid of the Reloadeds for quite cheap so if anyone is looking to give them a shot, here's your chance. Already found some SE16 white size 8.5 and those should be great (Because those are practically what I'm using now).

Ahh yeah, online shopping is great.

[starsfan71 9]

There is nothing there to stop your heel, because that skate is meant for people with wider heel. It's hard for people with that kind of heel to fit into an Easton or something maybe. I have trouble with Vapors sometimes but it's really easy for me to get into Bauers. I would honestly go and try on a pair of skates just to be safe.

[Zac911 317]

For all the money you are going to " save " buying skates online... why not go to a local reputable pro shop and have the staff fit you? If you have to buy 2 or 3 or even 4 pairs of skates to get the right fit are you REALLY saving money by buying online? Obviously I have my bias towards what brand you should spend some time getting fitted for, but remember that generally a skate should be VERY snug when trying on AS WELL AS LACED UP. Remember to pull out the insole and stand on it to make sure your foot lines up properly. Your foot should come pretty close to the end of the insole. The ankle packs will force your foot forward quite a bit until they settle in and your heel slides in to the heel pocket and locks in. My best performing skates generally didn't have that " buttah " feeling when brand new.

[theWB 2]

The length might be alright but (and I'll steal an analogy from LawGoalie here) the last of the U+ is like a loaf of bread. VERY wide heel cup and a relatively deep boot. I would try a couple of the already suggested ideas such as a different inner sole or thicker socks (not too thick, you don't need a smartwool hiking sock!) as well as baking the skate again in the hope that you can get the u foam to take up a little more space internally before giving up on the skate but I get the feeling these just aren't going to work for you.

[Neal 41]

Thanks for the help Darkbyte, but those things just don't seem to be helping :S

Screw it, I'm getting SE16s.

How did you try all of darkbyte's suggestions in less than an hour? Are you just looking for us to confirm your decision to buy new skates or do you really want suggestions on how to resolve the issue with your current skates?

[skarbro 0]

It sounds like the OP has already made a decision to ditch the skates and get new ones so I see no reason to continue this thread.

[Hradsky 1]

How did you try all of darkbyte's suggestions in less than an hour? Are you just looking for us to confirm your decision to buy new skates or do you really want suggestions on how to resolve the issue with your current skates?

Well, lacing your skates takes like 10 minutes, I already had an ankle booty thing, which takes a few minutes again...Not that hard to do those things in less than an hour.

Alright I admit I didn't re-bake my skates, but I was thinking I'm getting different skates anyways, so there's no point. I guess the heel is too wide, and the skates won't get tighter anytime soon.

It's not like the first thing I tried is come to MSH to ask you guys, I've tried stuff myself as well. Thicker/Double socks, different lacing, etc.

I just thought maybe there was something I missed, but there wasn't...I just came here with different skates already on my mind, and the unsuccessful suggestions confirmed that these skates just aren't right for me.

Thanks for the help Neal.

It sounds like the OP has already made a decision to ditch the skates and get new ones so I see no reason to continue this thread.

Yep, the thread can be closed, or used as a helpful topic for people who's heels are lifting in their skates.

[fiimb 1]

i wear size 9 shoes and size 6.5D bauers. the shoe to skate conversion is never perfect, it really is best to get a skate fitted by a professional.

[legiahockey 3]

im in u + reloades and also had issues with heel slip. what i did is put them on...tied them as tight as i coul and slowly heated up the heel area with a blow dryer for hair. i heated them until they got nice and soft and put pressure on them all around the heel area. i didnt move until they completely coole down and now i have zero issues and the best heel lock ive ever had in a pair of skates

[Hockeydog 8]

Adding to existing thread

From zac911

The ankle packs will force your foot forward quite a bit until they settle in and your heel slides in to the heel pocket and locks in. My best performing skates generally didn't have that " buttah " feeling when brand new.

So based on this statement it may be normal to get a little heel lift until the slate breaks in, even after a baking? I have a pair of X:40's that fit pretty snug, only thing that makes them less than perfect is I barely fail the "pencil test" on the 4th-6th eyelets. I feel very comfortable and confident in the skates, but the heels lift a bit. Not horribly but detectable and bothersome. The skates are pretty new, less than 5 hours of ice time with them. Is it reasonable to expect that they will lock in with more use? I do buy from my LHS and spent about 15 min in them walking around, bending, etc on the carpet before I bought, and they felt good. It's just hard to recreate the force of skating while in skates off the ice. To me it seems the Vapors have padding on the sides of the ankles but not behind, so there is not a ledge to hold the back of the ankle down. I now have a pair of One70's which seem pretty similar in the stiffness department, and lock my ankle in much better, but I feel less able to get on my edges than with the X:40's.

I'd be willing to work more with the Vapors if they just need more time to lock in. I have tried bunga pad ( Achilles), waxed laces with various lacings, and that eezee fit bootie. None really helped as the foot starts locked in but over the course of an hour of shinny the heels will lose the lock and lift a bit. If it is a losing battle I'll sell the Vapors and work with the One70's.

[Hockeydog 8]

Lacing technique will not solve your problems, this model was designed with intend of having moldable foam at the heel, so when you molded it, even slight movement of your heel would press on the foam and create extra space. Think of your podiatrist with those gimmick foam boxes where you step in for a custom insole, slight movement and the mold is inaccurate. Same idea with this skate. Yup can try to remold with the CCM F.I.T. machine which will press on the sidewall, but if you compressed the foam in the heel too much when you bought it and molded it, this second try might not do much of improvement.

Easton synergy/ Stealth skates are not famous for good heel lock, and you can’t punch it out. So if they fit in a store then you’re good to go. I actually don’t mind people who buy many different skates if they can afford it, go thru every brand till you find something you are happy with.

Cheers

I do understand the process and idea behind baking skates.I am pretty sure I sat rather still once the baked skates were tied to my feet so they would mold properly. I also have found Easton skates to have pretty good heel lock, just mostly too shallow. My ankle bones were nowhere near the ankle indent, so I can't use them.

[lampliter87 8]

Cut foam out of an old pair of pants, there should be some layers that are only 1/4" thick. Glue/tape a piece cut to fit into the heel of your boot.

[Hockeydog 8]

Cut foam out of an old pair of pants, there should be some layers that are only 1/4" thick. Glue/tape a piece cut to fit into the heel of your boot.

I'll try that. It seems that extra padding just in the back of the skate may do the trick. Supremes have a ankle pack that supports the ankle bones and also keeps the heel from sliding straight up, whereas the Vapor only has padding on the ankle bones and really not much to hold the back of the heel down. Other than a small amount of heel lift the Vapor really shines for me. Since I don't have old pants to cut foam from I'll go to a crafts store or fabric store and dig something up.

[lampliter87 8]

I agree with you 100%, I had a pair of Vapor XXXX that did little to lock my heel. A piece of foam maybe 1"x.5" did the trick.