New Skate Buying Decision

[IPv6Freely 2100]

Hey all, I'm having some issues with my current (beginner) skates: Easton SE2s, to be exact:

The issue I'm having is that the seam where the toecap meets the boot is actually SHARP on the inside. I learned that apparently (I'd never noticed with shoes before until this situation) my right big toe rubs on that spot in both my shoes and skates, which due to the construction of these skates, I get pretty bad sores on my toe. I've tried everything, even to the point of wearing blister bandaids on my toe and a couple layers of tape inside the boot. This helps a little bit but not completely. Can't punch the skate really either, because the problem is where the plastic toe cap is.

So... I've decided I'm going to buy a new pair of skates. My budget is about $400 or less (unless I buy the Graf Ultra G7s). My SE2s are a size 10 (which is actually slightly too big) and normal width (too narrow). My shoe size is 11. I'm 5'9 240lbs (yes I'm a big dude), and a beginner to hockey (I quit when I was 8 and regretted it ever since, especially since my dad played until he was over 60). I play pick-up once a week, and skills development on Fridays. I'm hoping to get good enough to join an adult league in a beginner division.

My heart is set on Graf Ultra G7s, and while they are more expensive than the others I've been looking at, I'm trying to decide if the extra cost is worth it. It seems people either love Graf or hate them, not much in-between.

I've been told that if I buy RBK or CCM, I can do 9.5D, but any other brand and I should be buying 9.5E or maybe even EE.

The models I've been looking at:

Graf G7 Ultra - $569

Reebok 8k Pump (2009 Model) - $259.99

Nike Bauer Supreme One90 Pro Stock - $349.99

CCM Vector U+ Reloaded Pro - $339.99

What do you guys think, and would you have any other suggestions in the $200-400 range?

Thanks!

[kr580 2]

Have you gone to a store and tried any of these on? That should be your first step. You can't guesstimate a proper fit.

If you're near a LHS they should be able to bake and punch out the toe cap for you as well. If the skates fit fine otherwise this could save you from buying a temporary pair.

[stuie7 6]

Assuming they all fit you (which is a BIG assumption), I'd go with Graf or Bauer based on my personal preference.

However, fit is king.

[Axxion89 32]

Agree all those skates fit very different, especially the CCM vs Reebok IMO. If you like the way they fit and are playing for a while go with the Grafs. If not try the rest and buy what fits.

For the record, those CCM U+ pros can be had on Hockeymonkey.com and a few other places for 200 I believe

[Canuck 0]

As someone who recently brought Graf 705's I would say try them on first. I went from a RBK 9K in size 6.5E to a Graf 7N. In regards to getting the G7, from what the Graf trained sales rep told me the Supra line is already a high end skate and for a newer skater the G line was more of a professional skate which wasn't really necessary for a rec skater, unless they had the coin. Hopefully that helps.

[x-axis 44]

Graf is notorious for having a smaller toe cap than other companies, in terms of width and height. I would strongly recommend you try them on before purchasing, as well as checking the skate for defects. The last two pairs of skates I've owned are Grafs, because of my foot shape.

[jazz4all 9]

Agree all those skates fit very different, especially the CCM vs Reebok IMO. If you like the way they fit and are playing for a while go with the Grafs. If not try the rest and buy what fits.

For the record, those CCM U+ pros can be had on Hockeymonkey.com and a few other places for 200 I believe

about CCM vs Rbk, do they have the same fit? i've tried those two but the inline skates only and pretty much same, except the ankle padding... just curious about the ice skates...

[pass the bisk 0]

Like others have stated, go to a lhs and try on skates. They could be 800 dollar totalones, but if they don't fit properly, they won't perform well.

[IPv6Freely 2100]

Have you gone to a store and tried any of these on? That should be your first step. You can't guesstimate a proper fit.

If you're near a LHS they should be able to bake and punch out the toe cap for you as well. If the skates fit fine otherwise this could save you from buying a temporary pair.

Hmm, trying them on isn't really an option unfortunately. The only LHS within driving distance is in Anaheim (1.5 hrs away), and their skate selection is pretty poor. Not to mention it's hard to tell if its a good fit if they haven't been baked.

My current skates have already been baked so that's no issue. The problem is the toe cap, which can't be punched because its plastic. They told me they can only punch parts of the boot, not the plastic toe cap.

[kr580 2]

Hmm, trying them on isn't really an option unfortunately. The only LHS within driving distance is in Anaheim (1.5 hrs away), and their skate selection is pretty poor. Not to mention it's hard to tell if its a good fit if they haven't been baked.

My current skates have already been baked so that's no issue. The problem is the toe cap, which can't be punched because its plastic. They told me they can only punch parts of the boot, not the plastic toe cap.

Where do you live? There's tons of big shops in the LA area. A proper fit for years to come is well worth a 3 hour drive, in my opinion.

No, I'm saying if they bake the skate (heat it up) the toe cap becomes a bit moldable, so you can use a skate punch to push out the toe cap. My pinky toes on both feet rub against the sides of my toecaps and my LHS punched them out no problem after a baking. You can't even tell he did anything by looking at it but my toes don't rub at all.

[Goonsquad 209]

Where do you live? There's tons of big shops in the LA area. A proper fit for years to come is well worth a 3 hour drive, in my opinion.

Well worth the price of travel to figure out what fits best. As someone else said not all boots are made to the same specification. The other part of the equation is what kind of pitch you like to skate in.

When you do go up,plan your trip accordingly. Give the store a call and see what kind of selection they have.

[IPv6Freely 2100]

Where do you live? There's tons of big shops in the LA area. A proper fit for years to come is well worth a 3 hour drive, in my opinion.

No, I'm saying if they bake the skate (heat it up) the toe cap becomes a bit moldable, so you can use a skate punch to push out the toe cap. My pinky toes on both feet rub against the sides of my toecaps and my LHS punched them out no problem after a baking. You can't even tell he did anything by looking at it but my toes don't rub at all.

I'm in San Diego. Theres nothing here, the closest is in Anaheim (hockeygiant). I haven't looked in LA but I guess that's the next step (though some of the models I'm looking at are last years models so they're going to be impossible to find).

Do you think I could just heat it up a bit with a hair dryer? Enough to mold it a little bit?

Well worth the price of travel to figure out what fits best. As someone else said not all boots are made to the same specification. The other part of the equation is what kind of pitch you like to skate in.

When you do go up,plan your trip accordingly. Give the store a call and see what kind of selection they have.

I agree, I just dont know of any hockey stores anywhere close. I'll have to investigate LA a little more. As far as pitch... I have no idea. I've only owned one pair of skates in the last 20 years so I really don't have a preference.

[AIREAYE 248]

I think almost all of us here are sick of saying this, but GET WHATEVER FITS THE BEST.

But in general, of you liked the ankle or heel fit of the SE2, than you might wanna try Easton again, in terms of upgrading to the SE16's (should be on closeout), newer Stealth series, or even the older stealth series (S15,S11,S7,S5 etc should all be on closeout)

From the boots you listed though, the Supremes should be the closest

[IPv6Freely 2100]

I think almost all of us here are sick of saying this, but GET WHATEVER FITS THE BEST.

I'm sure you are. It's kind of redundant to say it over and over again, especially with it being such common sense. Obviously I'm going to buy something that fits well. The point of this thread was more to ask opinions on what im looking at buying. For example, if those RBK 8ks are total garbage, then they will come off my list without even needing to try them on.

[kr580 2]

Well I think when you linked to the skates at online shops you made us (at least me) think you were buying online without trying them on. The comment about LHS being too far away didn't help. :P

Pretty much any skate these days are solid skates. The only negative things I've heard about were some Easton skates falling apart quickly (and I've seen it) but otherwise no real problems. The lower end are softer boots with less features and the high end ones are stiffer. It's all personal preference there. They're all decent skates. Just worry about the fit first.

[IPv6Freely 2100]

Well I think when you linked to the skates at online shops you made us (at least me) think you were buying online without trying them on. The comment about LHS being too far away didn't help. :P

Well, that WAS true.. I was planning on buying without trying due to the lack of a LHS. I just wanted to make sure what I was looking at wasn't total garbage. I know fit is obviously #1, no question. But if I can find a spectacular deal online, I'm going to jump on it, as long as that store has a decent return policy.

I still have questions regarding fit and heat moldable materials... how can somebody tell if the skate is a good fit without heat molding it? I assume they won't bake a pair of skates unless you're buying them...

My Easton 10s are too big and too narrow, so I *think* im looking for a 9.5D for CCM and RBK, or a 9.5 wide for everything else. That's what I've been told, at least.

[rachael7 1]

I'm in San Diego. Theres nothing here, the closest is in Anaheim (hockeygiant). I haven't looked in LA but I guess that's the next step (though some of the models I'm looking at are last years models so they're going to be impossible to find).

Do you think I could just heat it up a bit with a hair dryer? Enough to mold it a little bit?

Probably no to the hair dryer, maybe with a very carefully applied heat gun on the low setting. And fwiw, the 90 minute drive from San Diego to Anaheim would be well worth it, imho. I routinely drive well over an hour to get to my nearest LHS and would certainly drive 90 minutes to a store as big as Hockey Giant. Heck, I've driven 3.5 hours to go to Pure Hockey in Braintree and that store... well let's leave it there. But suffice it to say that it was a long freakin' drive to try on a pair of skates, but worth it in that case.

[kr580 2]

I still have questions regarding fit and heat moldable materials... how can somebody tell if the skate is a good fit without heat molding it? I assume they won't bake a pair of skates unless you're buying them...

I'm of the belief that skates should fit well WITHOUT needing any baking. I suppose some like the CCM's with a ton of foam might benefit more than others, but still, if a skate hurts like hell without baking I doubt it'll feel much better after baking. I personally would never buy a skate that didn't fit well enough before baking.

[IPv6Freely 2100]

I'm of the belief that skates should fit well WITHOUT needing any baking. I suppose some like the CCM's with a ton of foam might benefit more than others, but still, if a skate hurts like hell without baking I doubt it'll feel much better after baking. I personally would never buy a skate that didn't fit well enough before baking.

Fair point! Thanks :)

Probably no to the hair dryer, maybe with a very carefully applied heat gun on the low setting. And fwiw, the 90 minute drive from San Diego to Anaheim would be well worth it, imho. I routinely drive well over an hour to get to my nearest LHS and would certainly drive 90 minutes to a store as big as Hockey Giant. Heck, I've driven 3.5 hours to go to Pure Hockey in Braintree and that store... well let's leave it there. But suffice it to say that it was a long freakin' drive to try on a pair of skates, but worth it in that case.

I suppose. I'm by there all the time, thanks to living in San Diego but having most of my clients in the LA County and Orange County areas. I guess I was just trying to do my homework BEFORE going to the store, I suppose.

[x-axis 44]

Hockeymonkey is in Santa Ana. They have better selection than hg and you can call ahead in case they don't have something in stock, so they can get it from their warehouse. fyi I don't work for them, but they were the best I've gone to.

There's also the pro shop at the Ducks and Kings facilities.

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

Well, that WAS true.. I was planning on buying without trying due to the lack of a LHS. I just wanted to make sure what I was looking at wasn't total garbage. I know fit is obviously #1, no question. But if I can find a spectacular deal online, I'm going to jump on it, as long as that store has a decent return policy.

I still have questions regarding fit and heat moldable materials... how can somebody tell if the skate is a good fit without heat molding it? I assume they won't bake a pair of skates unless you're buying them...

My Easton 10s are too big and too narrow, so I *think* im looking for a 9.5D for CCM and RBK, or a 9.5 wide for everything else. That's what I've been told, at least.

If you order online icewarehouse.com , has the best return policy when it comes to skates. Return shipping on skates is FREE

Probably no to the hair dryer, maybe with a very carefully applied heat gun on the low setting. And fwiw, the 90 minute drive from San Diego to Anaheim would be well worth it, imho. I routinely drive well over an hour to get to my nearest LHS and would certainly drive 90 minutes to a store as big as Hockey Giant. Heck, I've driven 3.5 hours to go to Pure Hockey in Braintree and that store... well let's leave it there. But suffice it to say that it was a long freakin' drive to try on a pair of skates, but worth it in that case.

I noticed you mention Northampton in the ebay idiot thread. Wouldn't Bertelli's or Gateway be less than an hour's drive?

[ReggieDunlop 3]

What I don't understand is why your going from a beginner skate to even considering a pro-level stiffness Graf - which are extra stiff maybe try the Graf 605's which has the same fit as the G7's or maybe take a shot at mission's on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mission-Fuel-AG-size-10-1-2-E-hockey-skates-/280590925794?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item415485bfe2

Decent mid-level boot - used - but the price is right - -you have to get a boot that fits and feels right - but you have to decide weather you like a higher cut boot(bauer) or lower cut(graf) - forward lean can always be adjusted - CCM's are made for performance and break down really fast for light skaters, but again you skate once-twice a week might get some good wear on them - RBK's I skated on some RBK's 9k's for a short time until my G70's arrived - liked them but the boot flexed in the middle a little too much for me and I weigh 240lbs - (RBK's)they might be the ones I would suggest for you now - they do flex a little and have a stiffer bottom for turns and the steel was decent and has the same radius as the Easton's, they are a little roomier at the toe then the Easton's' and have the air bladder if ever needed to fill gaps - although I wouldn't use this option make sure the boots fits well without - save the Graf's for next purchase - go on craigslist and look for skates in your area go and try them on - most skates are hard to fit over the internet or read here - I had a real good idea of the boots I wanted and traced my foot - faxed pictures to a dealer to confirm which graf boot would fit me best - and we both agreed and ordered them had them punched out to fit - and it was the best thing I could have done for my feet - no more pain! It cost me a lot to keep trying skates I went from Graf 705's (with white sole) to G35's to KOR shift 1's to RBK 9k's to 705's(carbon sole) to G70's in 14 months - some were used boots and I did recover some of the money re-selling on ebay but it was frustrating - lesson learned after credit maxed out! Go with 8k's gives you the most flexible options - can add lean, different footbeds if needed to lose volume, same pitch as currently on, and has some flex not as much as newer 9k's -better outsole then U+ will last longer - decent steel except perforations but always can be replaced when breakage occurs - -good luck

[IPv6Freely 2100]

What I don't understand is why your going from a beginner skate to even considering a pro-level stiffness Graf - which are extra stiff maybe try the Graf 605's which has the same fit as the G7's or maybe take a shot at mission's on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mission-Fuel-AG-size-10-1-2-E-hockey-skates-/280590925794?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item415485bfe2

Decent mid-level boot - used - but the price is right - -you have to get a boot that fits and feels right - but you have to decide weather you like a higher cut boot(bauer) or lower cut(graf) - forward lean can always be adjusted - CCM's are made for performance and break down really fast for light skaters, but again you skate once-twice a week might get some good wear on them - RBK's I skated on some RBK's 9k's for a short time until my G70's arrived - liked them but the boot flexed in the middle a little too much for me and I weigh 240lbs - (RBK's)they might be the ones I would suggest for you now - they do flex a little and have a stiffer bottom for turns and the steel was decent and has the same radius as the Easton's, they are a little roomier at the toe then the Easton's' and have the air bladder if ever needed to fill gaps - although I wouldn't use this option make sure the boots fits well without - save the Graf's for next purchase - go on craigslist and look for skates in your area go and try them on - most skates are hard to fit over the internet or read here - I had a real good idea of the boots I wanted and traced my foot - faxed pictures to a dealer to confirm which graf boot would fit me best - and we both agreed and ordered them had them punched out to fit - and it was the best thing I could have done for my feet - no more pain! It cost me a lot to keep trying skates I went from Graf 705's (with white sole) to G35's to KOR shift 1's to RBK 9k's to 705's(carbon sole) to G70's in 14 months - some were used boots and I did recover some of the money re-selling on ebay but it was frustrating - lesson learned after credit maxed out! Go with 8k's gives you the most flexible options - can add lean, different footbeds if needed to lose volume, same pitch as currently on, and has some flex not as much as newer 9k's -better outsole then U+ will last longer - decent steel except perforations but always can be replaced when breakage occurs - -good luck

Thanks man, that actually helps me a great deal. It gave me a good starting point. I did go to a Play It Again Sports here in San Diego and they had new in box RBK 4k Pump skates. Obviously not the same thing, but I'd be willing to bet the fit is pretty close to the 8k, just with lower end materials, maybe more flex, etc. But man did they ever feel good on my feet. Definitely wider toe area, but still nice and snug. I'm going to be going to Anaheim soon to check out the 8ks. If they fit well, I think I'll buy them in the store, since the savings of buying them online is outweighed by having to pay to have them baked.

Of course, if I don't like them, I'll keep looking... but your post helped greatly in giving me a base to start with :)

[IPv6Freely 2100]

Well THAT was an exercise in futility... after the 2 hr drive to Anaheim (hooray I-5!) I got to HockeyGiant and the ONLY Reebok skate they had in 9.5D (let alone ANY wide RBKs) was the 10k. I sure as heck can't afford that, but I figured the general fit would be about the same. It felt really good on my foot, snug all the way around but not tight. I found the lace lock to be irritating as sh*t, though.

I was REALLY disappointed with the selection available. The 8k 9.5D seemed to fit well, but I still can't help but wonder how a wide skate would have felt. I can either buy the 8k online, or wait until I get a chance to go to LA and try an 8k wide, which probably wont be for a few months. I'm 99% sure of the RBK 8k 9.5D though, especially knowing that baking it and working them in will give me a bit more room, while still keeping the skate snug.

What do you guys think? Snug but not tight at all = good? They felt great on my feet!

One more thing: hockeyworld.com has the 2009 model 8k for $259, whereas the 2010 model 8k is $299 on hockeygiant.com .. Is it worth the extra for the updated model?

Thanks again for all the suggestions, everyone!

[Canuck 0]

Wow, you drove all that way just to go to HG? Should've checked out Hockeymonkey which is about 5-10 minutes south. Ultimate Skate located at Anaheim Ice which is about 5 minutes north of HG. Ultimate skate even has a shop at Westminster Ice which is about 1o minutes west. Those are just the shops within/close to Anaheim. Hopefully when you do get to come back you get to check them out. HM probably has the largest stock of them all in terms of skates.

On another note, I found the lace lock on my former 9K skates to be great. I could keep the lower laces lose and tighten up the top.