Thoughts after purchasing new skates...

[spyjunior 0]

So I just went through the process of buying new skates, and wanted to pass along some thoughts for those of you that might be in the same boat. I scoured the boards looking for tips or leads to the right skate for me, and got a lot of good information. I realized a few things, and thought I'd share them.

If it's at all possible, you have to go try them on. It doesn't matter what your favorite player wears, or your buddy who seems like he's got the same type of foot as you, your ugly-ass foot is your foot. Embrace it! I have nothing against online retailers, and have made my share of hockey related purchases online, but with skates, you're taking a chance.

You can get a great fit. I have a long, narrow foot, but I tried on skates not really designed for me. I wanted to see what the "bad" ones felt like, so I would recognize the "good" ones. I told the guy at the shop what I wanted to do, and he was totally cool with it. Great service. I let him measure me, and guide me, but remember, you're the one dropping the cash. I tried on a couple pairs, and it was immediately, "no way". Checked them off the list with no regrets. I got to a pair that when I put them on, they felt like an extension of my foot, not some strapped on contraption. Sure, they needed to be baked, skated on, and baked again, but I knew when I first put them on that they were the right ones.

Then there's the price. Obviously everyone has a budget. But if you're thinking about dropping $250 on a new stick to go right next to the other 14, $90 on your 10th pair of gloves, etc, you might want to think about putting that towards your skates.

It's not really important what brand and model I got, because your foot is different than mine. But since I've worked out a couple of very minor hot spots with baking and skating, I'm happy with my choice every time I lace them up.

Then I get out on the ice and realize that I'm still a crappy skater, and immediately think, "Man, these skates suck!" ;)

[JTully317 11]

Good post man. All good points, especially the fact that you should definitely try them on before dropping the money to buy them. Bought skates about 2 or 3 months ago (bauer one100) and it was quite a process but I plan on these being the last pairs of skates I will ever have to buy.

glad I went through everything and shopped around because I love my skates and they were a big change from my previous sskates (9-10 year old CCM 1052s).

They are the foundation of your equipment and you need to make sure they will be what you want.

[MatthewRoach7 130]

I would also like to throw my 2 cents in on this one. I baught a pair or CCM U+ Pro's off of Hockeymonkey.com a few weeks ago. Being an online retailer I was not able to try them on. I have to say that I am just not 100% happy with them. I wish that I would have tried them on. Hopefully I will like them a little more after skating on them if not look for a cheep pair or U+ Pros on Ebay!

[Jarick 5]

That was my experience buying my Grafs. I went over my budget but had a local shop fit me, tried on everything, spent a few days getting the right model, and the skate is an extension of my foot. It took a while to get them dialed in just perfect (9' radius, profiled more on the heel, some punching/stretching), but it's worth it.