Alkali Hockey

[kovalchuk71 212]

What level do you play and what is your price range? They both are fantastic skates. If you feel you could benefit from the Max, then go for the Max. You won't be sorry with either though.

[sss1987 55]

I tried on some RPD lites recently (shop only had these in my size).

In a bauer skate, a size 6 feels like my toes are swimming. Doesnt feather the toe cap..

However with the RPD lites..my toes were jammed against the end.

I need to try some 6.5s on, but i think a 7 would be too big for me.

There are shops here saying the rpd range is very similar to UK shoe size.

Hopefully Justin can clarify. I think a bauer 6 = a 25.5cm long foot bed, whereas an Alkali 6 is 25.0cm

[sjs0433 15]

Pretty sure I'm going to just end up getting the current shifts and if the new ones are that much better I'll worry about in then.

[hkfury 2]

I am a size 9 in Bauer and a size 10 Alkali is perfect for me. I took the footbeds out and they are exactly the same length.

[Tyler Roy 86]

Thats not always the case regarding sizing. Im a 7.5 in the Bauer MX3 but a 8 in the Alkali Max. Different for everybody.

[hkfury 2]

I agree, that is why it is hard to find out without trying them on

[Vet88 674]

Also depends if you are measuring a D or a EE as they can be different lengths even though they are the same size ie 8EE is longer than a 8D. For one reason or another I consider an Alkali to be a D when measuring for length as they don't have a range of widths. So a 9EE in Bauer would be close to a 10 Alkali.

[LS16 0]

Cool cheers for all the help.

Have worn 11 ee bauers in the past. But based on the info think I am going to grab a pair of 11.5 RPD maxs.

Also if it helps my foot is 29.5cms long

Edited June 6, 2014 by LS16

[sjs0433 15]

I recently picked up a pair of the RPD comp pants and so far I'm very very happy with them. They are very lightweight which I like and breathe pretty darn well. One of my other favorite parts is just how much flexibility and stretch the material of the pants have. I'm a guy that tapes my pants to my shin guards near the bottom and also a little below the knees. These things have enough stretch that I can wear them exactly as I want without ever feeling like they are restricting motion (I've had that issue in the past with other pants). I'll see how they hold up over time but I'm not really that tough on pants. I am a big fan of white pants though so we'll see how they resist getting dirty and how well they clean up.

[sjs0433 15]

Ordered a pair of the RPD Shift skates tonight. Should have them in a week or so then need to get to my local shop for a bake then to try them out. I'm really looking forward to how these do.

[sjs0433 15]

Just got my skates today. Out of the box fit is pretty good. I'm most excited to find the heel feels plenty wide enough that I won't have the pain I was afraid of. Going to take them up to my hockey shop tonight or tomorrow for a bake. Tempted to tonight so I can try them in my game tomorrow. Skate quality looks very good out of the box. Only regret might be not getting the RPD Max instead. I wish the wheels were a little more red than pink but as soon as they are dead I'm going to use something else anyways.

[sjs0433 15]

I got the skates baked Tuesday night and then used them in my game last night. It went better than expected for a first skate. I was most excited that I had zero pain skating in them. I can't tell if they are a smidge too big or if I need to lace them a bit tighter but they did feel a little loose while skating. My ankle and heel is defintely locked in but they still feel loose in a weird way.

The increased forward lean wasn't too hard to get used to. Transitions feel a little awkward right now but I'm hoping that goes away. They feel great in stride and I feel like I can get up to speed a little faster. Turning and stuff feels no different to me. Honestly the transition from hi-lo to a straight 80 frame has been pretty easy and I've been in the skates less than an hour.

My only complaint is that I wish the chassis was mounted a little farther back on the boot. I like my toes to be a little more over the front wheels than they are with these. The Dynasty 3 wheel is a little soft for me at 200lbs but I think it helps that they are all 80mm wheels. I plan on switching to the addictions or something a tad harder when I need new wheels. I might even consider just replacing the middle two.

I have had a lot of compliments on these. I think I'm the first guy at my rink to have any of the newer RPD line of skates. I've seen a handful of others with last years stuff but it's mostly Bauer/Mission and the rest Tour.

Overall quality is great and I just can't believe the level of comfort I have already in the short time I've spent in them. I think the pros far out weigh the cons. And at the end of the day if I don't like the boot I just might keep the frame and mount it on something else but I don't think that's going to be the case.

Edited June 12, 2014 by sjs0433

[Wicked3Aussie 68]

I can't tell if they are a smidge too big or if I need to lace them a bit tighter but they did feel a little loose while skating. My ankle and heel is defintely locked in but they still feel loose in a weird way.

Mine are the same.

Normally i'll wrench them as tight as I can & then after I get warm & get some heat into the boots i'll have a bit of give in the laces.

So I'll go through and re-wrench the laces as tight as I can again & get the rest of the give out of them, that's when I get the best performance out of them.

[sjs0433 15]

Yeah. I'll have to try that. I didn't touch them all game. If I go too much more I'll have to shorten the laces. I'm using all the eyelets and have them wrapped around my ankle and they are still too long.

One other thing I noticed that might just take some time is I had a puck behind me I was trying to reach for and almost felt like the forward lean of the skates was really working against me from being able to grab it.

[Cove 38]

are there retailers with Alkali gear in Ontario?

[Tyler Roy 86]

http://alkalihockey.com/dealers

[Justin 1933 134]

Cove, we allow our US online dealers to ship to Canada, so you can go that route.

[sjs0433 15]

So I'm not sure if I'm going to end up keeping these skates or going back to a converted Bauer Supreme skate. While the shape of heel pocket is right for my foot I'm getting blisters on the inside of my heel on both feet although the left foot is a lot worse. Not sure if there is anything there I can bake out of them to fix the problem. It's obvious my foot is squirming around a little too much in that spot.

I've also considered just keeping them and maybe being the first to put the chassis on a different pair of skates. It's a nice chassis with good wheels and bearings it might just be worth keeping for that.

Edited June 24, 2014 by sjs0433

[Tyler Roy 86]

How long have you had them SJS? Have you molded them yet?

[sjs0433 15]

I baked them once before skating them and I've used them for 2 games. Will baking make the boot shrink to your foot at all because that's what I feel like needs to happen. Or I need to try and push in that area of the boot from the outside.

[Tyler Roy 86]

Working and/or massaging the boot when molding will get them closer to your foot. I'll include a link to the Alkali video they did a while back showing the heat process. Are you sure they size is correct? Sounds like your heel is lifting up and that is creating the blisters.

[sjs0433 15]

I think the size is ok. I could have maybe gone down half a size but I feel like they would have been really scrunched. All I know is that they don't fit me quite like my other skates. I actually have them on ebay now but haven't had any bites. Great deal to be had for someone. I'm bad at jumping the gun on trying new stuff.

[Justin 1933 134]

What type of socks are you wearing SJS?

[sjs0433 15]

A thinner pair of Bauer skate socks.

[Justin 1933 134]

I would try a heat fit again, but if your foot is moving, it seems you may have the wrong size. Good luck and hopefully you can find a solution.