Just want to say thanks to this board on my new skate purchase...

[goblues38 0]

I am 39 years old. I have played Ice Hockey since I was 12 or so. I am 6-2, 225.

Anyway, I play 1-2 times a week year round for a B1 league. Used to be able to be in the A league, but stepped down last year to be with people more my age. The 20 years are fast.

I have been on a set of CCM 1152's for the last 6 years. I loved them. So much so that I have put 2 new sets of blade holders and i am on my 3rd set of steal. But the boot is finally failing.

Now, me being cheap by nature, and the fact that my wife freaked out when I said I needed skates, and she went to a LHS with me. $600 for skates wasn't going to fly. (such is married life with kids). So I found some 2009 easton S17's on line for a close out price. I was almost ready to pull the trigger and buy them, but after reading this site decided to go to LHS yesterday.

I am glad i did. The S17's did not fit my foots arch at all. Baurer x60's to narrow. CCM U+12 felt awesome. Then they guy suggested i look at the Easton EQ 40 and 50. Decided after studying the two, to try on the EQ40, and it fit my foot like butter. I don't have house shoes that feel this good.

Ended up getting them baked, and will play with them tonight. The wife was happy since I got what I wanted form a LHS not an online place, for not too much more than the closeout S17's. Fathers day sales are awesome.

So the wife wrapped them up and let the kids 4 and 10 give them to me for an early fathers day present.

I recently found this board, and have read through a great deal of posts. I am wanting to try and get back into a little better shape and will be doing it by adding another session to my summer hockey routine.

[toddmanley 0]

Just curious, but what was the major fit differences you felt between the S17's and the EQ skates?

[goblues38 0]

Just curious, but what was the major fit differences you felt between the S17's and the EQ skates?

The s17's, had zero arch support. My foot felt like it was being laced to a slalom water ski boot.

The x60's were too narrow, even with a "wide sized " skate.

I liked the CCM U+12's a lot. But the felt too stiff. that may be because I was so used to skating in my old broken down 1152's.

The EQ40 just felt right.

I just hope I didn't make a mistake with the EQ40 and the softer skate over the U+12 in 2 years. It's been 3 product life cycles since I have bought new skates, i am not sure what I will have in a few years with these skates. but for now I am happy.

[raganblink 82]

The softer skate will break down sooner on you.

But if the Easton fits better and the stiffness feels right, you're going to have a skate under ideal circumstances for a longer period of time. Which personally is better then having an over-stiff skate that yes, will last longer because it will take longer to break down, however, I'd rather have a skate for 5 years that felt right for me that time, instead of a skate lasting 8 years that didn't feel right for me for that first half of its life.

[team50 20]

Also curious why you baked the skates if it felt like "butter" out of the box? Did the sales person suggest it?

[goblues38 0]

Also curious why you baked the skates if it felt like "butter" out of the box? Did the sales person suggest it?

hmmm....good question. yes, he suggested it. i just assumed you would want to bake in a new skate to complete the fit and to facilitate break in.

Even though it "felt like butter", I would assume there is always some places in the boot that need to conform to become "one" with my foot.

[goblues38 0]

one more thought. I am attempting with this skate to skate with socks on. I have not used socks in 20 years. Not sure how that will go.

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

one more thought. I am attempting with this skate to skate with socks on. I have not used socks in 20 years. Not sure how that will go.

You can always use something thin like dress socks.

[Scoobersti 0]

I used to play without socks when I was growing up, I started skating with socks on about 3 years ago. It felt a little different at first but, it didn't take too long for me to forget that I was wearing socks (maybe couple of shifts in, I didn't even think about it anymore). I skate with pretty thin nike dri fit socks most of the time though.

[freestyla 0]

Don't want to hijack this thread but I'll be looking into getting new skates soon. Been skating most of my life but only started ice hockey a couple of years back so finally bought my first pair of skates then. I have somewhat wide feet but I wouldn't say super wide. I have a pair of CCM E width skates and I would say they're a bit too wide for me. I have a pair of RBK 5K inline's in regular width that are about perfect. Would the Bauer Supreme line be decent, or even EE Vapors? I have no issue with sticking with RBK/CCM either but looking at other brands too.

I've searched and read as many older threads as I could. I know not to go by brand and go by fit, I'll be spending some time at my LHS to try on a bunch but just hoping to get some more info ahead of time.

[Desert 0]

Don't want to hijack this thread but I'll be looking into getting new skates soon. Been skating most of my life but only started ice hockey a couple of years back so finally bought my first pair of skates then. I have somewhat wide feet but I wouldn't say super wide. I have a pair of CCM E width skates and I would say they're a bit too wide for me. I have a pair of RBK 5K inline's in regular width that are about perfect. Would the Bauer Supreme line be decent, or even EE Vapors? I have no issue with sticking with RBK/CCM either but looking at other brands too.

I've searched and read as many older threads as I could. I know not to go by brand and go by fit, I'll be spending some time at my LHS to try on a bunch but just hoping to get some more info ahead of time.

I have wide-ish feet too. Not to the point of needing wide dress shoes, but close, especially at the balls of my feet. I found that the Vapor line did not fit me well at all. Not even in a wide. OTOH, the Supreme line fit great in a regular width. A little baking and I was golden. Didn't even have to punch them out near the balls of my feet like I had with my old Tacks.

[wrangler 157]

It's not just the width, it's how it's balanced fore to aft. I, too, found a Supreme size that fit me well, while no Vapor did. I do wear regular shoes in wide, however.

[MLSman 22]

Welcome!

A softer skate with a proper fit will last longer than a stiffer skate that doesn't fit right. You did the right thing by choosing fit over anything else. Wish more people would do their homework...looks like you did. Enjoy your new skates and remember that skating will be like riding a bicycle...but the hands...you will miss your hands!!!! :)

[AIREAYE 248]

hmmm....good question. yes, he suggested it. i just assumed you would want to bake in a new skate to complete the fit and to facilitate break in.

Even though it "felt like butter", I would assume there is always some places in the boot that need to conform to become "one" with my foot.

This, even if skates feel great out of the box, baking would in virtually all cases make it even better if not much of the same.

[goblues38 0]

Ok. Just got home. 10:30pm games. I hate them. It,s now 1:15am an I am still wired.

I resisted the urge after warm ups to go back and put my old 1152's back on.

The biggest problem with the new skates was just not being used to the profile of the new steal. Half way through the 1st period, I did a re tie of both skates. Then again mid way through the 2nd. By the 3rd period, I was used to the new steal. On a few occasions going into a corner hard, I had to think how my feet were instead of just a natural subconscious move. But that was going away as I got more used to the skates.

Finally, by the 3rd period, I did a final 3rd re tie of the skates, and they felt almost natural. It took 2 full periods for the laces to stretch, and the boot was heated up and finished it,s stretch. The last 10 minutes of the game I almost felt like I had my old skates on.

My plan is to get the blade sharpened 1 more time... I use a 3/8 grind. Just to get the rocker going a little more. I think by the 3rd game, these skates will be 100% natiral to me and broken in. Not a single irritation on my feat. No rubbing at all.

Next game is Monday night. 8:45... Yay an early game.

[AIREAYE 248]

My plan is to get the blade sharpened 1 more time... I use a 3/8 grind. Just to get the rocker going a little more. I think by the 3rd game, these skates will be 100% natiral to me and broken in. Not a single irritation on my feat. No rubbing at all.

Next game is Monday night. 8:45... Yay an early game.

Wait so you use a deep cut just to get more...bite out of your rocker?

[goblues38 0]

negative. 3/8 is just the grind i use.

my point is my old skates steal is pretty worn, and new steal tends to have a little less rocker on it when new. I find the more a skate is sharpened, the rocker tends to get a little more pronounced. 1 extra sharpening on the new skates may not make any difference, but in my mind it will.

[ponder 0]

New skates always feel weird to me - taller steel, potentially a bit different profile, sometimes different stiffness, different stance/pitch, etc. I never wear new skates for the first time in a game, always go to at least 2-3 free skates or stick and puck sessions to get used to them. For me it's always been a matter of just skating on them a few times, you will quickly adapt to any differences, and by 3 skates or so in should be totally comfortable. I personally wouldn't go messing about with profiling just yet (not that getting them simply sharpened will change the profile at all), just go get a few skates in before your next game, see if you get used to them, I suspect you will.