G-Form Lace Bite Pads

[JR Boucicaut 3766]

One of our members works for a company named G-Form that makes an array of consumer products. What the products have in common is that they are using ways to dampen vibration/shock by changing its molecular structure upon impact - along with their own technologies, one of the materials they use is Poron XRD, which is the same product that Bauer uses in their 9500/9900 helmet.

Their first hockey application are their lace-bite pads, which are made of gel. They are very thin and have an adhesive backing that sticks to the tongue without shifting. Also, they can be easily pulled off and with water, cleaned and reapplied.

We decided to LTR this product as there are lots of people who do have lace bite issues, so we polled a few of our members and their experiences.

Thanks again to Trevor and the guys at G-Form for providing us with product.

Any questions from the LTRs, please direct here. I will also inform them of this thread so that they can answer any questions you may have.

[SolarWind 23]

sounds like a cool idea!

a few questions:

• is it possible to find these products in stores anywhere in Canada? There're comments on the site dating back to May re setting up a network of distributors, but no additional info?
  
• Can the pads be cut? ie if I don't like the 'side wings' on the lace bite pad can they be chopped of without gel squeezing out?
  
• do bike shoe gel pads have the same gel & no-residue adhesive as lace bite ones?
  

Thanks!

[IPv6Freely 2089]

They do indeed look cool. BTW you can purchase them here http://g-form.com/product/lace-bite-gel-pads/ ... very inexpensive too!

I'm curious about the ability to provide relief from lace bite, though. I get lace bite because my boot isn't deep enough (and I just got these skates not too long ago and REALLY can't afford to replace them, not to mention 'the boss' wouldn't let me even if I could). Can I expect any relief at all from lace bite caused by that, or is that just a pipe dream?

Either way, at that price I'm going to buy a set for sure.

[pizzakid13 5]

They do indeed look cool. BTW you can purchase them here http://g-form.com/product/lace-bite-gel-pads/ ... very inexpensive too!

I'm curious about the ability to provide relief from lace bite, though. I get lace bite because my boot isn't deep enough (and I just got these skates not too long ago and REALLY can't afford to replace them, not to mention 'the boss' wouldn't let me even if I could). Can I expect any relief at all from lace bite caused by that, or is that just a pipe dream?

i had a similar problem with the top of my foot with a shallow boot. you can try leaving the laces loose along the top and tighten as you go up the ankle. another option is to "split" your laces and use 2 separate ones. one set for the top of your foot and the other for the ankle. if you choose this method, you can also skip an eyelet between the two sets of laces which also helps.

[pizzakid13 5]

disagree. i have a some lace bite on my one80s at the last eyelet. thats not a volume issue plus the tongue was fine the 1st couple months i had them. in fact i dont even know when it happened but i remember feeling it the next time i laced up. so, once that tendon bruises, its basically impossible to not make it worse by continued skating. because tendons heal slowly, the only true way to avoid the pain is to let it heal. but since that takes a while, we usually try to find ways to mitigate the pain and discomfort. i laced up an eyelet lower which helped and have also taken 3 weeks off to let the tendon heal. so i will see how it feels this week.

my last set of grafs were softer skates and it still happened occasionally at the last eyelet. the top of my feet are sensitive so i liked having the looser fitting laces but i would not call that particular feeling lace bite. i cant see how the stiffness of the skate really has anything to do with with lace bite.

[Drewhunz 3]

Anyone that ever wore a Mission supple fit skate would say you are massively off base Rubo. The tongue on those was at most 3/8" thick, and I have yet to hear of one event of lace bite. In most cases, the use of felt in tongue construction as well as a too shallow boot are the culprit.

[Drewhunz 3]

So what you're saying is that lacebite results from a poor fitting skate. In that statement I'm in total agreeance. There is honestly little reason for someone to skate in a top of the line skate as the stiffness does little to help, but in most cases hinders them. Couple stiffness with an ill fit, and the skates have to be laced WAAAAAAAY to tight which results in lace bite. The pads are a happy medium for someone to hopefully find some comfort in a pair of skates which may be too much for them.

[pizzakid13 5]

graf has super thick tongues also and i would get lacebite occasionally, so it cant be just the tongue. now, i will admit that as they got older, it probably had more to do with the tongue being worn in the same spot over a long period of time.

my one80s are pretty new and felt awesome for the 1st couple months i had them. then all of a sudden, wham! lacebite. so i am sure it is a combination of things that can lead to lacebite. one thing i know is anybody who has had it, know its hurts like a bitch.

[ktang 34]

The lace bite pads have a groove for the tendon, similar to what older Bauer tongues (from the '90s) used to have ("Formfit" tongue?). So it's not just padding (for me, at least).

[pizzakid13 5]

i am curious to see what they feel like. maltese pads are recommended pretty highly from what i've read. i tried bunga pads but the pressure was worse so i removed them and lowered my laces one eyelet. if you google lace bite pads, you'll see some home made stuff. havent tried one yet tho.

[ktang 34]

Are your one80 tongues stiff? If so, the inside might be a hard foam. I had the hard foam tongue interior on both pairs of my Bauer 8090 tongues, and after a while this hard foam would crease and then break down, causing lace bite.

I have pics of the hard foam, broken down, in this link - lace bite in Vapor XXXXs

[GuitarAwesome 1]

[*]Can the pads be cut? ie if I don't like the 'side wings' on the lace bite pad can they be chopped of without gel squeezing out?

[*]do bike shoe gel pads have the same gel & no-residue adhesive as lace bite ones?

It appears they can indeed be cut. Each gel pad looks (upon inspection) to be independant of each other, so you can remove the ones you do not need. I am not 100% sure of this, as I haven't cut them, but that's what it looks like on sight.

Bike gel pads are different. Those are thicker, and mostly to increase comfort from a larger amount of weight. These pads are quite thin, but distribute the force quite well. I don't really notice them on my skate tongues, as they are so thin and comfortable. I imagine the gel itself is different, as they have different uses. The adhesive is relatively the same though.

[pizzakid13 5]

Are your one80 tongues stiff? If so, the inside might be a hard foam. I had the hard foam tongue interior on both pairs of my Bauer 8090 tongues, and after a while this hard foam would crease and then break down, causing lace bite.

I have pics of the hard foam, broken down, in this link - lace bite in Vapor XXXXs

well, they do have the same material in the middle of the tongue. the felt is pretty think though.i dont have my skates with me now but is that center piece just on the top of the tongue or does it go all the way through?

[innotastic 12]

It appears they can indeed be cut. Each gel pad looks (upon inspection) to be independant of each other, so you can remove the ones you do not need. I am not 100% sure of this, as I haven't cut them, but that's what it looks like on sight.

Do you think you can cut out the center portion of the lace bite pad without compromising the wings? I ask because my only solution to lace bite so far has been to take a piece of foam and hollow on the middle portion to take all the pressure of that tendon and thus creating an extra deep channel.

[GuitarAwesome 1]

The way the wings are designed, it creates a deep channel as it is. It kind of wraps around when your skates are on, so the tendon pressure is relieved. I'm not certain if the center portion can be cut, but it does appear to be the case, since it is all a solid piece, there's no seal on the sides. So I would imagine nothing would leak out or anything, and you would be able to cut them to your specs if you so desire. But they work great the way they are designed.

[pizzakid13 5]

i cut out a hunk of memory foam just in case my feet hurt tomorrow. it cant hurt to try. stuff is thick.

[ktang 34]

well, they do have the same material in the middle of the tongue. the felt is pretty think though.i dont have my skates with me now but is that center piece just on the top of the tongue or does it go all the way through?

The center piece is on the top of the tongue, and it is like a hard styrofoam.

[pizzakid13 5]

The center piece is on the top of the tongue, and it is like a hard styrofoam.

so that only sits on top of the felt? i was looking at that today wondering if it goes all the way through. from what i can tell, it is that hard, outer layer that is creasing a little and creating the pressure. i am surprised that this would happen so soon in the skates life. i think i've had them for 3 months maybe 4. they felt amazing at 1st. big improvement in my turning and leg fatigue.

[ktang 34]

so that only sits on top of the felt? i was looking at that today wondering if it goes all the way through. from what i can tell, it is that hard, outer layer that is creasing a little and creating the pressure. i am surprised that this would happen so soon in the skates life. i think i've had them for 3 months maybe 4. they felt amazing at 1st. big improvement in my turning and leg fatigue.

On my 8090s the felt is very thin, and the foam was sewn on top of the felt with a fabric covering. After a while the molded foam creased and then split, giving me lace bite. At that point I removed the fabric to get to the molded foam, discovered its creased and split condition, and replaced it with a thick piece of felt.

[pizzakid13 5]

ok.

[smitty 0]

Hey guys,

I will stop in periodically to answer any question about the lace bite pads, and to keep you informed about any future products with uses for hockey.

- The bike shoe gel pads, have the same adhesive backing, the gels are fairly similar, and they are a different shape.

- The pads can be cut, but the edge will be sticky. The advantage to our adhesive is that it is built right into the gel, and not applied after the gel is molded. This means that no matter how many times you remove the pad, as long as you rinse it with water, the stickiness will return.

- We have set up a Canadian distributor, and you should start to see our products in stores soon. The G-Form Canada website and emails should be up soon. In the meantime for purchases in Canada, you can email our distributor directly at rsmyth@arundelcapital.com

If there are any more questions or comments please post them!

Thanks from the G-Form Team

[IPv6Freely 2089]

Just got my shipping notification. Can't wait to try them!

[pizzakid13 5]

i'll probably order a pair. for ten bucks, why not. they just look real thin to me in the picture.

[IPv6Freely 2089]

i'll probably order a pair. for ten bucks, why not. they just look real thin to me in the picture.

That's my thinking... what's 10 bucks? I think they need to be thin or else they will cause volume issues. I don't think they're meant to cushion so much as disperse pressure, so they don't need to be thick. That's what I've come to understand, at least.

[toddmanley 0]

I received mine last night and hope to get a skate in soon with the pads. Around the house last night they made my S17's feel like a new skate.