What would you give up to get the Perfect Skates?

[stable26 0]

There is a real trend to choose a skate based on its weight. To make skates as light as they are today, it seems as though the material on the inside of the skate has been all but taken away. I have seen and heard so many people with fit issues and irritations because of it. As the skates become stiffer it becomes more and more difficult to support the moveable fit inside it. Would you sacrifice weight to get a better fit out of your high end skates? Or was the fact that they are super light the reason you bought them? Do you feel as though the weight loss is worth the irritation? Just thought I would see how people feel about this issue

[AIREAYE 248]

I don't think any half-serious hockey player would ever choose weight over fit. Even if they were rec skaters, a comfortable fit is more important. Perhaps this choice would be more apparent if the buyer was uneducated and there was no associate to help, leading to a side-by-side comparison. Even then, the weight wouldn't be a big difference between skates in a particular price range. Technology has changed; skates aren't leather bricks anymore. I haven't seen this trend by customers anywhere so I don't know what you're referring to.

[stable26 0]

The trend is actually with the skate manufacturers themselves who have sacrificed fit for weight. I have seen NHL hockey players choose one skate over the other because it is "lighter". In an attempt to make a super stiff skate with high tech materials the only way to shed weight is to reduce the internal materials of the skate. This compromised fit in a big way. There are a ton of people choosing skates based upon graphics, brand names and other variables, and go against the advice of their fitter.

As an educated consumer would you like to see the skate manufacturers to spend more time working on providing skates that fit better or ones that are light and flashy. There is alot of talk on this site about fit issues and baking, etc. Perhaps my question was not worded correctly. What would you like to see the skate companies due to make the perfect skate?

[natbat 0]

The trend is actually with the skate manufacturers themselves who have sacrificed fit for weight. I have seen NHL hockey players choose one skate over the other because it is "lighter". In an attempt to make a super stiff skate with high tech materials the only way to shed weight is to reduce the internal materials of the skate. This compromised fit in a big way. There are a ton of people choosing skates based upon graphics, brand names and other variables, and go against the advice of their fitter.

As an educated consumer would you like to see the skate manufacturers to spend more time working on providing skates that fit better or ones that are light and flashy. There is alot of talk on this site about fit issues and baking, etc. Perhaps my question was not worded correctly. What would you like to see the skate companies due to make the perfect skate?

Sounds like CCM has made an attempt at it with the U fit skate. I saw an interview with a CCM employee and they designed those skates based on fit. I have to agree. The U 10 skate is the most comfortable skate I have ever worn. I have worn Bauer my whole life, and I feel they have dropped the ball when it comes to comfort and fit.

[pelikano 1]

What would I give up? My immortal soul. Are you listening, Old Nick?

My Grafs are stiff and comfortable. But I'm finding there is just too little padding around the ankles, and I can't tighten then enough to snug the ankle. They have been baked by LHS three times now.

I don't care about how light they are.

[Reaper 0]

What would I give up? I'd kill a man to find the perfect fitting skate. My Bauer Flexlite 4.0s are the best fitting skate I've owned but I still could use a bit more depth and a touch better heel lock.

[MyBoxersSayJoe 134]

My Grafs are stiff and comfortable. But I'm finding there is just too little padding around the ankles, and I can't tighten then enough to snug the ankle. They have been baked by LHS three times now.

Which Grafs? My 703's were a really soft boot.

Quite frankly, I feel I have the perfect skates right now. Custom APX's. They're worth it. Didn't have a break-in period, blisters, pressure points and they're extremely light. No two feet are the same, even on one person. Manufacturers can just aim for a type of foot, I assume, but getting it perfect for everyone just doesn't seem possible.

[Raft 0]

Comfortable fit all the way, I would play with a heavier skate if it meant that I would have the perfect fit in a heartbeat.

Luckily my s17's fit really well and are fairly light, my only complaint is their durabilty. I am thinking I am too heavy for the boot as I am constantly blowing up rivets (on an almost weekly basis), I am going to get a few copper rivets put in the trouble spots and hopefully this will alleviate the problem.

[jbss71 1]

Skate companies could do okay doing china custom sizing ( nothing else ) in the $400-$500 price point, but the hassle and return rate on bad sizing would be nuts.

[DarkStar50 680]

The trend is actually with the skate manufacturers themselves who have sacrificed fit for weight. I have seen NHL hockey players choose one skate over the other because it is "lighter". In an attempt to make a super stiff skate with high tech materials the only way to shed weight is to reduce the internal materials of the skate. This compromised fit in a big way. There are a ton of people choosing skates based upon graphics, brand names and other variables, and go against the advice of their fitter.

As an educated consumer would you like to see the skate manufacturers to spend more time working on providing skates that fit better or ones that are light and flashy. There is alot of talk on this site about fit issues and baking, etc. Perhaps my question was not worded correctly. What would you like to see the skate companies due to make the perfect skate?

There is a world of difference between the skate needed, used, broken down, and then replaced quickly by an NHLer as to what the average hockey player here needs. Sorry to say, we're all pretty much average hockey players here, not NHLers.

What skate company do you work for?

[Hockeydog 8]

I would wear the heaviest, ugliest skate on earth if it fit me perfectly.

[easttide 0]

After a 6 month break in period, one punched out ankle and two bakes I'd be hard pressed to say my One100's aren't perfect. I guess if the break in and modifications weren't necessary that would be cool.

[Lee-Bro 1]

I either don't know squat about skates or am very fortunate. My X30s fit fine, don't give me ankle pain, blisters, or subject me to foot or heal slide. That being said it's my first pair of skates and in a few years when I've worn them out, I may have a diff't opinion.

[JR Boucicaut 3810]

What skate company do you work for?

It's funny that we're so astute when it comes to figuring out people's agendas.

He makes a sock.