Help: Old Player Needs New Gear - Skate & Stick Advice Sought

[sharks25 9]

Im skating on mission t8 skates for roller, and I play roller much more than ice. They are quite stiff, I believe around the level of the bauer x50 or x60. I only weigh around 175 lbs, but I play 4 or 5 times a week, including a practice with tons of skating. For ice I have reebok 6k skates, though they are a bit too shallow for my foot. But for the amount I play ice, they work fine. The main difference between the supreme and vapor is that the supremes are a touch wider, and I believe a bit deeper. The depth is very important for tge fit, be sure that it is good! If the fit is perfect you should only have a couple hot spots. it shouldn't be necessarily painful.

Hope this helps!

[Over Drive 0]

Great - thanks for that.

I have noticed that all skate models seem to feel very tight - and eventually a little painful - in my lower shin area when I get into the skating position. Is this normal and will it eventually break-in?

[sharks25 9]

By the tendon where you foot and leg connect? The far bottom of your shin? If so, that usually means that the skate is not deep enough.

[Over Drive 0]

No - I think it might be a little higher up than where my shin becomes my foot maybe an inch or two from the top of my foot or where the top eyelets would rest against my shin. All of the skates I have tried do that - Vapors, Supremes, Reboks, etc.

[sharks25 9]

Have you tried flexlites? It sounds like none of the skates you tried on were deep enough. What skate hurt the least?

[Over Drive 0]

The Vapors and the Supremes felt the best so far. The Reboks are pretty much unbearable. It looks like I am going to have to make a road trip to a shop that has a massive amount of skates in stock in my size.

[sharks25 9]

Yeah, that seems to back up the idea of depth. Reeboks are shallower than the bauers, so that makes sense. Flexlites should be even deeper, along with certain grafs.

[Over Drive 0]

OK. Thanks alot sharks25.

Looks like a Graf might be something for me to check out. The G7 seems to sport a deep Heel to Instep depth.

[Over Drive 0]

I went and tried out a few more skates today. I noticed that the higher-end boots - especially the Total-One - have stiffer tounges and my lower shin problem was almost non-existent.

Could it just be that the new skates are giving me lace bite? If so will that disappear when the skate is heat molded and then broken in?

[sharks25 9]

It may also be that the stiffer/thinner tongues take up less volume, which makes the lace bite better. I'm not sure. I don't know why I didn't tell you this earlier, but I might as well tell you now: do the pencil test. Unlace the skate, pull up the tongue. Put a pencil in between the tongue and eyelets horizontally. Make sure its able to touch the eyelets without touching your shin or tendon. If it can, the depth is fine. If not, you need a deeper boot.

Make sense? I apologize for my terrible describing skills!

[Over Drive 0]

No - I think that makes sense. I will try that out tomorrow.

Thanks!

[Over Drive 0]

I just returned from another fitting episode.

I tried the pencil test using Vapor X4.0 in a 7EE and a Supreme One70 in a 7D:

I unlaced the skate, pulled the tounge away from the skate and rolled the pencil up the eyelets from the toe end of the skate all the way up to the vertical portion of the boot and neither the Vapor nor the Supreme have the pencil contacted my foot. Well, on my right foot, the pencil seemed to just slightly graze my sock on the Supreme but this could be due to my foot being very slightly swollen from the puck I took a while back - it is still a little bruised but feels fine otherwise.

What seems odd to me is that the Vapors actually had a little more gap than the Supremes. That said, the only Supreme skate the store had close to my size was a One70 in a 7D whereas I had a 7EE in the Vapor. Perhaps my foot sets better in the Vapor's heel or the difference may be that I tried a Supreme in a D fitting when I should be in a EE.

[Over Drive 0]

I really think the thickness of the tounge and/or the materials therein might have something to do with my perception of lace bite. Bauer lists the One60 as a 40 oz. tounge witha metatarsal guard, the One70 as a 48 oz. tounge with a metatarsal guard, the One80 as a 48 oz. with a high-density metatarsal guard and the One100 as a 52 oz. tounge with a high-density metatarsal guard.

Would not a higher oz. tounge with 'high-density' metatarsal guard better protect from lace-bite?

[sharks25 9]

Usually many people, such as myself, like thicker felt tongues since the thinner ones can crease and cause lace bite. I love felt tongues and feel much less pressure through them compared to a thin x7.0 tongue. The pad on the outside of the tongue is the guard, which can also crease and cause pressure, which can cause lace bite once it breaks down.

[Over Drive 0]

OK - I guess what I was saying is that I fell more comfortable in the higher end skate because I think the combination of the tounge and 'high-dendity' metatarsal guard.

Will a One100 be too much skate for me? I do not really care about the cost but I am concerned about the boot being too stiff for me on the ice. I have read that some people take forever to break them in because they are ultra stiff. Being an intermidiate (at best) skater and a light weight at 155 lbs does not help. That said, I do want the skate to last me a long time.

In terms of sizing, the One series in the D width seems just a touch tight. Will these widen with the baking and subsequent break in or should I be going with a EE? My foot is wider than a D's foot bed - it hangs over probably 1/8" or so.

[sharks25 9]

You sound like you would be a EE. If that's too wide, try a vapor in EE if that fits better. The tongue on the vapor 7.0 is the sake as the one100 I believe, so you may like it. The one100 is very stiff, so the 7.0 may be a better choice. Of course, it all comes down to proper fit and stiffness is more of a preferance than a rule.

[Over Drive 0]

Thanks Shark.

[Chadd 916]

Usually many people, such as myself, like thicker felt tongues since the thinner ones can crease and cause lace bite. I love felt tongues and feel much less pressure through them compared to a thin x7.0 tongue. The pad on the outside of the tongue is the guard, which can also crease and cause pressure, which can cause lace bite once it breaks down.

Thicker tongues just take longer to crease, they don't prevent it.

[sharks25 9]

That's true. Once the felt breaks down I'm sure they will crease. I just meant that the felt tongues I have used put much less pressure on my leg while brand new compared to thinner tongues such as on the x60. But I'm sure that its all preference, or else Bauer wouldn't put those tongues on their top end skates! Haha

[Kessel'sOversizedSuit 18]

For what it's worth, I came back to the game three years ago (as a thirty year old, having only played a few years as a kid). I initially bought budget gear for everything (since I was buying everything new) and for skates I got a pair of Easton 500st skates which were cheap intro skates (on sale for $99). They worked well for the first 2 years and got me going, but now that I've been bitten by the hockey bug and been playing 2-3 times a week, I have since started upgrading everything. I would say I'm an intermediate player now. Anyway, I ended up getting the Bauer Supreme one70 skates and I love them. They are perfect for my needs. Unlike the eastons which gave me raw blisters for the first 6 months, the One70's have been painless since day one. If you're on the ice as much as you say, I'd stay away from the One60 and look at the One70 as your baseline (assuming you end up going with the Supremes).

One thing to note between the One80 and the One70 is that the One70's are about 100g heavier. The extra weight is definitely in the quarter package which is a thicker fiber material. To my mind, the thicker material also equals better foot protection. That may be a placebo, but I have taken a few off the foot and have had no problems.

After a year of skating in them, I notice that the liner around the top eyelets is starting to wear. Not sure whether this would be the case in the One80s or One100s as they have a slightly different material, but that may be something you wish to investigate. The liner issue is pretty minor though, and overall the skates are holding up really well and remain very comfortable, something I didn't think skates could be.

I suppose I should also add that I too wear a size 9 in shoes, and ended up in the 7.5s. Every place I went to tried to tell me I needed the 7s (based on the foot measuring tool) but my feet told me the 7.5s fit best and my feet were right.

Lastly, I use the Yellow Superfeet footbeds, which for me are a must and the best $30-40 you'll spend on your skates.

Good luck and happy hunting.

[Over Drive 0]

Thanks for that KOS - that was exactly what I was looking for in relation to the quality of the mid tier One series.

I have tried on the One70 and it did feel very nice - definitely better than the One60. I also tried a One80 - albiet in a 7.5 D - but something tells me that it had been baked already for someone else's foot as it fit differently than all the other One series skates I have tried. There were a few areas on the outside of my left foot that were pinched and the right seemed somehow uncomfortable. No other Supreme skate did that and the sales associate was quick to offer to bake them for me without committing to buy the skate. I cannot be sure but that particular sales associate did not seem to have my best interest at hand and was came off as simply trying to move stock. That turned me off from that shop.

I agree on the weight 70 vs 80 difference and I also noticed that the One80 seems to use better materials in the boot and has a little better construction. My gut says that the extra $100 stepping up from the One70 to the One80 might very well be worth it in the long run based on durability alone. I think an extra $100 for an additional year or two is probably worth it.

Saturday I am going to try to head one town over - about an hours drive - and visit a larger store that has several more options - Grafs, Easton and Bauer One, Vapor and Flexlite - in my size and in stock! Imagine that! Hopefully I will have a new pair of skates Saturday. That said, I am going to exercise patience and take the board's advice and only pull the trigger on a pair that I am 100% happy with. I do not mind spending money but I do not like to toss cash in the trash. One of my teamates bought a discounted pair of G series Grafs one-half size larger than he knew he should have, wore them three times and now has them listed for sale. I do not intend to do the same.

[sharks25 9]

Yes, I would think that stepping up would be fine, as long as you can still get proper forward flex from the skate. The liner in my skates is (i believe) the same as the one80s, and it has wear on the top of it. It happens, just get it re-stitched if it rips bad. It'll be good for you to go to a shop with an assortment of skates. Spend your time and try on all you can!

You pick out a stick yet?

[Kessel'sOversizedSuit 18]

No Problem.

If you can find a One80 that fits you well, I'm sure you'll be well pleased with it. I know these skates can be baked and re-baked, so its possible that after a further baking, they might have been more comfy.

The one other thing you may wish to investigate (and this is easily changed, so not a huge deal) is that I believe that the One80 comes with the 2.1 runner, which I understand has an 11 foot rocker as opposed to the traditional tuuk 9 foot rocker. My easton's had an 11ft rocker, since these were essentially my first skates (in 15 years anyway) I didn't really know any different. When I went to the One70 with the more traditional 9 footer, I immediately noticed a difference, and for the better. I understand that these things are largely personal preference, but I can say that I like the 9 foot a lot more. Between that and the comfort and the stiffness of these skates. my skating improved. I know equipment only accounts for so much, but it was definitely a boost for me.

I say this only so that if you do get the One80 and find your turns aren't as tight as you like, or the skate isn't as agile on the ice as you'd hoped, that the longer rocker (designed more for power over agility) will likely be the reason. If that's the case, you can take the skates to a qualified and experienced shop to get the rocker changed to something you're more comfortable on.

Once again, happy hunting.

[Over Drive 0]

Absolutely! I will try on every skate in the shop that is in my size - might as well since I am spending a few hours on the road to fit - and hopefully buy - a pair of skates.

as far as sticks go, I bought an itermediate Rebok Bronze Series 'SickKick' with a 5 lie and a 67 flex and (as suggested previously) a senior TPS with a 5 lie and a whip 70 flex. Both are nice but the TPS feels better. I cannot perceive any difference in shaft size of the Rebok although it is a rounded shaft. I am guessing the Rebok is a 70ish flex and the TPS a 77ish after being cut. I think 75-80 flex is my current sweet spot.

Again, thanks so much for the help everyone - I am much obliged.

No Problem.

If you can find a One80 that fits you well, I'm sure you'll be well pleased with it. I know these skates can be baked and re-baked, so its possible that after a further baking, they might have been more comfy.

The one other thing you may wish to investigate (and this is easily changed, so not a huge deal) is that I believe that the One80 comes with the 2.1 runner, which I understand has an 11 foot rocker as opposed to the traditional tuuk 9 foot rocker. My easton's had an 11ft rocker, since these were essentially my first skates (in 15 years anyway) I didn't really know any different. When I went to the One70 with the more traditional 9 footer, I immediately noticed a difference, and for the better. I understand that these things are largely personal preference, but I can say that I like the 9 foot a lot more. Between that and the comfort and the stiffness of these skates. my skating improved. I know equipment only accounts for so much, but it was definitely a boost for me.

I say this only so that if you do get the One80 and find your turns aren't as tight as you like, or the skate isn't as agile on the ice as you'd hoped, that the longer rocker (designed more for power over agility) will likely be the reason. If that's the case, you can take the skates to a qualified and experienced shop to get the rocker changed to something you're more comfortable on.

Once again, happy hunting.

Wow. That is a whole new angle I had not put any thought into. Thanks and I will definiely keep that in mind. I will have to check out my 650s and use them as a reference.

In completely unrelated news, I just found another nooner ice time! Haha. I stayed away from hockey far too long.

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

might as well check out the eq skates made by easton too. I went to a shop that had everything and ended up with eq40's.

Also if you have really flat feet, superfeet will cause more pain than it helps