New skates question

[swacc 0]

Ok, yet another "which skates should I buy" thread, but please bare with me.

I've been skating on a 20+ years old Graf Elite 101 skates from which the blade is starting to come off, as the rivets are getting loose.

I'm not a hockey player, just a recreational skater - strides, crossovers, some backwards skating, nothing too fancy.

So, I'm thinking of getting these oldies repaired, or throwing them out and getting a new pair. As I cannot find any data on the old Grafs, I keep wondering if I am about to throw out some high end skates (although very old) and replace them with the low end ones. Does anyone possibly have a clue about these Grafs, is there a chance I am making a mistake?

If not, I set my eyes on something like Bauer supreme one 20 or 40 or the likes, but again I wonder, as a recreational skater, do you think I will notice any significant difference between 20 or 40.

Thanks

[Jordan 13]

No matter how wonderful your old skates are, new skates will be better. Not only are old skates shot, the materials and the quality of skates has improved dramatically over that time frame.

As for what you should get...try on everything.

[Raft 0]

+1, Jordan.

Fit is the most important factor for skates, regardless of whether you are skating recreationally or if you are playing hockey. Therefore it is best to get a skate that fits your foot. I would try on everything, CCM, Reebok, Easton, Bauer (Supreme and Vapor) and Graf before making a final decision.

[hockeymass 11]

Just go to your LHS and tell them what the top end of your budget is. They can help you find something that will fit your feet that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Like Jordan said, any new hockey skate is going to be better than a 20 year old model. My dad has a pair of old late 80s Bauers kicking around and they weigh a ton compared to my Pro Tacks which at this point are almost 10 years old themselves. The new skates are lighter, more durable, and better engineered.

As to brand, it really depends on what fits. When I bought my last pair of skates, it didn't matter how much I might have wanted Bauers, they didn't fit my feet right. You will probably have to try a decent number of skates on until you find something you really like the feel of.

[swacc 0]

Well then, let's get the new ones! Thanks for the advice.

Now for the other part - the budget.

For $60-$70, I may get the likes of Bauer Supreme One 20, Easton EQ10 or CCM U+02.

For $100-$120, Supreme One 40, Easton EQ20, or CCM U+04.

There isn't much to find in the $150 range so $200 is the next one.

In case of finding a good fitting skates in the lower end, in your honest opinion, do you think that as a recreational skater I have any reason to have a go for the more expensive skates? Am I about to feel significant difference between the $60, $100 and $200 range skates, or it just boils down to some minor details (and the fit, of course)?

[althoma1 575]

Your weight will play a factor - if you're lighter then you can definitely get away with a mid-level boot like the Supreme One40 ect., but if you're 200lbs plus you'll want something pretty stiff (the higher end models are generally stiffer) or else the skate may break down fairly quickly even if you only are skating recreationally. The higher end models will also have heat molding capabilities so a good fit can be made even better (you can't fix a poorly fitted skate with heat molding though).

Personally, if I was in your situation I would probably try to find a mid-high end pair that fits well on closeout. If you can find one that fits well that'll be your best bang for the buck - there are some pretty good deals out there if you don't mind grabbing a model that's a year or two old. As mentioned, getting a skate that fits well should be the top priority, but if you can also find one that happens to be at a closeout price that'd be even better as you'd get higher end features while keeping the budget reasonable.

I've seen KOR skates pop-up on ebay (high end, fully moldable) in your price range (around $99 plus shipping), but then you'd be guessing on sizing based on measurements. There are Easton EQ5 skates (a top of the line skate that wasn't given a full release) that were originally $600+ skates for $179: http://www.hockeymonkey.com/easton-hockey-skate-synergy-eq5-sr.html. There are other deals like that if you search. The challenge with those deals can be sizing as it may be tough to find them locally, although I've seen a few pretty good closeout deals on skates locally in the past few weeks (Easton EQ5's for $249, S15s for $199 and EQ4s for $169 at Sport Cheks in Canada for example).

[romdj 26]

I'd suggest the flexlites to the list of skates people've added: not only does it fit right out of the box, it's a good skate for recreational skating as well...

[DigDug 5]

romdj,

I tried on a pair of Flexlite 4.0s and at a hefty 250lbs, I just didn't feel like they'd last long. They are extremely comfortable, but I think that's because they have no real stiffness to speak of.

[romdj 26]

romdj,

I tried on a pair of Flexlite 4.0s and at a hefty 250lbs, I just didn't feel like they'd last long. They are extremely comfortable, but I think that's because they have no real stiffness to speak of.

They might not work for you, but they might work for him, just suggesting there...

[swacc 0]

I'm at 185lbs so the weight shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Based on the stuff I read elsewhere and your helpful comments, would it be fair to conclude that, although I'm a recreational skater, I should avoid entry level boots and find something that fits me in the $100 range (one40, eq20, u+04, reebok 4k), or even high-end models on clearance (which seems a bit awkward because of the local (un)availability).

[LeMagnifique66 0]

With your current track record of keeping skates for 20+ years, I'd avoid entry level skates just on the fact that they will most assuredly break down long before being replaced. Additionally, such skates - the Bauer Supreme One20 mentioned being a perfect example - do not have even basic needed (in my opinion) features such as adequete lace bite protection or replaceable runners. Step it up at least to the level of having decent holders/steel, in my opinion. Within Bauer, that would be the Supreme One60 or Vapor: X3.0. (If you can find Vapor X:30's on closeout, that would be a way to go also. You'll definitely get "more skate" out of a year old model on closeout than a 2012 model of the same price.)

Obviously, as has already been stated, fit is everything. If you go into it with a good idea of the level of skate you want (hopefully this thread has helped) and leave any brand bias at the door, you'll do well.

[Chadd 916]

How often do you skate? That will play a bigger role in determining if a low end skate will be good enough than any other factor.

[swacc 0]

Not too often - once a week, once in a fortnight

[DigDug 5]

You are right. For some reason I thought the OP was heavy. Not sure where that assumption came from.

[Chadd 916]

Not too often - once a week, once in a fortnight

You should be fine in just about anything that fits your foot. Personally, I wouldn't spend less than $100, but you know what fits your budget best. For a little recreational skating once every week or two just about any skate will be fine.