Skate Setup Thoughts/Opinions

[Dangles83 24]

I have been a Bauer Vapor guy since the XX and I am currently skating in the APX, which I love, but something has always bugged me and I wanted to see if anyone out there had any opinions. The Vapor and APX skates have been so comfortable for me and they are pretty much perfect, except for one area which I have been compensating for, but am thinking it may be actually hindering me. The overall volume of the skate is slightly too large for my foot and to compensate for that, I have always worn a thick sock, covered by a traditional thin hockey sock. This provides the extra mass for my foot to fill the skate boot (ankle volume has always been fine). My foot doesn't slip or anything, but I have begin to wonder if I am hindering my skating due to the fact that the skate boot is not more snug around my actual foot as opposed to sock padding.

I wear a 9D and have tried on an 8.5D and an 8.75D, but they were just far too cramped. Unfortunately, I only have one half-decent LHS around me and they aren't very helpful, nor do they have a good selection of other skates to try on. I came from CCM Pro Tacks before my Vapors, but I hated those.

Any thoughts on if I am actually hindering my skating due to my skate/sock setup? How can I get properly fitted if my LHS frankly blows? Any other skate recommendations with slightly less volume that I could try and track down and try on?

Thanks!

[Chadd 916]

Getting rid of the thick sock alone should have allowed you to go from 9 to 8.75, if not 8.5.

[Dangles83 24]

Getting rid of the thick sock alone should have allowed you to go from 9 to 8.75, if not 8.5.

Problem is my toe jammed in the front (enough to where baking wouldn't provide enough room)...having said that, I was definitely surprised that the 8.75's didn't fit.

[hunt3rsean 44]

I'm not a shop worker or equipment manager so take my comments with a grain of salt.

I was a 6D in NB Supreme one55's. Needed new skates and went with the Vapor X4.0 in 6D. My right foot was good with big toe touching the end of the skate but no 'curling' of the toe. Left foot had big toe actually curling a little when standing up. When i assumed the "skating position" the right foot was still just barelly touching the end of the boot while left toe was still pretty well against the end. Baked the skates twice and now have 10+ sessions in them so they've broken in a bit. Now both fit very comfortably. My point being that I could technically use a 6.25D for my left foot, but do not have the money to go custom. Now that the boot has broken in my left foot fits very comfortably in the boot. Given the first 3-5 games were a little nerve racking hoping I didn't take a puck to the boot, but luckily I did not. Now the skate fits great and I'm happy with them. I had started wondering if I'd need to stretch the left boot but don't think that will be necessary now.

Now, obviously the X4.0 and APX are on two different levels of model performance. But, it may be worth going down that quarter size and allowing the boot to break in or allow a LHS to stretch said boot/area if need be??