Heel Lock - Help?

[Cheetodust 4]

Do you use the 2mm or 3mm Ezeefit ankle booties?

[IPv6Freely 2100]

How would a loose heel cause pain? Shouldn't it be the opposite?

It usually means the skate does not fit correctly.

[Zorlac 22]

Not surprised to hear a wider width would be wider in the heal as well.

You shouldn't have to cram your foot in a smaller size, that creates a whole new set of problems. As the skate breaks in that heel is going to open up a bit. The most logical way is to find a skate that designed with a narrower heel or one that is designed with greater heel lock.

As I totally agree with your logic, other models..supremes, 11ks, just don't compare to the explosion I get from vapors. My skates are fine now, but I certainly won't go through this again. I can't seem to find skates that have a wide enough forefoot and a "normal" heel to accomodate my paddle like feet. As I mentioned above, supremes seemd to fit a little better, but I wasn't willing to trade the minor fit difference for the "tightness" in response I get from vapors.

[Cheetodust 4]

Zorlac, not sure if you have tried CCM but (to me) seem to have a large forefoot and normal heel like in the Supreme line. I just tried on several different skates from all manufacturers and wanted to like the CCM CL (they were on clearance) but the forefoot was huge. Heel felt ok though. I ended up going with the Easton Makos and took my beating from my wife like a man for spending the money :-)

[IPv6Freely 2100]

Do you use the 2mm or 3mm Ezeefit ankle booties?

I didnt know there were two models. I have no idea.

[Cheetodust 4]

I'm guessing the 2mm is what most people have. Their website says the 3mm is for large gaps in the boot and the 2mm is for small. Guess depends on how much fill you need to make things fit.

[Davetronz 109]

I didnt know there were two models. I have no idea.

There's actually 3 models. 1mm, 2mm, and 3mm.

[bwhinnen 1]

I use the 2mm myself and find them pretty much right.

[Larry54 243]

How would a loose heel cause pain? Shouldn't it be the opposite?

The moving heel would rub on the lining and produce blisters or calluses.

[IPv6Freely 2100]

The moving heel would rub on the lining and produce blisters or calluses.

Among other things. Usually its a sign of the skate not fitting right, which means it can throw all kinds of other things out of whack. For me, the outer edge of my feet hurt badly unless my heels are locked in place.

[IPv6Freely 2100]

Woo hoo! Brian's Custom Pro Shop is sending me a pair of Stable26 socks! :)

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

Told you u could find a pair!!! I am wondering if they drive them over and ship to save the hassle with customs on shipping material?

I have always had a hassle.

[IPv6Freely 2100]

Told you u could find a pair!!! I am wondering if they drive them over and ship to save the hassle with customs on shipping material?

I have always had a hassle.

Not sure. I skimmed down the dealers list on the website (I actually didn't email the guy from Stable26 yet) and looked for a non big-box chain (ie source for sports). Sent a message on FB asking if they have them and if theyd ship to the US, he said yes and to call him tomorrow to order a pair over the phone.

Very excited. If these can get me going long enough to get fitted, I'll be a happy camper.

[smcgreg 81]

Not sure. I skimmed down the dealers list on the website (I actually didn't email the guy from Stable26 yet) and looked for a non big-box chain (ie source for sports). Sent a message on FB asking if they have them and if theyd ship to the US, he said yes and to call him tomorrow to order a pair over the phone.

Very excited. If these can get me going long enough to get fitted, I'll be a happy camper.

Let me temper your excitement a bit. For me, they took a bit of fiddling to get right, and as I've said a couple times before, they take a bit of fiddling every time I use them still, even in the Makos. That being said, they do work for me the way they are supposed to once I got it right. Just be aware, if you don't have them right, they can be quite painful. So, if that happens, I would say don't assume they won't work for you, they may just need to be adjusted.

The point is, they may not be the pancea you seek right out of the box. You seem so excited that I anticipate you will be a bit disappointed to start with.

[IPv6Freely 2100]

Let me temper your excitement a bit. For me, they took a bit of fiddling to get right, and as I've said a couple times before, they take a bit of fiddling every time I use them still, even in the Makos. That being said, they do work for me the way they are supposed to once I got it right. Just be aware, if you don't have them right, they can be quite painful. So, if that happens, I would say don't assume they won't work for you, they may just need to be adjusted.

The point is, they may not be the pancea you seek right out of the box. You seem so excited that I anticipate you will be a bit disappointed to start with.

Oh I dont expect them to be magic, but if I can get them to work for me it will hold me off until I can get properly fitted.

[hunt3rsean 44]

Stable26 socks are a great product. But like smcgreg mentioned....they do take a little trial and error. First off, learning how to properly get the "spacers" into the socks was a PIA to begin with. Then you have to use trial and error to see what combination of thickness you need on each side of the ankle. However, once you figure it out (usually can take 3-5 skate sessions) they work great. I love mine. Between the socks and finally getting closer to a skate that fits properly I'm very happy. Ultimately, I will go the custom route, but until then these socks are keeping me plenty satisfied. They are very comfortable too in my oppinion.

[IPv6Freely 2100]

On my way home with new skates... Will update when I get home.

[icewalker_bg 126]

How would a loose heel cause pain? Shouldn't it be the opposite?

I used to get a lot of discomfort and sometimes pain/blisters when I had skates with a poor heel lock, mainly from the friction. Let alone how poorly I was skating with a bad heel lock.

[IPv6Freely 2100]

Alrighty! Back home.

So, I decided to check out the new Monkey store. WOW. It's massive. The entire back wall is skates. Fantastic setup. Anyway, an employee (I cant remember his name, damn it! Carlyle or something like that? I feel bad for forgetting because the service was fantastic. He measured my feet (both feet). Like we had assumed before, my right is indeed smaller than my left. Not by a lot, and certainly not enough to be wearing two different sized skates. My left was right on an 8, my right foot just a tiny bit smaller (not smaller enough to even try a 7.5). He also looked at the shape of my feet, especially my heels since I said I had bad heel lock on my right but not my left in my current skates. He said my left heel was wider than my right. And then the fitting began. I tried on so many skates that I ended up ripping the skin off my pinky fingers from lacing them all up.



First, the Nexus600 in 8D. Felt good mostly, lots of room, very comfortable, but still the heel lock issue in my right foot. Very minor, but still there. Honestly, I probably could have bought these and been happy.

Then Vapor X6.0 in 8D. Heel lock good both feet, but they were so small I couldn't stand up without curling my toes. Also very tight.

Then Supreme something-or-rather. Same issue I had the last time I tried on a Supreme - it felt like my heel couldn't get all the way down. Like the ankle padding was in the wrong place. They didn't even stay on my feet long enough to get laced up.

Then a couple Grafs. Not sure what models they were. Neither felt good.

Then the Makos. He seemed a bit shocked that I was actually able to get them on so easily. He said some people can't even get them on unless they're heated up a bit the first time. They felt good, but very tight all the way around. With what I've read about the Makos, this would become pretty much perfect if they were baked. The $800 was REALLY tough to swallow though.



He suggested trying a X6.0 in 8.5D just to try. I couldn't even feel the end of the toebox with my toes. He was surprised at the huge difference half a size made for me (so was I). He asked if I'd be willing to try on the 8D again, after baking them. Sure, why not? I was surprised he offered. I was even more surprised when the length was no longer an issue. They were still very very narrow in the forefoot, but the length was mostly okay. Still a TAD too short, unless I stood with my knees bent. He said that was textbook perfect store fit, and that it should fix itself as they break in, and suggested if they dont break in enough that it's an easy fix on a boot stretcher.

He then asked me if I'd like to try the Nexus600s after baking them. I said "wait, if the heel lock and length is right in the vapors, thats the important bit, right? Can you stretch the forefoot to be wider?". He was like "absolutely!". He went back and stretched them out for a bit, brought them back and I put them on. WOW. They felt like the Nexus forefoot! The left was better than the right though, so I had him stretch the right just a tad more. When he came back, I put them both on. Ding ding! We have a winner!

He told me to take them off and let both the boots and my feet cool down again, and try them on again (good idea imo). A bit tighter, but still better than they were after the initial bake. You could tell that they would break in nicely over time. It's possible I might need to have them stretched again if they tighten up too much before they've broken in, but that's no big deal.

I had him sharpen them (they have blademaster, not blackstone; I told him I was usually a 1/2 and 100/50 in FBV, and that I'd recently switched to 5/8. He gave me an X7, whatever that is...)

I'll definitely be buying some more steel and doing the mail-order FBV sharpening.

So that's my experience, and I'm pretty happy with how things went. It was great to finally meet somebody at one of these big box stores who actually gave a crap about fitting me. I'll definitely be asking him for help next time I'm there!

Here they are (with gorilla laces - my fave!):

Now I'm home, and just put them on again. Now they're a bit too tight length and width wise again. But knowing how they were immediately after being baked, I think they just need some break-in time. At least... I sure hope so.

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

Stable26 socks are a great product. But like smcgreg mentioned....they do take a little trial and error. First off, learning how to properly get the "spacers" into the socks was a PIA to begin with. Then you have to use trial and error to see what combination of thickness you need on each side of the ankle. However, once you figure it out (usually can take 3-5 skate sessions) they work great. I love mine. Between the socks and finally getting closer to a skate that fits properly I'm very happy. Ultimately, I will go the custom route, but until then these socks are keeping me plenty satisfied. They are very comfortable too in my oppinion.

Don't forget though even custom will not totally erase heel issues. No matter what you do unless they build the silicone from the socks into the skate...LOL. You may still need the socks just with way less. There is a pro guy I work with who uses 2mm on the outside zero on the inside and 4 and 2 on the other. And these are custom skates and hes a very high end NHL player.

[wrangler 157]

Chris, I hope that the skates you got work for you, and that the decision to pass, on the Makos, doesn't cost you more in the long run. Good luck.

[Cheetodust 4]

Optimus, Glad you found a pair of skates! I'm suprised you passed on the Makos too. I love mine but still had a slight problem with heel lock on the right. I emailed Stable26 twice and never received a reply from them (2 weeks ago). Needless to say I believe whatever socks are out there to be purchased are probably the last that will be available. I just received the eZeefit heel booties and have not yet tried them but hopefully they will solve my problem. Good luck with the new skates. Finding the perfect pair of skates is a complete pain!!

[smcgreg 81]

Don't forget though even custom will not totally erase heel issues. No matter what you do unless they build the silicone from the socks into the skate...LOL. You may still need the socks just with way less. There is a pro guy I work with who uses 2mm on the outside zero on the inside and 4 and 2 on the other. And these are custom skates and hes a very high end NHL player.

Actually, I considered this,.. putting the silicone pads or some approximation into the skate permanently. I get tired of messing with the Stable socks to get them just right, and on the odd occasion that I forget about one detail, I can end up with excruciating pain that needs to be dealt with on the bench between shifts. I would rather just try to narrow down the exact location of where the insert sits in the relation to the skate and put there permanently. Now that I have the Makos, I thought it would be less of a hassle because I have less "stuff" (e.g. lace bite pads and inserts), but the Makos take longer to put on than a normal skate (at least my old Tones), that it's more of an issue now than before.

Still, let me say, the Stable 26s are the best option I have found and I've tried lots of different things.

Chris, I hope that the skates you got work for you, and that the decision to pass, on the Makos, doesn't cost you more in the long run. Good luck.

Yeah, for somebody that has been going on this protracted journey, the little bit of extra money to seal the deal once and for all would have been a good investment. At least in my case, that's the way I feel. Hope what you got worked for you though.

[IPv6Freely 2100]

Thanks guys! With the cost of the Makos, they were the last resort. If I didn't find anything else that was comfortable, then I'd pull the trigger. Wrangler may be right, I may end up just getting them in the future anyway - we'll see how these Vapors work out. I was pleased with the fitting process (first time I've ever had somebody actually bother to help me figure out what was needed), and was pleased with the final fit out of the store.

I am a bit worried though that it hurts my big toe to wear them now that they've cooled down, unless I curl my toes. But there is no question the 8.5D was too big also, and like he said, better too small than too big. Can always get them stretched. But since they felt bad (I couldn't even stand in them) off the shelf, but felt great when they were still warm in the store after baking and stretching the forefoot, that would indicate to me that if I can survive the breaking-in process, these should be perfect. Does that seem accurate?

I was thinking of taking them to the LHS and having them baked again; that might speed up the break-in process a bit, no?

[wrangler 157]

If there are problems with the fit, go back to the store and let them address those problems. Since you're finally trying to get the right fit, don't stop halfway. Personally, I wouldn't play with a painful fit if a shop could fix it right away. And if it should turn out not to be fixable, you're better knowing right away, and finding out what the shop will do for you, before there's a lot of use on the skates.