Advice on Buying Ice Hockey Skates

[JLlano 0]

Hello everyone. I just recently got back into playing hockey, I played my whole childhood up till I was about 16 yrs old and then took about a 14yr break. I mostly played roller hockey when I was younger due to the price differences for the leagues, the only time I played ice was pick up games on occassion. A few months ago I started a Roller Hockey League, but I have some friends that are joining an ice league that is pretty affordable and I am tempted to play ice also, the only thing that is holding me back is that I dont have skates. I was looking online and found some Bauer Vapors for pretty cheap, Im looking to spend around $50-$75 just for a good startup pair. Below are a few skates Ive been looking at, please give me some input, experience and/or advice on the best skate for the most affordable price. Thanks in advance!!

http://www.hockeymonkey.com/bauer-hockey-skates-vapor-x2-sr.html

http://www.hockeymonkey.com/bauer-hockey-skates-vapor-x1-sr.html

http://www.totalhockey.com/Product.aspx?itm_id=12160&div_id=41&utm_campaign=bazaarvoice&utm_medium=SearchVoice&utm_source=AskAndAnswer&utm_content=Default

[x-axis 44]

If you are playing in a league for ice, I wouldn't recommend those skates. They are suitable for mainly recreational skating. You'll end up spending more because you would have to upgrade not too long after. Serious drop off in quality for league play. I wouldn't go any lower than the X3.0 or the 100 dollar range.

[XveritasX 13]

Go to a good store and get fitted for a pair of skates. You want to try on many pairs and see what fits you the best. The biggest thing is to get a pair that fits you the best, to do that you need to try them on. If you can, try to find an older pair of skates that are on clearance, this will be your best value by far. You can get some amazing deals, last year I picked up a pair of mission s500's for $50, those skates were $600 or so new.

[mickz 107]

You will need to up your skate budget a bit. The skates you have picked out are very soft and you will need to upgrade them again very soon. It's more cost effective to go with a higher end boot up front. Think something in the $150-$200 range and up. Go into your nearest pro shop and try everything on in your price range. They can also make any adjustments to the fit of the boot if you are still feeling pressure points.

Buying skates online without knowing your fit is just going to waste more money "guessing and checking" rather than getting a proper fit the first time around. Make your decision 100% based on the fit and not anecdotal advice from anyone else. A model that may work for them may not be suitable for your foot type.