seeking skate help

[RandomCanadian 0]

Yes I know, another skate help topic! But in all seriousness, I have been a long time browser but never found the need to join but I figured if there was anywhere to ask opinions and help this would be the best place. Here is a quick back story:

I am currently skating on a set of clapped out Bauer/Nike 195's (size 10.5D) that have seen better days. I was not the original owner of the skates, they were handed down to me by a family member. While the performance of them compared to anything I had worn previously is not even close, I once again found myself in a boot that I did not find comfortable being in for any longer then an hour or so (which is fine now that I am relegated to playing commercial beer league). I have worn quite a few skates through out my minor hockey days (Nike Iginite's, CCM Externo's, Bauer Vapor SLF XV and VII and some sort of Easton skates). I loved the 195's boot stiffness and even though I am by no means a great skater, I could tell my effort every stride was making it to the ice and pushing me forward.

I started looking for new skates last year, sadly though my local Source of Sport's has fallen off drastically in terms of customer help then I remember years back (prior to the year before I had been off skates for over 4 years) and quickly lost interest when being pushed into the most expensive skates on the shelf (Bauer APX), the lack of knowledge and rather sparse selection. I got desperate and looked into online ordering since the season was coming up quickly and knowing full well my current skates would not last another year. I stumbled across Hockey Monkey and after some discussions back and forth (which I was sent a Graf fit document to give the fellow helping me a better idea of my feet). A bit more conversing led to me ordering a set of Graf 705's (size 10.5R) but of course my fear of ordering online came true. They were a touch too small length wise, aswell as width wise and once laced up, the tongue area had a pretty decent amount of discomfort. I ended up sending them back but the thought of sending skates back and forth (thanks to the Canadian border) and paying 50 bucks to ship back each time outta my pocket, had me basically not even want to play this year at all. Fast forward to the end of March.

I find myself in Vancouver, BC and figure why not look into skates again? I ended up at a few places, the main one being Cyclone Taylor's. after being able to talk to people that actually know what they are talking about, I tried on some skates (bauer supreme, nexus) I was suggested into the Reebok line of skates, I tried on a pair of 18k's and while the fit was miles better then anything I had laced up prior, this only got better when the guy helping me mentioned Superfeet insoles. But the skate boot felt soft and a bit cheap. With no 20k's in my size nor any Graf's I decided to walk away but keep in mind what I learned.

Okay with that wall of text done, how are the 20k's in comparison to Bauer's 195 replacement/equivalent? What would be Graf's equivalent to my 195's or Reebok's 20k's be? I would like to stick to the same rough boot depth as the 195's, they (to me anyway) were spot on but have the overall fit of the Reebok's (more so the width in the middle to toebox region). Or if any of you guys have any other suggestions I am all ears. I can post the measurements I got from the Graf Fit sheet if it will help at all. I am going be heading back down to Vancouver sometime in the next two months to see a specialist and I plan on making my purchase then.

[t6lock 24]

http://www.prohockeylife.com/hockey-skates-senior-hockey-skates-c-1_12/reebok-20k-pump-second-sr-hockey-skates-p-8476

http://www.prohockeylife.com/hockey-skates-senior-hockey-skates-c-1_12/reebok-20k-pump-white-second-sr-hockey-skates-p-8477

i cant comment on stiffness, but these are a good deal if ur set on buying 20k's. they dont have the price listed anymore, but they should be $399. also the grafs fit about a half size smaller than bauer's which is why u probably found them too small.

when ur in the vancouver area i'd suggest going to the hockey shop in surrey, or ice level sports in richmond

[AIREAYE 248]

18Ks are great, they're built a little tougher than the 20Ks so while you technically might lose a bit of 'performance', you technically get a skate that's a little more durable and for rec hockey, that's more than enough.

[JJStripes 1]

I tried on a pair of 18k's and while the fit was miles better then anything I had laced up prior,

That is the key. I don't know a lot about RBKs, but I assume that if 18Ks were the right fit then similar RBK models will fit well too. I suggest you stick with that fit and go higher end for a stiffer boot.

James

[RandomCanadian 0]

http://www.prohockeylife.com/hockey-skates-senior-hockey-skates-c-1_12/reebok-20k-pump-second-sr-hockey-skates-p-8476

http://www.prohockeylife.com/hockey-skates-senior-hockey-skates-c-1_12/reebok-20k-pump-white-second-sr-hockey-skates-p-8477

i cant comment on stiffness, but these are a good deal if ur set on buying 20k's. they dont have the price listed anymore, but they should be $399. also the grafs fit about a half size smaller than bauer's which is why u probably found them too small.

when ur in the vancouver area i'd suggest going to the hockey shop in surrey, or ice level sports in richmond

Alright man thanks for the heads up, I will try to make my way to those shops when I am there.

18Ks are great, they're built a little tougher than the 20Ks so while you technically might lose a bit of 'performance', you technically get a skate that's a little more durable and for rec hockey, that's more than enough.

Toughness is not really needed, we do not wind up past the waist for shots and we only play 35-40 games a year.. Like I said I tried on the 18K's but the boot felt too soft for me, I was told the 20k's would be stiffer but I am just curious of it vs Bauer's supreme line?

[stick9 897]

Since the Reeboks seems to be a good fit, try some CCM's. Don't restrict yourself to only one or two brands, try everything. If all else fails you can always go back to that 18k.

[Chadd 916]

Alright man thanks for the heads up, I will try to make my way to those shops when I am there.

Toughness is not really needed, we do not wind up past the waist for shots and we only play 35-40 games a year.. Like I said I tried on the 18K's but the boot felt too soft for me, I was told the 20k's would be stiffer but I am just curious of it vs Bauer's supreme line?

RBKs are not as stiff as One95s, or other Supremes. It sounds like that stiffness would be overkill for you anyway.

[RandomCanadian 0]

Since the Reeboks seems to be a good fit, try some CCM's. Don't restrict yourself to only one or two brands, try everything. If all else fails you can always go back to that 18k.

Oddly enough CCM's were there but I never tried any of them on, though they could have been low tier versions. I am not really as informed on equipment as I once was before.

RBKs are not as stiff as One95s, or other Supremes. It sounds like that stiffness would be overkill for you anyway.

the One95's were far past overkill period for me but I figured that it would probably be one of the only times I would get to try a top of the line skate.