Low end bauer skates fit

[rawkstar 45]

I'm curious if anyone knows this. How similar do the low end bauers fit compared to T1s and APXs?

It's hard to tell if the skate will work without baking and skating on it a few times, so I thought about maybe picking up a pair of low end skates to see what I like more. I wonder what is the cheapest skate that would still fit like the top of the line model?

[gosinger 122]

The level of stiffness as-well as the level to which you can bake your skates (some low-end skates you aren't even supposed to bake) is different in all brands. So I'd say safe yourself the money and invest it in high-level skates or buy used skates to get a feel for what you like.

Regarding the question: APX fits different than the other models in the Vapor line (due to different cut and material). For the TotalONE I can't say as I've only had One95/One100/TotalONE and never low-end skates.

[rawkstar 45]

Right. :/ I was looking at the weights and I assumed it was like cheaper/less material, more flimsy, less stiff, less protection, but I see a lot of the real low end skates are actually listed as a different fit type and nothing below 200-300 is heat moldable. So there goes that theory.

Thanks for the heads up!

[MThockeydad 469]

What are you currently skating in?

What is your foot shape?

[jonesy9020 77]

I agree I think it's better to go with used higher end to get a feel for what you like. Also you can use somewhat lower end just to get a feel for foot shape in some models. I went the other way than you're thinking of, trying out a one.9 (all store had in my size) to decide that supremes fit me better than vapors and ended up ordering a one.7 because of cost and how much skate I need. I think the fit is the same throughout the supreme line (maybe with the exception of the nxg/mx3). I found the composite skates in the vapor line (apx2/x100) fit quite differently from the rest of the line but I was also comparing to a last gen vapor model.

Going below the 160/One.6/X70/4052 Tacks to get a feel for size and shape will be dicey though because the stiffness drops off pretty drastically and you won't feel some of the pressure points you might on higher end models.

So if your selection is limited in store they can work for size, but I think you'd have to buy so far up the line that it wouldn't be worth it to use them as a trial skate because you'll end up shelling out about 600 bucks on two pairs of skates you plan to discard in the near future instead of 700 on a skate that will last you much longer (which you'll eventually have to get anyway). Maybe the Tacks with 30 day trial period would be a good thing to check out if you're worried about on ice feel!

[rawkstar 45]

I've had grafs forever. 705s growing up then got a wide 703s. I also used a couple of bauer roller skates, they're called vapors but I think it's different build from the ice skate, the ice boots seem a lot more narrow.

My foot shape would be like medium everything, a lot of different skates fit me ok, I tried a supreme d and that was pretty good, same with vapor e, those felt more familiar because of the time I spent on rollers, but I kind of think supreme might fit my skating style better. Again kind of hard to tell without baking and skating in them for awhile :/

[jonesy9020 77]

I kinda think the stuff about a skate fitting your skating style within the Bauer Supreme/Nexus/Vapor lineup is mostly marketing BS, especially now that all three lines have the taller LSEdge holder. Yeah, the Vapors might give you a little more forward flex and the Supremes might wrap a little better, but the big differences are in fit. While you may be able to fit into a lot of different skates alright, the question is which feels BEST. Most of the time you'll have differences between the skates in how they lock your heel in, where the built in arch falls compared to your foot shape, instep depth, and forefoot width. While you might think all of these are okay in most models, after trying a bunch of skates on side by side, there's usually some sort of a-ha moment where one just feels better than the rest.

As for not knowing what you'll get once you're out on the ice and after baking, yeah I guess that's a risk you take when buying skates, but there's a lot you can do to minimize surprises. Pick the skate that, out of the box without baking gives you:

1: The most comfortable overall fit.

2: Best heel lock.

3: Best instep accommodation (issue for some, not others. But when it's an issue, it can be a really really tough one to fix and can make skating really painful and not fun. Use the pencil test as a baseline.)

Baking will only improve the fit of the skate, and while some skates are very moldable, Bauers tend to be less so, really just improving wrap around the ankles and doing some widening/narrowing, but not changing the overall shape of the boot.

As for the skating style stuff, any legitimate differences between lines as far as that goes can be made up for by leaving the top eyelet undone or with profiling and shimming. Just pick the boot that fits best for now.

[rawkstar 45]

That sounds reasonable, thanks for that!