First Post! New skate recommendations

[DieselTAO 1]

hi all. Looking for some help on new skates. I hadn't played in years and have been skating on some Vapor x60s I got for nothing from a friend. Well I'm playing a lot more and they're killing my feet I need new skates. I have a very high arch, doing the water test shows there's almost zero percent of the middle portion of my feet touching the ground. I also have pronation and wear out the outsoles of my shoes big time. I was thinking Graf? What model? Money not really an object but I don't want to spend $700 if I don't have to. Local hockey monkey has 25% off Graf currently so now is good time to buy. Thanks!

[Monty22 833]

Go try on as many skates as possible. Find the ones that fit your foot the best. From there try to address the other issues with inserts, orthotics, shims etc.

[DieselTAO 1]

Yea I don't trust myself. Last few pairs I've bought all felt ok in the store then painful after 4 games. Honestly the last pair of skates I loved that fit great were my Micron Mega 10-90s back in junior before they finally fell apart!!!

[jonesy9020 77]

Where do the Vapors hurt? Arch? Forefoot? Top of foot? When you pull the tongue out, does your instep extend beyond the eyelet rows? And when you say X60s, are these the 2 generation old X:60s (top of the line, very stiff) or last generation X60 (no colon in the model name, lower-midline skate)? It's possible you may be in a skate that's way too stiff for your level of play. Would also be helpful to know your experience level and height/weight. If they're the older top of the line x:60s, I highly highly recommend you get them baked if you haven't yet. You might be skating in a boot molded to someone else's foot and that could be causing a number of issues.

I don't really buy the water test for figuring out what skates to get. It's a different exercise than finding running shoes.

Willing to bet if you liked the 10-90s you'd probably be better off in a Supreme or Jetspeed boot, maybe even Tacks, RBZ, or Nexus for some added width. Easton Makos are also on sale and are very thermomoldable.

As others have said, try on as many skates as you can find and buy the one that fits best. If you're in Jersey, you should have a decent store within about an hour of you tops no matter where you are in the state that'll carry more than enough models of skates for you to find a great fit. But we can probably point you in a better direction of where to start if we have a better understanding of what exactly hurts about your current pair.

Grafs quite literally run the gamut as far as volume and fit goes and it's hard for a newcomer to tell what will fit from one skate to another. I've got very little experience with them so I'll leave that explanation up to somewhere else.

[DieselTAO 1]

I'm a very experienced player although not as much in recent years(played squirts through Junior B which at the time was highest level around here, I'm 40 now hockey is way better here now; took several years off due to 3 micro fracture surgeries on right knee). The X60s are first gen they're baked to my feet I got them off a buddy who bought them then never used them when I lost all my hockey equipment in a move. I'm 6"3 225. I don't mind the stiffness but literall y I'm in excruciating pain after a game and feet go numb I think they're way too narrow. Turning feels way off too. I had Nike skates prior which I did like( lost bag in a move). Guy at Hockey Monkey recommended Graf. I'm going back tomorrow to try more on I was buying my son his first pair of skates today; also Graf he has massively flat feet and those seemed the best fit. I'll look at the Supremes too. I did order Superfeet too so maybe that will help in the short term. I just rejoined a local men's team, first game this week. I looked briefly at the Mako but knew nothing about Easton skates except these are hideously ugly. Not important I know but hard to drop $400 on something that ugly. :)

[jonesy9020 77]

Yeah try everything and maybe wide sizing. Have them measure you up using a brannock device and go a half size up or down from there. Todays skates are WAY stiffer than your Nike skates were back in the late 90s early 2000s and that could be causing you some issues. Try 2-3 models down from the top of the line if you want to get comparable stiffness to your older top end skates. If you find something that works in Graf, go for it, but I'd avoid Vapors generally, at least in D width and stick to the Supreme, Nexus, RBZ, and Tacks lines (and Jetspeed if they have it).

Some people swear by superfeet, but I honestly found they exacerbated my problems in my older skates. One thing you wanna keep in mind when trying on skates is depth. It's not always an apparent problem in the store, but if your boots are too shallow, it can cause circulation problems on the ice that can lead to out of this world painful cramping.

[DieselTAO 1]

Thanks for the help. It's funny Ive played hockey about 30 years and only owned 3 pairs of skates in the last 23. I hate these Vapors so won't be buying them again. Loved the Nikes they were the old Federovs which fit me great and I only had those because literally my Microns fell apart while lacing them up they had so much rot. You're right they do seem stiff. I never gave much thought to Reebok I thought the early ones were junk and I know years ago Tacks were more for narrower feet but there's so much more choice now. After the skates I'll need to replace my cooperall girdle from 1993, my last year of junior which is the only piece of equipment that survived UPS losing all my gear when I moved home from Florida. One thing at a Time!!!

[IPv6Freely 2096]

Make sure you try Makos. You won't find a more comfortable skate, so unless for whatever weird reason they don't fit you that's what I'd recommend.

[DieselTAO 1]

Is there a quality issue with Makos? In prodding around these forums a bit tonight it seems some people saying the Makos haven't lasted them more than a year or two. Hate to drop $400 on skates that last 2 years.

[Vet88 674]

Is there a quality issue with Makos? In prodding around these forums a bit tonight it seems some people saying the Makos haven't lasted them more than a year or two. Hate to drop $400 on skates that last 2 years.

I have / had the same problem. Whilst pain can come from a wrong fitting boot, if you pronate this is magnified many fold. It is because your foot rotates in the boot, pushing the outside of your foot hard up against the outside edge of the boot, this creates massive pressure along the outside of the foot and insides of the ankle.

Read this article, it is one of the better ones around about pronation in hockey skates:

http://www.ladyinredcreations.com/Ankles_Down.htm

If you can find a pair of grafs that fit you then this is a good choice for players who have pronation issues. As long as you buy Graf boots in which the holder is attached with screws, it is relatively easy to move the Cobra holder inwards to address foot alignment issues. Remove the holder, file away at the screw holes then reattach. I did my own skates by trial and error, moving the holder inwards a small amount each time until the skate felt comfortable and vertical under my foot. pm if you need any further info. I preferred this route to orthotics, some here have had success with orthotics and shims so good luck with whatever option you choose.

I doubt anyone here can advise as to which boot will fit your foot, you either need to get fitted or try and work it out yourself by trial and error. Whilst I'm in Grafs at the moment (G5 ultras) I'm going to move soon to a pair from VH. However as I'm overseas I'm going to make molds of both feet for them to work from so the boots will hopefully fit me without any issues from day one.

[SirJW 207]

DarkStar is located in Northern NJ and is known here as a great skate fitter, you could try and contact him for an appt.

[PSUIcersAlum 1]

I went from Mega 10-90's to graf and have not looked back! G75 since I have a wide forefoot,,,,,

[Zorlac 22]

Hey diesel, I understand your situation.. I too am now 49, HOWEVER... Spending 700 on skates at our age only makes more sense now than when we were younger. I'm not saying you can't get a good quality fit for 400, but I gotta tell you that dropping 800 on MX3s or X1s in NOT a bad investment. The way I look at it is when I was younger my parents got me what they could afford. I skated in overly big skates, worn out skates, dull blades etc... If you CAn afford it, you won't regret a top offering from any of the skate brands. In a nutshell, don't overlook trying on expensive skates because of the price tag. You may be overlooking your best fit ever!

with that being said, the MX3 skate is the nuts. It may seem tight in areas during prebake , but if the fit is good, the volume is right, and you got the stew... they WILL loosen up considerably after cooking. and yes, MAKOS are FUGLY.

[IPv6Freely 2096]

and yes, MAKOS are FUGLY.

Fugly, but some of the most comfortable skates you'll ever find.

[z1ggy 81]

I 100% concur with OptmusReim's post. Last year, I went to try on every single skate that hockey monkey had to offer. Mako II, were bar none, the most comfortable skate.

If you have the right foot shape, Mako II are an amazing fit, it's literally a glove.

[MThockeydad 469]

I'm a very experienced player although not as much in recent years(played squirts through Junior B which at the time was highest level around here, I'm 40 now hockey is way better here now; took several years off due to 3 micro fracture surgeries on right knee). The X60s are first gen they're baked to my feet I got them off a buddy who bought them then never used them when I lost all my hockey equipment in a move. I'm 6"3 225. I don't mind the stiffness but literall y I'm in excruciating pain after a game and feet go numb I think they're way too narrow. Turning feels way off too. I had Nike skates prior which I did like( lost bag in a move). Guy at Hockey Monkey recommended Graf. I'm going back tomorrow to try more on I was buying my son his first pair of skates today; also Graf he has massively flat feet and those seemed the best fit. I'll look at the Supremes too. I did order Superfeet too so maybe that will help in the short term. I just rejoined a local men's team, first game this week. I looked briefly at the Mako but knew nothing about Easton skates except these are hideously ugly. Not important I know but hard to drop $400 on something that ugly. :)

Like jonesy9020 said, Grafs run the gamut...it would be like saying "Go try on Bauers" (when you know there are Vapors, Supremes, and Nexus and completely different fit among them).

Because they have such a wide range, people recommend 'Graf' when they can't find a more common skate that fits from Bauer, Reebok, CCM, or Easton.

Go to a reputable fitter. Don't trust the 17 year-old kid at the hockey shop. Find the old dude.

High arch and wide feet, definitely try the Bauer Nexus line, especially for your high arch.

I'd avoid Vapors generally, at least in D width and stick to the Supreme, Nexus, RBZ, and Tacks lines (and Jetspeed if they have it).

Why do you generally recommend against vapors? width of his feet...or other reasons?

I 100% concur with OptmusReim's post. Last year, I went to try on every single skate that hockey monkey had to offer. Mako II, were bar none, the most comfortable skate.

If you have the right foot shape, Mako II are an amazing fit, it's literally a glove.

Makos reportedly fit a wider range of feet than most other makes/lines.

[jonesy9020 77]

Why do you generally recommend against vapors? width of his feet...or other reasons?

Width of feet and that he's flat footed. Not saying we're exactly the same foot but I'm flat footed and found the Vapor arch wouldn't let my foot settle in the boot. And the fact that he's an experienced skater in a top of the line Vapor boot (albeit an older model) and it doesn't fit well right now.

[IPv6Freely 2096]

Makos reportedly fit a wider range of feet than most other makes/lines.

That's not surprising, since they're so heat-moldable. Obviously they won't fit everyone, but I would always recommend them as a first option.

[z1ggy 81]

I am a D width in the Mako, and I found they fit me very well, coming from the Vapor line. I'd imagine that somebody with a slightly wider foot would do well in the EE Mako, but somebody with a very wide and very flat foot, still might not find Mako's comfortable. I know they are heat moldable to the max, but Mako's are fairly low volume fitting skates, which is one thing that's a bit harder to deal with that just width/length issues. In my opinion, the mako has a fairly pronounced arch in it, but is still low volume fitting. I had arch pain for a while, but putting my yellow super feet in eliminated that. I did have to punch the boot our a little bit where my 5th metatarsal bone pops out.

I still say trying Mako EE is 100% worth a try. Get them baked and see how they feel.

[Chadd 916]

I am a D width in the Mako, and I found they fit me very well, coming from the Vapor line. I'd imagine that somebody with a slightly wider foot would do well in the EE Mako, but somebody with a very wide and very flat foot, still might not find Mako's comfortable. I know they are heat moldable to the max, but Mako's are fairly low volume fitting skates, which is one thing that's a bit harder to deal with that just width/length issues. In my opinion, the mako has a fairly pronounced arch in it, but is still low volume fitting. I had arch pain for a while, but putting my yellow super feet in eliminated that. I did have to punch the boot our a little bit where my 5th metatarsal bone pops out.

I still say trying Mako EE is 100% worth a try. Get them baked and see how they feel.

I have very wide feet and have no problems with my Makos. I would agree with trying on as much as you can find in your price range. The new x035 Grafs are a nice boot and come in a couple of different stiffness options at the higher price points. Also, make sure you walk around and stand in the skates for a while when you try them on. Standing in them for a minute or two will never give you an accurate impression as to how they will feel after 20 or 30 minutes on the ice, you need to spend more time in them before you buy them.

[z1ggy 81]

Good to know. And I agree, in store I only had the mako's on for 5-6 minutes after a bake, and felt they were like heaven on my feet. However, after an hour skate the next week, I could feel some sharp points whee my foot was jutting into the boot, and of course the arch didn't quite feel right. But because the boot is so great, it was easily fixed.

Good luck to OP.