What to do if skates feel different on left and right feet

[lmooney19 5]

Recently got some x900s, got them baked and have been wearing them around the house.  One thing Ive noticed is how the heel feels different from one foot to another. As a normal human being, i dont have the means to get 2 different size skates and I also am not a millionaire without student loans so VH is out of reach at this point.

Since Ive only worn them around the house, will the skates naturally adapt to each foot after some serious break in time on ice, or will I have to figure out some creative solutions?

[krisdrum 223]

What feels different?  1 lifts, the other doesn't?  Tighter/looser side to side?  Sounds like you'll need to try to do some local heat treatment to get them to conform a bit more to their host feet.

Not sure where you think different size boots come into the equation, unless you are having issues with the length.  But that is not what it sounds like based on your description.

 

[lmooney19 5]

No lift, one just seems to have a little more room.

[lmooney19 5]

Could be a result of bone spurs i have on both heels.  One may be large.  

[krisdrum 223]

You have a few options.  I have bone spurs as well.  Some of these I've tried, some I've only read about.

1) Re-bake the boot that feels a bit loose or use a heat gun just to spot heat the heel and try to massage the boot to conform a bit more.  I would recommend looking into the "elastic bandage" process to help keep pressure on the boot while it re-cools.  You can also use a ratchet clamp to squeeze the sides in if you need to narrow the heel  (I've tried both methods several times with pretty good success)

2) Have the heel(s) punched.  You'd probably want your LHS to do that work.  Not sure if a Vapor heel will be "punch-able", but worth a shot.  I had this done with my Grafs and it made a big difference.

3) Bunga Achilles Pads (or similar heel sleeves), these are designed to provide a bit of cushion to the heel and they take up a bit of negative space you seem to be feeling.  I haven't tried these yet, but they are on my list if I can't get my Makos to suction my heels a bit better. 

[goalieman39 37]

4 hours ago, krisdrum said:

2) Have the heel(s) punched.  You'd probably want your LHS to do that work.  Not sure if a Vapor heel will be "punch-able", but worth a shot.  I had this done with my Grafs and it made a big difference.

With all the time I've spent working in a shop I have never had this work with Vapors.  However, your first point could really, really help.

[puckpilot 312]

The different skates feeling different thing is fairly common for me and from my hockey friends. My left foot almost always feels fine while my right always needs fine tuning. 

I don't have much to add to what's been suggested above, but I can say that with my last pair of skates, I needed bunga pads at first, but after they broke in, I didn't need anything. Your millage may vary. IMHO as long as the general fit is good, and you're not under extreme discomfort, or getting blisters, either you'll get used to the different feel or the skate will conform. But there's no harm in trying anything that doesn't change the skate permanent. Maybe start with a different lacing style.

It's one of things i tried recently and it made a huge difference in heel lock and stability for me. 

[lmooney19 5]

26 minutes ago, puckpilot said:

The different skates feeling different thing is fairly common for me and from my hockey friends. My left foot almost always feels fine while my right always needs fine tuning. 

I don't have much to add to what's been suggested above, but I can say that with my last pair of skates, I needed bunga pads at first, but after they broke in, I didn't need anything. Your millage may vary. IMHO as long as the general fit is good, and you're not under extreme discomfort, or getting blisters, either you'll get used to the different feel or the skate will conform. But there's no harm in trying anything that doesn't change the skate permanent. Maybe start with a different lacing style.

It's one of things i tried recently and it made a huge difference in heel lock and stability for me. 

Ive been thinking about doing this.  What lacing patterns do you suggest?  Where can i find a guide to different patterns?

 

Thanks in advance

[lmooney19 5]

Also while im on the topic, is there a benefit to unwaxed laces vs waxed?  Ive used waxed for so long, i cant even remember using unwaxed, but Ive noticed a lot of guys use unwaxed?  What are the advantages?

[puckpilot 312]

Here's a website I went through when I was experimenting. 

https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/lacingmethods.htm

As for which pattern, it depends on what issues you have. Some patterns give more volume, others address lace bite, etc. 

For me, I found this unique lacing pattern on another site that looked kind of crazy but worked. It's hard to explain with just words but when I get home I'll snap a few picks and do another post. 

[stick9 881]

4 hours ago, lmooney19 said:

Also while im on the topic, is there a benefit to unwaxed laces vs waxed?  Ive used waxed for so long, i cant even remember using unwaxed, but Ive noticed a lot of guys use unwaxed?  What are the advantages?

First of all, don't do anything until you skate in them a few times. Walking around the house is not a good way to judge a fit. Just spend some time skating in them.

Waxed vs unwaxed. I was told unwaxed tend to give a little so the skate doesn't seem so stiff. I didn't listen and went with waxed and ended up with lace bite. I swapped to a wider unwaxed lace and problem solved. I've switched back to waxed since it was all I had and the boot does feel a lot stiffer. Something to think about.

[puckpilot 312]

I would agree skating is the true test for fit.

As I mentioned earlier, here's the way I do my skates.

The pic is pretty self explanatory. Make a loop between the third and four eyelets.

 

From there, skip over the second eyelet and thread the lace through the top. 

 

Now bring the laces down and thread them through the loops then tie.

 

This is the end result. I find that it pulls the upper boot tight for good support laterally but the deep V formed by skipping the 2nd eyelet gives you a lot more forward flexion. And lastly the runner's knot loop helps push the heel down and gives you a better heel lock. A side benefit to his is I find it's easier to tie the top of my skates now. The only time I do a hard tug is right before I tie the knot. That one tug tightens everything, so when I need to adjust my skates during a game, I can do it in between shifts, because simply undoing the knot loosens the top, and one tug tightens it all up again. Any way,  this gives you some options to try, so you figure out what gives you the best feel. 

 f

[stick9 881]

17 hours ago, lmooney19 said:

Ive been thinking about doing this.  What lacing patterns do you suggest?  Where can i find a guide to different patterns?

 

Thanks in advance

Just a quick comment. Not a right or wrong type of thing, we all do what works for us.

If you are trying to dial in your fit, don't change a bunch of things all at once. Change one thing, try it, if it doesn't work, switch it back and try something else.