VH Footwear/TRUE by Scott Van Horne

[Sniper9 530]

On 2/23/2018 at 11:57 PM, chocks86 said:

Here are the pics. The entire lining is not separating from the boot, its is more so the outer layer of material of the liner that wore away. I did not use a shoe horn when getting them baked, but I had looked at the liner and inspected the rest of the skate, and everything looked ok. Keep in mind that this was the first time I whore this particular pair of skates, as I had them remade after my last issue with the carbon fiber, which they did not fully fix anyway. It looks better but there is still an issue with it. You would think that after having the skates sent back and remade they would have paid particular attention to the concern I had in the first place. I have pretty much gotten over that issue as it is only cosmetic and I would probably be fighting a losing battle but this new problem definitely concerns me, as I don't want it to get any worse.  

 

 

 

 

From these pics it looks fine. I think this whole ordeal has gotten you to knit pick every little detail. I am pretty sure mine are probably the same way as that area is a high traffic area for rubbing. 

As for the carbon fiber issue on the heel of your skate, are you sure they did a complete rebuild or did they just try to fix the skate. Can you post pics or that?

[chocks86 82]

So, I might be more picky about things than most other people, but my thought is that I spend hard earned money on nice and expensive things that I would like to last for a good while. Simple fact of the matter is, on a high end skate that True is supposed to be, the outer liner material or whatever you want to call it, should not be wearing away after one game. If that doesn't bother other people than that's great, more power to them, I really do honestly hope they are happy with their skates. For me, I will be fine with it and enjoy the skates, as long as it doesn't get any worse. I do have concerns with the durability of the skate at this point in time, but I don't understand how that deserves a face palm. Anyway, I will stop talking about it as I have made my situation and concerns obviously known by now.  

Edited February 25, 2018 by chocks86

[Sniper9 530]

My comment didn't mean to be negative. You have every right to be concerned about whatever it is, as you're the one spending quite a bit of money on something and have your own level of expectation.  Like you said, if it doesn't get worse it's all good and only time will tell. Hopefully for you it'll be ok. At the same time, true does offer a 6 mth warranty period with is double of other manufacturers, which means the stand behind their products. 

I am curious how the remake looks like though if you don't mind posting a picture of that. 

[chocks86 82]

Sniper, I completely understand your point and my last comment wasn't really about your previous comments. It was about the face palm I received by another. It is no big deal, I just thought is was funny. 

I will post some pictures later this evening when I get a chance, but I have to get some sleep. I work overnights and should have already been to bed hours ago. I was just waiting to see what kind of trades in the NHL were going down today. 

Thanks for the friendly discussion and advice. 

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

That for sure is glue residue. Sometimes it can seep out after a baking when not there when you first see it. I can assure you that will not be an issue at all. I thought you were talking about the flap on the tendon guard that flips up to make it easier to change.  

[Buddy 7]

Anyone run into heating up their True skates a second time? My right skate feels like it could be tighter in the heel. Feel like after some time on the ice my foot feels like there is movement. Going to try and have it heated again, and have them squeeze the heel a little to tighten it. Just curious if anyone else ran into similar occurrence.

[VegasHockey 1280]

21 minutes ago, Buddy said:

Anyone run into heating up their True skates a second time? My right skate feels like it could be tighter in the heel. Feel like after some time on the ice my foot feels like there is movement. Going to try and have it heated again, and have them squeeze the heel a little to tighten it. Just curious if anyone else ran into similar occurrence.

I highly recommend suing ratchet clamps when baking if you want to get the best fit possible. You can buy them from your local Home Depot or Lowes, or if there is a Harbor Freight near you there are substantially cheaper. I purchased mine from Harbor Freight for about $4.99 each. 

[VegasHockey 1280]

On 2/25/2018 at 6:39 AM, Sniper9 said:

From these pics it looks fine. I think this whole ordeal has gotten you to knit pick every little detail. I am pretty sure mine are probably the same way as that area is a high traffic area for rubbing. 

As for the carbon fiber issue on the heel of your skate, are you sure they did a complete rebuild or did they just try to fix the skate. Can you post pics or that?

I also would like to see an updated pic of the heel. 

[Sniper9 530]

2 hours ago, Buddy said:

Anyone run into heating up their True skates a second time? My right skate feels like it could be tighter in the heel. Feel like after some time on the ice my foot feels like there is movement. Going to try and have it heated again, and have them squeeze the heel a little to tighten it. Just curious if anyone else ran into similar occurrence.

I used the clamp method on my right skate. Also after some time it could be due to the padding in the skate getting slightly more compressed, thus making the skate feel less snug. Also, I noticed when I start to sweat alot, it causes some feeling off slippage for me. 

When I contacted true, they advised the skates can be baked up I think nine times? I can't remember the actual number but it was well over three times for sure. 

Edited February 26, 2018 by Sniper9

[Buddy 7]

5 minutes ago, Sniper9 said:

I used the clamp method on my right skate. Also after some time it could be due to the padding in the skate getting slightly more compressed, thus making the skate feel less snug. Also, I noticed when I start to sweat alot, it causes some feeling off slippage for me. 

When I contacted true, they advised the skates can be baked up I think nine times? I can't remember the actual number but it was well over three times for sure. 

Yes I have noticed it when I start to sweat a lot, or sometimes I am reffing multiple games in a row. Usually a little tighten of the skate helps. But I will certainly look into going to the hockey shop to reheat and use a clamp to get a tighter fit.

[Sticktape 8]

On 2017-09-19 at 12:00 PM, calby8 said:

Picked up my skates on Saturday! Initial thoughts/review...

Keep in mind these are my first custom/VH/True skates

• The weight picking them up by hand was lighter than I expected, maybe I overestimated the weight after reading everywhere they were on the heavier side. I also came from Bauer Supreme 170s (I'm not sure of the weight difference or put either of them on a scale yet)
• Putting them on for the first time, before baking, freaked me out at first, because I could barely get them on my feet. This is because I have duck feet, flat, very wide forefoot, very narrow heel, and they expand a lot when putting weight on my foot, so the boot wraps so much around my flat foot getting the forefoot through narrow part took effort. Unlace the top 4 eyelets or so, pull out the tongue, stretch the boot wider, (as mentioned in the True YouTube instructional video) broke a little sweat, and they were on.
• When my feet were in, the wait was worth it, the heel lock is absolutely amazing, the outline around my foot is spot on. Because of the great fit they definitely "felt lighter" than any skate I've tried on before. The fit felt so good, I felt like I could play without laces or tightening laces at all.
  • • As Iskander mentioned above, I am surprised the width and length seem slightly big, but when I stood up and put pressure on my expanding fat foot, I can't really complain. Of course spending that much on skates for the first time I didn't know how much perfection to expect.
    • Baking them was pretty crazy, they went from a perfectly stiff boot, after putting them in the oven I had no problem getting my feet in the skates when they were warm, then they were back to being a perfectly stiff boot and fit even better.
    • There is some space in the toe box, definitely a lot less than any other skates I've tried on. I guess if there was any less space in the True toe box they might look like Chuck Taylor high tops, in general I have always wondered the reason for space in the toe box. I did try putting Powerfoot inserts inside and it was a tight squeeze, the inserts would have to break in to feel great. I could use the thin shim Powerfoot also provides instead, but I'd also be fine not using any insert at all.
    • The guy at Monkey Sports and I agreed, one of the areas True/VH probably saved some costs was the insole. Luckily, I swapped my old Bauer Speed Plates from my old skates and re-molded them to the inside of the True Skates. Not necessary, but I liked it better.
• When I took them home, I took them on and off a couple more times, it was still a struggle, it crossed my mind I needed to use some slick socks, skate barefoot or use some kind of oil to get my feet in and out of the skates until they were broken in. ha :/
  • Since the eyelets on my skates are practically molded on top of my foot (due to my wide flat feet) it was a little tiresome lacing and unlacing the skates, I took the recommendation from another one of the True YouTube videos, I took a heat gun to the eyelets and slowly bent them outward a bit and it worked great after, problem solved. (After this I was able to get my skates on using dress socks, still with a lot of effort) After that I was done tinkering for the day.

On to last night's game...First game with the skates, no practice session, 5 minute warmup, initial thoughts...

• I showed up early since I didn't know how long it would take to put my skates on, and I was happily suprised, no hassle getting my feet in and lacing them up! I guess they just needed a little break in or some practice getting them on and off. On the flip side, going back to the fit (referred to above), the skates now felt looser than before, I needed to tighten my laces after all. However, I didn't have to loosen and tighten and re-tie a bunch of times all game to find a comfortable fit, as I would usually do with past skates,at least I can go back to my hockey socks after one game instead of using super thin dress socks. ;)
• During warmup and the game, I did not feel any pain in areas I usually expect, it took very little time to getting used to the skates and finding my footing, I felt great starting/stopping, crossovers, cuts, lateral movement, things I normally do, but felt better and more confident due to the custom fit. I was also confident trying different/new things with ease during the game I practice during stick time, but wouldn't normally do during a game.
  • Since the side of boots are cut lower, in my opinion, I love the additional range of motion/articulation. The longer contoured thick felt tongue and tendon guard on the True skates also offset any worries I had getting too wobbly.

End result so far...first hat trick in two years!

I felt great out there all game, some of it is probably due to being stoked on new skates, but I had zero foot pain, and many might agree, sometimes how well I play depends a lot on how bad my feet hurt on any given night. There was no lace bite, no heel lift, no extreme forefoot pressure. It must have reduced a lot leg fatigue and unnecessary exerted energy because I could skate harder and play more minutes, my legs and cardio felt fine after the the game.

I'll be back with with pictures and another update after a couple more games. One thing I noticed about the aesthetics of the skates, since I haven't ever seen a pair in person before I bought them, is some the handmade characteristics of the skate. In my opinion, they design looks really clean in person, I got a few compliments from my teammates, but if you really want to look closely at the detail it is both impressive and yet the stitching and pieces put together isn't exactly picture perfect cookie cutter looking like Bauer, CCM manufactured skates. It is slightly different than what I'm used to seeing, but I'm okay with it as long as they last!

I weighed the skates and the difference between the Trues and the Bauer Vapor 1x’s was 165 grams.  The Trues were slightly heavier. 

[Zac911 317]

6 hours ago, Sticktape said:

I weighed the skates and the difference between the Trues and the Bauer Vapor 1x’s was 165 grams.  The Trues were slightly heavier. 

Please keep in mind that every skate they build is the same... They are all made to Pro Spec.  There is no Retail Shelf Model and Pro Model.

[shoot_the_goalie 281]

Looking to order some extra tongues for my Trues.  Anyone use the metatarsal tongues and have pics of them?  Anyone prefer them over the standard tongues?

Edited February 28, 2018 by shoot_the_goalie

[Larry54 243]

On 2/26/2018 at 11:46 AM, Buddy said:

Anyone run into heating up their True skates a second time? My right skate feels like it could be tighter in the heel. Feel like after some time on the ice my foot feels like there is movement. Going to try and have it heated again, and have them squeeze the heel a little to tighten it. Just curious if anyone else ran into similar occurrence.

There are a few posts from this thread starting here which might interest you:

 

Edited March 3, 2018 by Larry54

[Playmakersedge 58]

On 2/22/2018 at 3:33 PM, laserrobottime said:

It's on the inside of the skate...

There is a heat activated adhesive that is applied like a tape. Squeezed and heated to activate . Or I hear the skate goes on hard when putting them on after the bake. They may have put that there to prevent the insole / foot bed from sliding  

[Playmakersedge 58]

24 minutes ago, Larry54 said:

There are a few posts from this thread starting here which might interest you:

 

I want someone to try vacuum bags 

[laserrobottime 149]

17 hours ago, Playmakersedge said:

I want someone to try vacuum bags 

I have old Shimano cycling shoe bags and a vacuum pump...this may be awesome.

[JR Boucicaut 3799]

Go back 25 years.  CCM did it with the Vacutack.

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

On 28/02/2018 at 10:25 PM, Playmakersedge said:

I want someone to try vacuum bags 

Weststar in Mississauga has it and uses it on all fits. I had a customer with an odd issue. I sent him there amd it worked to fix his issue. 

[VegasHockey 1280]

I didn't find many video reviews of the True skates so I decided to make an unboxing video. I am also going to record a video on baking them and profiling the steel. Will also make on ice reviews and some others videos as well depending on what people want to see. I

I would have merged this with the main True/VH thread but felt it was unique and as such should have its own thread. 

 

 

[VegasHockey 1280]

On 2/28/2018 at 2:18 PM, shoot_the_goalie said:

Looking to order some extra tongues for my Trues.  Anyone use the metatarsal tongues and have pics of them?  Anyone prefer them over the standard tongues?

I have them. You can see them in my video.

 

[VegasHockey 1280]

On 2/27/2018 at 10:59 AM, Sticktape said:

I weighed the skates and the difference between the Trues and the Bauer Vapor 1x’s was 165 grams.  The Trues were slightly heavier. 

165 grams is substantial. Did they both have Tuuk runners with Step steel? Steel is usually the biggest weight factor in skates. 

[VegasHockey 1280]

On 2/26/2018 at 12:11 PM, Sniper9 said:

I used the clamp method on my right skate. Also after some time it could be due to the padding in the skate getting slightly more compressed, thus making the skate feel less snug. Also, I noticed when I start to sweat alot, it causes some feeling off slippage for me. 

When I contacted true, they advised the skates can be baked up I think nine times? I can't remember the actual number but it was well over three times for sure. 

I did an unboxing and initial Impressions review of True skates but will be doing a baking and profiling video this weekend. I like to use a tension wrap and clamps anytime I bake my skates. 

[Sticktape 8]

36 minutes ago, Nicholas G said:

165 grams is substantial. Did they both have Tuuk runners with Step steel? Steel is usually the biggest weight factor in skates. 

Yes both pair had Tuuk runners, I didn’t have the steel in when I weighed them as I was able to use the same size steel steel in the True Skate.. 165 g is approx 1/3 of a pound but the comfort is worth the added weight.  

[number_22 2]

Recently got back into playing hockey and was in need of new skates, so I decided to go for the True's, some custom appointments on these:

Looking forward to test them asap.

What's the opinion, do these have to be baked, or can they be used straight out of the box?