VH Footwear/TRUE by Scott Van Horne

[SILVER82 8]

I think last year someone posted a video at the Hockey Expo where a Skate fitter mentioned a Version 4 of the Skate.  Has anyone heard anything about this?  I think I remember in the video they mentioned it was coming out in Aug or something.  The video was taken down pretty quickly though. 

[Sniper9 530]

Didn't realize there has been so much action in this thread since I haven't been getting any notifications. 

Anyways. It's been about ten mths since I got my True skates. I've only been playing about 3x a month since. It wasn't until last month that my skates felt really dialed in. I think it had to do with them finally softening up a touch. The heel lock issues you guys talk about is what I had issues with on my right skate. I used the clamp method with helped but didn't feel as good as my left skates which was perfect. 

I noticed that my right foot over pronates depending on how I position my knee during a lunge position. And bc that's the position I was scanned in, the boot was made with a slightly lower arch than what I needed, and therefore made the right boot feel less locked in around the heel and arch. 

But for whatever reason, it feels a lot better now and I barely even notice it while walking and don't notice it at all on he ice. I do make it a point to kick my heel into the heel cup when putting on my skates. I recommend everyone do this especially during the heat molding process to really make sure your heel gets sucked in. I may eventually re bake the skates doing the heel kick because I never did it originally. But they feel really good for now and after a few months of questioning whether I'd go with true again for my next skates, I can confidently say for me, I would stick with true.

Knowing what I know now about my right foot pronation, I would be sure to position my foot during the scan so that there's more of an arch as well.  

My next project might be to use the graf rms bolts system in place of the traditional rivets. Anyone tried this yet? 

 

Edited September 14, 2018 by Sniper9

[Sniper9 530]

Also wanted to point out how I got my skates fitting the way I wanted. I actually ditched the red footbed and that helped the heel lock quite a bit. I run superfeet carbon only.

Also, I rebaked my tongues by themselves to get rid of the creases from the heat molding process. Once the creases were heated out of the tongues and they turned back to being nice and thick, this also helped with overall fit. The more u bake ur skates just remember the more your tongue takes a beating too, getting crushed by the laces. Heating the tongues only will help thicken them up again. 

[VegasHockey 1280]

On 9/11/2018 at 9:55 AM, SILVER82 said:

I think last year someone posted a video at the Hockey Expo where a Skate fitter mentioned a Version 4 of the Skate.  Has anyone heard anything about this?  I think I remember in the video they mentioned it was coming out in Aug or something.  The video was taken down pretty quickly though. 

I believe they are currently on V4 of the skate as they recently switched to a new carbon weave. 

 

[SILVER82 8]

18 minutes ago, Nicholas G said:

I believe they are currently on V4 of the skate as they recently switched to a new carbon weave. 

 

Thank you for your response.  I would be interested to see some side by side pics of this if anyone has the pictures.  Is that the only change?  Is there anything out on the benefits of the new weave?

[Ten2Four 4]

I did my fitting on Sept 4th and the skates are in production now, so once they arrive I'll post up some pictures.

[xfrost11 0]

Does anyone know if the Step holder installation holes line up with the ones for a Bauer holder? 

[VegasHockey 1280]

1 hour ago, xfrost11 said:

Does anyone know if the Step holder installation holes line up with the ones for a Bauer holder? 

Yes. They do. 

[VegasHockey 1280]

3 hours ago, SILVER82 said:

Thank you for your response.  I would be interested to see some side by side pics of this if anyone has the pictures.  Is that the only change?  Is there anything out on the benefits of the new weave?

I'll snap some today. 

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

Looks to be True Temper-supplied carbon fiber as the weave looks like the one they’re using on the sticks. Makes sense to switch to it. 

[Santos L Halper 90]

On 9/12/2018 at 4:33 PM, jared9356 said:

Would like to hear your overall impression of the skates so far. Maybe you can speak to the questions I had about the liner holding water moreso than other skates. I doubt there has been much wear in a month, but how have they been holding up?

 

On 9/12/2018 at 4:47 PM, Santos L Halper said:

I'll write a much more detailed post tomorrow morning about this (gotta get to the rink, now); but overall I'm very happy.

But, to your specific points, I can say the following:

• Though I don't notice it while I'm skating, I can confidently say that they absolutely do not 'breathe'.  However, do they retain moisture?  I dunno.  Maybe?  I can tell you that my feet are definitely much 'sweatier' after wearing my Trues than they ever were after wearing my TotalOnes.  A phenomenon which has, in turn, led me to be much more conscious about drying my skates out than I ever was with my Bauers  (which probably isn't a bad thing, as I'd like to make these things last a while).  That said, they dry out just fine overnight and I haven't had any issues with putting on wet/sweaty skates unless I'm doing something like an hour on the ice - hour off - back on the ice.  But, in that instance, my Bauers would have been wet, too....
• I have seen absolutely NO signs of wear.  And I'm on the ice a lot (2+ hours a day - 6 days a week).  Granted, I'm coaching, not playing, so your mileage absolutely may vary...but I've not had any issues with durability.  

Anyway.  Off to the rink! More tomorrow!

So...as promised, here's my detailed assessment after about a month of having True skates...

(Sorry it took a little longer than expected - practice, back to school night, and a concert in LA all conspired to keep me away from my computer!!!)

Anyway.

First off, let's get the background demographic information out of the way, as it will affect how I perceive these skates vs. how someone else might.

• I'm a 43 year old guy - about 6'1", 225 lbs. 
• This is my first pair of custom skates - my previous skates were Bauer TotalOne NXGs.  FWIW, I've never worn the Easton Mako.
• I'm on the ice 2+ hours a day, 6 days a week as a full time hockey coach, both coaching teams and doing private lessons.
• Though I played NCAA hockey, I rarely play these days - beer league has no real appeal for me and, quite frankly, I spend enough time at the rink as it is.
• My feet (size 9.5, running shoe) are a little wonky, in that I have a wide forefoot, but a narrow heel and relatively high arches - I also supinate (walk on the lateral side of my feet) slightly.
• The Bauer scan voodoo machine recommends a Vapor in 8 EE for me.  Whatever.  The thought of my heels in a EE skate is nothing short of hilarious.  
• I underwent the True scan process while I was working at a hockey camp in Canada over the summer - the scan was performed by an employee of True, NOT at a Fit Center or by an LHS employee.

Overall Impressions (TL/DR version): 

Overall, I'm very happy.  They really are the perfect skates for me.  They're extremely comfortable while, at the same time, allowing me to perform at a high level when demonstrating both team drills and complicated edgework.  It did, however, take three 'bakes' to get them where I wanted them - but now that they're dialed in....awesome.  The skates are DESIGNED to put your body into the correct position, which means you don't have to think about it - as long as you don't fight the skates, your body 'just goes there'....which, for a coach that demonstrates stuff all the time, is awesome.  That said, it cannot be disputed that True skates are HEAVY.  They weigh almost 21% more per skate than my Bauers and I'm not sure I would like them as much if I were still playing.  But for coaching, I can't imagine a better fitting, more comfortable, better performing skate.

The Fitting/Ordering Process:

As mentioned above, I was scanned in Canada by an ACTUAL TRUE EMPLOYEE, not a LHS employee.  Does this matter?  Maybe.  I don't know.  However, I presume that, as a representative of his company, he actually knows what he's doing.  When scanning, he also took pictures of my feet and noted some areas where I have had discomfort in the past.  Additionally, I filled out a form where I noted my height, weight, current skate size and model, blade holder size, etc...etc...etc...

Now then, there has been much consternation as to whether or not True offers different models of their skate - while I can't definitively answer that; I CAN tell you that, as part of the process, I was asked if I wanted the 'pro' fit or the 'retail' fit.  I asked what the difference was and was told that they're "basically the same skate", but the pro fit is designed to eliminate as much negative space as possible in the boot; while the retail fit leaves some room for thicker socks, etc...since I HATE negative space in my skates, I asked for the pro fit.  Now, as mentioned earlier in the thread, I do have an acquaintance that works at a big box LHS, but since I didn't order my skates from him, I've tried to avoid talking in too many specifics about the actual process of ordering True skates from them.  Put differently, I do not know if you can walk into an LHS or a True fit center and ask for a 'pro fit' skate.  However, it was an option offered to me and I bring it up because it's possible that my experience may differ from that of another skater as a result of my being offered that option.  

Anyway.  Moving on.  

The Delivery/Sharpening/Baking Process: 

My skates were delivered to my door about 2.5 weeks after I ordered them.  First impressions were, "WOW, these are HEAVY!"  And, "Oh look!  The vent holes in the bottom of the boots were drilled by my 3rd grader!"  I know it's tough to drill into carbon fiber, but good Christ, True - invest in some high quality drill bits, put a stainless grommet around the holes, and try to space them evenly.  Other than that, fit and finish were fine.  The stitching in the liner and on the tongue is exemplary and the blade holders (Step) are mounted securely and appear to be straight. Yes, there is some excess epoxy in a few places where the upper is joined to the carbon fiber, but you can't tell unless you're looking for it and, honestly, I chalk that up to the fact that they are a hand-made item. 

Anyway.  The day after receiving them, I took them up to an LHS and had the blades cross-ground and got a 'preliminary' edge put on them.  I then parked them in my Sparx and sharpened them up to my usual 1/2" FBV/Fire spec.  That night, I baked them in my home convection oven at 180 degrees F for 15 minutes, shoe-horned them onto my feet, laced 'em up, and rested there for 20 minutes.  Per the instructions that came with the skates and the videos out there on the internet, I had my wife crimp behind my ankles for the first few minutes of resting.  I then pried them off my feet, cooled them, put them away, and prepared to skate on them the next night.  

The First Skate: 

The first skate was...weird.  And, initially, frustrating.  Not realizing it, during the baking process, I had allowed the eyelets at the top of the boot to fold over too far, so getting them laced up in the coaches' room was an unmitigated disaster.  I finally had to pull them off, lace them up OFF my feet, then shoe-horn them back on.  Ugh.  Not a good start to the evening.  And then I stepped on the ice....

...and STOPPED. DEAD. IN. MY. TRACKS.  It was like I'd skated into a patch of sand or superglue or play-dough.  I had NO glide at all.  I was completely non-plussed and didn't know what to think...so, in classic hockey player fashion, I put my head down and plowed through it.  But, everything was weird.  I wasn't gliding.  I felt like I was falling forward.  I couldn't feel my edges, so I could barely turn - forget about stopping or transitions.  I felt like my right toes were jammed into the front of the boot.  And my heels were skyrocketing off the footbeds with every stride.  Honestly, after about 5 minutes, I thought I'd made a giant (and very expensive) mistake.  

But I kept going.

Once I finally RELAXED into the boots, a semblance of glide returned and I could start to feel my edges again.  I tentatively tried hockey stops, transitions, and cross-overs...no falling, no disasters.  I then tried single foot pivots and Mohawks and came to the startling realization that, biomechanically speaking, these skates are designed like they are for a reason.  If I simply relax and 'go with the skates', my body will naturally settle into a 'good skating position'.  I don't have to think, "bend ankles...bend ankles...bend ankles" when doing a single-foot inside to outside edge pivot, because if I'm not fighting the skates, my ankles are already properly bent.  Same with my knees and hips. 

Encouraged, I kept them on for my second of two back-to-back practices and, by the end of it, I was less worried that I'd made a mistake....but my heels were still shooting off into the stratosphere with every stride.  Also, my feet were SOAKED.  Like, REALLY SOAKED.  Like, wetter than I've ever seen them, coming out of a hockey skate.  If I'd wanted to be gross, I probably could have wrung sweat out of my socks onto the floor of the coaches' room.  But it was late and I didn't want to piss off my buddies, so I shoved them back into my bag, went home, and vowed to rebake in the morning and see if there was anything I could do about the heel-lock problem.

Rebaking...and rebaking again: 

So, I did a rebake and REALLY jammed my heels back into the boots.  I also tied the mid-foot curve tighter to try to lock my ankles back further.  Additionally, I slid some wooden dowels in-between the upper eyelets and the tongue, so that I could keep them from folding over so far.  The next time on the ice was better on the heel lock front and WAY better on the lacing up front, but the overall fit was still not where I wanted it, so I hopped on MSH and read almost all 150-odd pages of the True/VH forum, figuring I'd find some insight.  

MSH (of course) did not disappoint and, I discovered that a combination of tensor (Ace) bandages and small ratchet clamps could be used to press the areas of negative space out of the boots and really emphasize that heel lock.  Equally helpful were posts recommending against baking with the skates laced to the top eyelet, as it can actually CREATE heel-lock problems.  So, I fired up the oven and baked again.  Hoping the third time was the proverbial charm, I wrapped, clamped, left the top eyelet undone...and crossed my fingers.

Oh, and I also sharpened them at a 5/8" FBV/Fire ring because there was NO WAY I needed that deep of a hollow anymore!

On the ice that night, it was honestly like skating in really well fitting slippers - no heel lock issues and zero negative space left in my skates!  I had finally found the perfect coaching skate!!!

Final Thoughts:  

Now, I'm willing to stipulate that at least some of my positive feelings about the skate may be due to the improvement of the StepSteel runners over the stock Bauer runners; and that an additional portion may be because of the placebo effect - i.e. I did SOMETHING (spent money on skates), so my brain is telling me that there was a correlating positive effect. 

Whatever.  I'll take a placebo, because, for me, the best thing about the True/VH skates is that they make it easier for me to do my job. 

I find that in my Trues, my 43 year old body effortlessly slides into proper ankle, knee, and hip alignment with very little in the way of conscious thought on my part.  When I demonstrate drills and complicated edgework, I'm far more confident and I've found that I have to think WAY less about what I'm doing than when I'm in my Bauers.  Now, please don't misunderstand - they won't take a crappy skater and miraculously make him/her a good skater; but if you allow them to do what they're designed to do, they will get out of your way and allow you to 'just skate'. 

But it takes some work to get there.  You have to be willing to bake several times and MacGyver with the fit until you're happy. 

Yeah, yeah, I know - You True haters are foaming at the mouth as you prepare to frantically bash at your keyboards in order to regurgitate everything you keep saying in these threads.  Let me save you the effort.  "Shouldn't they just fit out of the box?!?!?!"  "Why bother with a foot scan if the end product doesn't fit your foot?"  "WHAT'S THE POINT OF PAYING FOR CUSTOM IF YOU HAVE TO TINKER??!??"  And, quite frankly, maybe you have a point.  In most cases, if you buy a 'custom' product, you don't have to attack it with a hacksaw and blowtorch to get it to work.  In this case, however, I'm happy to do all the customizing in the world because I'm able to tweak the fit to what *I* like.  You undoubtedly have a different idea of how a skate should feel than I do...so the fact that we each CAN take a pair of True skates and tweak them to work with our ideas of how a skate should fit is...well, it's pretty damn cool.

Now then, it's not all roses with True, because there is no denying that they are heavy.  True apologists are great at throwing about platitudes -- "a hundred grams per skate isn't much...and if it is, don't skip leg day!"  Yeah.  Okay.  That's funny and all, but it doesn't change the fact that, over the course of a game or a hard practice you have to multiply that "100 grams per skate" by however many strides a player takes.  And it adds up!  Your muscles still have to lift that extra hundred grams and, though I don't notice it while coaching, if I were still playing at a high level, I'm pretty sure I WOULD notice it over the course of three periods.

Anyway.  Once again, it's off to the rink for me (and let's face it, this is long enough as it is...😉)

In the end, I suppose it all comes down to one simple question:  "Would you buy True skates again?"  For me, the answer is, "Absolutely....."

Edited September 15, 2018 by Santos L Halper
Clarity & grammar...

[CaptainFranchise 9]

Probably a complete non-sequiteur, but the EA Sports NHL game has True/VH skates in the game for the first time this year. They were the only holdout with an NHL presence. 

[SILVER82 8]

On 9/14/2018 at 8:15 PM, Santos L Halper said:

 

So...as promised, here's my detailed assessment after about a month of having True skates...

(Sorry it took a little longer than expected - practice, back to school night, and a concert in LA all conspired to keep me away from my computer!!!)

Anyway.

First off, let's get the background demographic information out of the way, as it will affect how I perceive these skates vs. how someone else might.

• I'm a 43 year old guy - about 6'1", 225 lbs. 
• This is my first pair of custom skates - my previous skates were Bauer TotalOne NXGs.  FWIW, I've never worn the Easton Mako.
• I'm on the ice 2+ hours a day, 6 days a week as a full time hockey coach, both coaching teams and doing private lessons.
• Though I played NCAA hockey, I rarely play these days - beer league has no real appeal for me and, quite frankly, I spend enough time at the rink as it is.
• My feet (size 9.5, running shoe) are a little wonky, in that I have a wide forefoot, but a narrow heel and relatively high arches - I also supinate (walk on the lateral side of my feet) slightly.
• The Bauer scan voodoo machine recommends a Vapor in 8 EE for me.  Whatever.  The thought of my heels in a EE skate is nothing short of hilarious.  
• I underwent the True scan process while I was working at a hockey camp in Canada over the summer - the scan was performed by an employee of True, NOT at a Fit Center or by an LHS employee.

Overall Impressions (TL/DR version): 

Overall, I'm very happy.  They really are the perfect skates for me.  They're extremely comfortable while, at the same time, allowing me to perform at a high level when demonstrating both team drills and complicated edgework.  It did, however, take three 'bakes' to get them where I wanted them - but now that they're dialed in....awesome.  The skates are DESIGNED to put your body into the correct position, which means you don't have to think about it - as long as you don't fight the skates, your body 'just goes there'....which, for a coach that demonstrates stuff all the time, is awesome.  That said, it cannot be disputed that True skates are HEAVY.  They weigh almost 21% more per skate than my Bauers and I'm not sure I would like them as much if I were still playing.  But for coaching, I can't imagine a better fitting, more comfortable, better performing skate.

The Fitting/Ordering Process:

As mentioned above, I was scanned in Canada by an ACTUAL TRUE EMPLOYEE, not a LHS employee.  Does this matter?  Maybe.  I don't know.  However, I presume that, as a representative of his company, he actually knows what he's doing.  When scanning, he also took pictures of my feet and noted some areas where I have had discomfort in the past.  Additionally, I filled out a form where I noted my height, weight, current skate size and model, blade holder size, etc...etc...etc...

Now then, there has been much consternation as to whether or not True offers different models of their skate - while I can't definitively answer that; I CAN tell you that, as part of the process, I was asked if I wanted the 'pro' fit or the 'retail' fit.  I asked what the difference was and was told that they're "basically the same skate", but the pro fit is designed to eliminate as much negative space as possible in the boot; while the retail fit leaves some room for thicker socks, etc...since I HATE negative space in my skates, I asked for the pro fit.  Now, as mentioned earlier in the thread, I do have an acquaintance that works at a big box LHS, but since I didn't order my skates from him, I've tried to avoid talking in too many specifics about the actual process of ordering True skates from them.  Put differently, I do not know if you can walk into an LHS or a True fit center and ask for a 'pro fit' skate.  However, it was an option offered to me and I bring it up because it's possible that my experience may differ from that of another skater as a result of my being offered that option.  

Anyway.  Moving on.  

The Delivery/Sharpening/Baking Process: 

My skates were delivered to my door about 2.5 weeks after I ordered them.  First impressions were, "WOW, these are HEAVY!"  And, "Oh look!  The vent holes in the bottom of the boots were drilled by my 3rd grader!"  I know it's tough to drill into carbon fiber, but good Christ, True - invest in some high quality drill bits, put a stainless grommet around the holes, and try to space them evenly.  Other than that, fit and finish were fine.  The stitching in the liner and on the tongue is exemplary and the blade holders (Step) are mounted securely and appear to be straight. Yes, there is some excess epoxy in a few places where the upper is joined to the carbon fiber, but you can't tell unless you're looking for it and, honestly, I chalk that up to the fact that they are a hand-made item. 

Anyway.  The day after receiving them, I took them up to an LHS and had the blades cross-ground and got a 'preliminary' edge put on them.  I then parked them in my Sparx and sharpened them up to my usual 1/2" FBV/Fire spec.  That night, I baked them in my home convection oven at 180 degrees F for 15 minutes, shoe-horned them onto my feet, laced 'em up, and rested there for 20 minutes.  Per the instructions that came with the skates and the videos out there on the internet, I had my wife crimp behind my ankles for the first few minutes of resting.  I then pried them off my feet, cooled them, put them away, and prepared to skate on them the next night.  

The First Skate: 

The first skate was...weird.  And, initially, frustrating.  Not realizing it, during the baking process, I had allowed the eyelets at the top of the boot to fold over too far, so getting them laced up in the coaches' room was an unmitigated disaster.  I finally had to pull them off, lace them up OFF my feet, then shoe-horn them back on.  Ugh.  Not a good start to the evening.  And then I stepped on the ice....

...and STOPPED. DEAD. IN. MY. TRACKS.  It was like I'd skated into a patch of sand or superglue or play-dough.  I had NO glide at all.  I was completely non-plussed and didn't know what to think...so, in classic hockey player fashion, I put my head down and plowed through it.  But, everything was weird.  I wasn't gliding.  I felt like I was falling forward.  I couldn't feel my edges, so I could barely turn - forget about stopping or transitions.  I felt like my right toes were jammed into the front of the boot.  And my heels were skyrocketing off the footbeds with every stride.  Honestly, after about 5 minutes, I thought I'd made a giant (and very expensive) mistake.  

But I kept going.

Once I finally RELAXED into the boots, a semblance of glide returned and I could start to feel my edges again.  I tentatively tried hockey stops, transitions, and cross-overs...no falling, no disasters.  I then tried single foot pivots and Mohawks and came to the startling realization that, biomechanically speaking, these skates are designed like they are for a reason.  If I simply relax and 'go with the skates', my body will naturally settle into a 'good skating position'.  I don't have to think, "bend ankles...bend ankles...bend ankles" when doing a single-foot inside to outside edge pivot, because if I'm not fighting the skates, my ankles are already properly bent.  Same with my knees and hips. 

Encouraged, I kept them on for my second of two back-to-back practices and, by the end of it, I was less worried that I'd made a mistake....but my heels were still shooting off into the stratosphere with every stride.  Also, my feet were SOAKED.  Like, REALLY SOAKED.  Like, wetter than I've ever seen them, coming out of a hockey skate.  If I'd wanted to be gross, I probably could have wrung sweat out of my socks onto the floor of the coaches' room.  But it was late and I didn't want to piss off my buddies, so I shoved them back into my bag, went home, and vowed to rebake in the morning and see if there was anything I could do about the heel-lock problem.

Rebaking...and rebaking again: 

So, I did a rebake and REALLY jammed my heels back into the boots.  I also tied the mid-foot curve tighter to try to lock my ankles back further.  Additionally, I slid some wooden dowels in-between the upper eyelets and the tongue, so that I could keep them from folding over so far.  The next time on the ice was better on the heel lock front and WAY better on the lacing up front, but the overall fit was still not where I wanted it, so I hopped on MSH and read almost all 150-odd pages of the True/VH forum, figuring I'd find some insight.  

MSH (of course) did not disappoint and, I discovered that a combination of tensor (Ace) bandages and small ratchet clamps could be used to press the areas of negative space out of the boots and really emphasize that heel lock.  Equally helpful were posts recommending against baking with the skates laced to the top eyelet, as it can actually CREATE heel-lock problems.  So, I fired up the oven and baked again.  Hoping the third time was the proverbial charm, I wrapped, clamped, left the top eyelet undone...and crossed my fingers.

Oh, and I also sharpened them at a 5/8" FBV/Fire ring because there was NO WAY I needed that deep of a hollow anymore!

On the ice that night, it was honestly like skating in really well fitting slippers - no heel lock issues and zero negative space left in my skates!  I had finally found the perfect coaching skate!!!

Final Thoughts:  

Now, I'm willing to stipulate that at least some of my positive feelings about the skate may be due to the improvement of the StepSteel runners over the stock Bauer runners; and that an additional portion may be because of the placebo effect - i.e. I did SOMETHING (spent money on skates), so my brain is telling me that there was a correlating positive effect. 

Whatever.  I'll take a placebo, because, for me, the best thing about the True/VH skates is that they make it easier for me to do my job. 

I find that in my Trues, my 43 year old body effortlessly slides into proper ankle, knee, and hip alignment with very little in the way of conscious thought on my part.  When I demonstrate drills and complicated edgework, I'm far more confident and I've found that I have to think WAY less about what I'm doing than when I'm in my Bauers.  Now, please don't misunderstand - they won't take a crappy skater and miraculously make him/her a good skater; but if you allow them to do what they're designed to do, they will get out of your way and allow you to 'just skate'. 

But it takes some work to get there.  You have to be willing to bake several times and MacGyver with the fit until you're happy. 

Yeah, yeah, I know - You True haters are foaming at the mouth as you prepare to frantically bash at your keyboards in order to regurgitate everything you keep saying in these threads.  Let me save you the effort.  "Shouldn't they just fit out of the box?!?!?!"  "Why bother with a foot scan if the end product doesn't fit your foot?"  "WHAT'S THE POINT OF PAYING FOR CUSTOM IF YOU HAVE TO TINKER??!??"  And, quite frankly, maybe you have a point.  In most cases, if you buy a 'custom' product, you don't have to attack it with a hacksaw and blowtorch to get it to work.  In this case, however, I'm happy to do all the customizing in the world because I'm able to tweak the fit to what *I* like.  You undoubtedly have a different idea of how a skate should feel than I do...so the fact that we each CAN take a pair of True skates and tweak them to work with our ideas of how a skate should fit is...well, it's pretty damn cool.

Now then, it's not all roses with True, because there is no denying that they are heavy.  True apologists are great at throwing about platitudes -- "a hundred grams per skate isn't much...and if it is, don't skip leg day!"  Yeah.  Okay.  That's funny and all, but it doesn't change the fact that, over the course of a game or a hard practice you have to multiply that "100 grams per skate" by however many strides a player takes.  And it adds up!  Your muscles still have to lift that extra hundred grams and, though I don't notice it while coaching, if I were still playing at a high level, I'm pretty sure I WOULD notice it over the course of three periods.

Anyway.  Once again, it's off to the rink for me (and let's face it, this is long enough as it is...😉)

In the end, I suppose it all comes down to one simple question:  "Would you buy True skates again?"  For me, the answer is, "Absolutely....."

Awesome review. Thank you. I see a lot of comments about the weight of these skates. I currently don’t own trues but have been thinking about it along time. Out of interest I weighed my mako 2 skates individually. Which were 853 grams and 857 grams. Size 8.5 d. I tried to find comparison to trues and from what I can find without shot blockers 830 not sure if size, and with  around 1020grams. Does this seem correct to people in the know. In comparison to as1’s 786 grams.  That only makes the trues 60 grams. I haven’t compared to a lot of others. Is everyone who orders these and complains about the weight getting them with shot blockers. From what I can tell. I’ll be going down in weight if I go to trues bc I don’t think I would get shot blockers. 

[Sk8Stk 39]

On 8/19/2018 at 10:53 PM, Superjet said:

 

 

 

Here's an update from my previous posts.  I used a pair of thinner tongues I had laying around to re-bake the skates so that they would wrap more and give me a tighter fit, along with clamping and using tensor tape.  They still could be a little tighter with less negative space, but they are better than before.  One strange thing about these skates is that the looser I tie them the better they seem to feel. True has offered to shorten the facing on the skates if I can't get them just right. 

 

Felt the need to intervene here as I was the one that primarily worked on this remade pair.

 

I worked closely with Rob at the factory to tweak this new pair to ensure everything would be corrected properly. We were able to tighten the boot specifically in the areas where he was having problems with using the black wick liner per Rob's recommendation, so I opted to default to the expert in that case. Obviously looking at the pictures we need to work further on the boots to tighten up the lace-up overall.

 

That being said, I have been working closely with Scott over the last few months to develop better methods to tighten skates, so if there are still any areas you are struggling with I would strongly recommend you reach out so we can make further adjustments. I have spent multiple, hour long sessions working on the original pair of boots but only got to work on this pair once or twice. 

 

I also want to stress the point that this is what I do professionally, so I am not going to "get sick" of solving problems for customers and am available nearly 24/7 for all of my clients. If you would like to make the trip back, I would be more than happy to work on this pair you are struggling with and attempt to solve your problems further. 

 

 

 

-Tyson @ WSS 

[Sniper9 530]

7 hours ago, Sk8Stk said:

 

Felt the need to intervene here as I was the one that primarily worked on this remade pair.

 

I worked closely with Rob at the factory to tweak this new pair to ensure everything would be corrected properly. We were able to tighten the boot specifically in the areas where he was having problems with using the black wick liner per Rob's recommendation, so I opted to default to the expert in that case. Obviously looking at the pictures we need to work further on the boots to tighten up the lace-up overall.

 

That being said, I have been working closely with Scott over the last few months to develop better methods to tighten skates, so if there are still any areas you are struggling with I would strongly recommend you reach out so we can make further adjustments. I have spent multiple, hour long sessions working on the original pair of boots but only got to work on this pair once or twice. 

 

I also want to stress the point that this is what I do professionally, so I am not going to "get sick" of solving problems for customers and am available nearly 24/7 for all of my clients. If you would like to make the trip back, I would be more than happy to work on this pair you are struggling with and attempt to solve your problems further. 

 

 

 

-Tyson @ WSS 

This is beyond great customer service. 

My next pair will definitely have the wick liner vs the clarino. My feet sweat a lot and the extra grip would be very welcoming.  

[VegasHockey 1280]

16 hours ago, Sk8Stk said:

 

Felt the need to intervene here as I was the one that primarily worked on this remade pair.

 

I worked closely with Rob at the factory to tweak this new pair to ensure everything would be corrected properly. We were able to tighten the boot specifically in the areas where he was having problems with using the black wick liner per Rob's recommendation, so I opted to default to the expert in that case. Obviously looking at the pictures we need to work further on the boots to tighten up the lace-up overall.

 

That being said, I have been working closely with Scott over the last few months to develop better methods to tighten skates, so if there are still any areas you are struggling with I would strongly recommend you reach out so we can make further adjustments. I have spent multiple, hour long sessions working on the original pair of boots but only got to work on this pair once or twice. 

 

I also want to stress the point that this is what I do professionally, so I am not going to "get sick" of solving problems for customers and am available nearly 24/7 for all of my clients. If you would like to make the trip back, I would be more than happy to work on this pair you are struggling with and attempt to solve your problems further. 

 

 

 

-Tyson @ WSS 

Tyson / @Sk8Stk,

Interested to hear what you think about the new ordering process? We just started to switch and I find it way more complicated.  I do like that the form is all digital now but the splitting of the customer portion and the shop portion is a headache. 

Edited September 18, 2018 by Nicholas G

[Sk8Stk 39]

45 minutes ago, Nicholas G said:

Tyson / @Sk8Stk,

Interested to hear what you think about the new ordering process? We just started to switch and I find it way more complicated.  I do like that the form is all digital now but the splitting of the customer portion and the shop portion is a headache. 

I really like the new DEM system personally. I’ll agree it is a bit confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s probably a bit easier than what we had to do prior. I like the fact that if everything is done correctly, the scans automatically update in the customer’s order once emailed, so you get instant confirmation that everything has been received properly. I find that customers have been responding really well to being able to track their orders via email as well. I like keeping customers in the loop as much as possible, so this just adds a bit more polish and professionalism to the whole skate ordering process in my opinion. 

[CigarScott 132]

2 hours ago, Sk8Stk said:

I really like the new DEM system personally. I’ll agree it is a bit confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s probably a bit easier than what we had to do prior. I like the fact that if everything is done correctly, the scans automatically update in the customer’s order once emailed, so you get instant confirmation that everything has been received properly. I find that customers have been responding really well to being able to track their orders via email as well. I like keeping customers in the loop as much as possible, so this just adds a bit more polish and professionalism to the whole skate ordering process in my opinion. 

When did they start allowing customers to track their order via email? I got fitted in June and ordered in July but I had to email Maisy at the factory to find out what the status of them were.

[Sk8Stk 39]

5 minutes ago, CigarScott said:

When did they start allowing customers to track their order via email? I got fitted in June and ordered in July but I had to email Maisy at the factory to find out what the status of them were.

The kinks weren’t really worked out until the last few weeks. All customers fitted by me in NYC the last two weeks have email tracking information, but everyone prior to that has just had traditional order info. I can’t speak for other fit centers, but I have been using the new program full time for the last two weeks. 

[CigarScott 132]

12 hours ago, Sniper9 said:

This is beyond great customer service. 

My next pair will definitely have the wick liner vs the clarino. My feet sweat a lot and the extra grip would be very welcoming.  

You can get multiple liners with True? I don't recall that being offered when I got fitted.

[VegasHockey 1280]

2 hours ago, Sk8Stk said:

I really like the new DEM system personally. I’ll agree it is a bit confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s probably a bit easier than what we had to do prior. I like the fact that if everything is done correctly, the scans automatically update in the customer’s order once emailed, so you get instant confirmation that everything has been received properly. I find that customers have been responding really well to being able to track their orders via email as well. I like keeping customers in the loop as much as possible, so this just adds a bit more polish and professionalism to the whole skate ordering process in my opinion. 

I guess the only thing that customers have mentioned being weird is them submitting payment to True instead of the shop when they go online to schedule a fitting appointment. 

[VegasHockey 1280]

11 minutes ago, CigarScott said:

You can get multiple liners with True? I don't recall that being offered when I got fitted.

They have the wick liner and the clarino liner. 

[CigarScott 132]

9 minutes ago, Nicholas G said:

They have the wick liner and the clarino liner. 

What's the pros and cons of both?

[VegasHockey 1280]

11 minutes ago, CigarScott said:

What's the pros and cons of both?

One is thicker than the other and is also more durable. 

[jared9356 39]

5 hours ago, Nicholas G said:

One is thicker than the other and is also more durable. 

Which is thicker/more durable?