VH Footwear/TRUE by Scott Van Horne

[tcc 9]

Hi everyone,

So I got a call from my LHS that my custom skates were ready. I had ordered the holders unmounted as I wanted to put tuuk lightspeed edge holders on and assumed it would be the same size as my current 2sPro skates (263, 7.5D).

Went there this morning and they showed me that the holders are different (says 280 on the shift max holders).  I questioned why were they so much bigger than my current skate size and they said you can't compare sizing from Bauer and True.

So my question is...is this true?  I'm kind of worried that the boot may be too big, as I've read some posts on here, and True may have screwed up.

I didn't try them on/bake/mold them yet as I'm sticking with the shift max holders/steel and the store still needs to mount them.

tia

Edited October 5, 2022 by tcc

[Vet88 674]

6 hours ago, tcc said:

I didn't try them on/bake/mold them yet as I'm sticking with the shift max holders/steel and the store still needs to mount them.

You don't need holders on a boot to check it for length. Stick your foot in the boot, toes feathering the toe cap and if you can slide a HB pencil down the back of your heel to the bottom of the boot then those puppies are too long for you.

[tcc 9]

18 hours ago, Vet88 said:

You don't need holders on a boot to check it for length. Stick your foot in the boot, toes feathering the toe cap and if you can slide a HB pencil down the back of your heel to the bottom of the boot then those puppies are too long for you.

I thought it would be better to have the whole setup as it should before I did anything 🙂

So the holders were mounted and I was able able to get heat molded.  Everything was great at the store and the skates felt so comfortable.  My toes felt "roomy" and wasn't touching the toe cap like I'm used to on my 2sPros.

At home after I read your comment @Vet88 I did the pencil test.  Although I didn't have a HB pencil I had something close that was around 7-7.5mm in thickness and it just barely fit behind my heel with my toes just feathering the toe cap.  So I think I'm good.  I'm just quite surprised with the difference in holder size (280 true and 263 bauer).

The skates wrap so well that getting in to and out of them are hurting my feet.  I have slight pain/bruising on the tops (see pic, not my feet 🙂 )

Other than that I'm so far liking the skates.

I get to test them out Friday 👏

@FR0GGY33 how is your situation panning out??

Edited October 6, 2022 by tcc

[Vet88 674]

6 hours ago, tcc said:

Although I didn't have a HB pencil I had something close that was around 7-7.5mm in thickness and it just barely fit behind my heel with my toes just feathering the toe cap. 

 

For me, those skates are at least 1/2 size to long (and big everywhere else) and after a few weeks / months of good use I suspect you'd be close to fitting a 1cm thick pencil down the back of the heel (this is around 1 size to big) - ergo I'd be after a remake.

But you may be ok with your toes sitting that far off the toe cap and the boot fits ok everywhere else.

[tcc 9]

Thanks @Vet88 for replying.

I tried the skates on again today and I think I'm pretty good.  With my heels firmly at the back of the boots and laced up I can just barely touch the toe caps.  I must've been doing something differently before 🤷‍♂️.  The boots wrap perfect all around except that one area that I mentioned above.  I had to tweek it a bit so it doesn't hurt my foot going in/out of the skate.

For comparison I put on my 2sPros and boy is there a difference.  My toes are a bit curled when inside but straighten a bit when I start forward flexing.  It was never uncomfortable when skating but comparing it to the Trues these are way more comfortable.

I'll see how it goes when I skate with them tonight.

Edited October 7, 2022 by tcc

[sundinleafs137 13]

I'm Replacing tongues on mt customs after about a year.  Do tongues and/or skates need to be re-baked or should the tongues conform to the foot/skate shape naturally over time?

Edited October 7, 2022 by sundinleafs137

[FR0GGY33 2]

On 10/6/2022 at 9:51 AM, tcc said:

I thought it would be better to have the whole setup as it should before I did anything 🙂

So the holders were mounted and I was able able to get heat molded.  Everything was great at the store and the skates felt so comfortable.  My toes felt "roomy" and wasn't touching the toe cap like I'm used to on my 2sPros.

At home after I read your comment @Vet88 I did the pencil test.  Although I didn't have a HB pencil I had something close that was around 7-7.5mm in thickness and it just barely fit behind my heel with my toes just feathering the toe cap.  So I think I'm good.  I'm just quite surprised with the difference in holder size (280 true and 263 bauer).

The skates wrap so well that getting in to and out of them are hurting my feet.  I have slight pain/bruising on the tops (see pic, not my feet 🙂 )

Other than that I'm so far liking the skates.

I get to test them out Friday 👏

@FR0GGY33 how is your situation panning out??

Hmmm. My toes didn’t touch the end either and felt quite roomy. Not what I was used to compared to my Vapor’s. My skates are on their way back to True for “fit adjustments” (not sure what that means) because they were just too big. I hope you don’t have the same problems. What is your foot like? Would you say it’s low, medium, or high volume? Most of my problems stem from my tiny low volume foot.

[tcc 9]

2 hours ago, FR0GGY33 said:

Hmmm. My toes didn’t touch the end either and felt quite roomy. Not what I was used to compared to my Vapor’s. My skates are on their way back to True for “fit adjustments” (not sure what that means) because they were just too big. I hope you don’t have the same problems. What is your foot like? Would you say it’s low, medium, or high volume? Most of my problems stem from my tiny low volume foot.

I hope I don't have the same problems.  I've done a handful of skating and although it feels great the forefoot area seems roomy compared to what I was used to on my 2sPros where my feet were touching/a little curled at the cap and everywhere else was tight fitting. 

I think I have a medium volume foot as I've always wore Supreme skates but really not sure. But I do remember when I bought my 2sPros a few years back that the sales person measured me and said I could fit into Vapours but I wanted the 2sPros 😄 

@Vet88 I think you might be right that they are possibly a 1/2 size too big.  I just didn't "feel" it until I started skating.

I'm going to go into the shop sometime this week and voice my concerns and see what they say or do.

Just curious, is the shrink wrap only done on the heel/ankle/top boot part or should the shop also do the forefoot?

Edited October 9, 2022 by tcc

[Vet88 674]

4 hours ago, tcc said:

 

@Vet88 I think you might be right that they are possibly a 1/2 size too big.  I just didn't "feel" it until I started skating.

I'm going to go into the shop sometime this week and voice my concerns and see what they say or do.

Just curious, is the shrink wrap only done on the heel/ankle/top boot part or should the shop also do the forefoot?

For the shrink wrap it depends, if the fit isn't great across the forefoot / arch then it should be wrapped also.

A 1/2 size too big is a 1/2 size too big, it doesn't go away. Yes, you can remold the boot and squeeze / wrap / clamp the sides in but then they only stay there if your mechanics are good. If your mechanics aren't good then the boot is going to expand out again quickly. Don't be fobbed off with a rebake, if you believe they are made a 1/2 size too big (this happens all the time) you should be asking for a remake. These are customs skates built to fit your foot and you are paying for this.

[Sniper9 530]

On 10/9/2022 at 11:45 AM, tcc said:

I hope I don't have the same problems.  I've done a handful of skating and although it feels great the forefoot area seems roomy compared to what I was used to on my 2sPros where my feet were touching/a little curled at the cap and everywhere else was tight fitting. 

I think I have a medium volume foot as I've always wore Supreme skates but really not sure. But I do remember when I bought my 2sPros a few years back that the sales person measured me and said I could fit into Vapours but I wanted the 2sPros 😄 

@Vet88 I think you might be right that they are possibly a 1/2 size too big.  I just didn't "feel" it until I started skating.

I'm going to go into the shop sometime this week and voice my concerns and see what they say or do.

Just curious, is the shrink wrap only done on the heel/ankle/top boot part or should the shop also do the forefoot?

Move the tongue lower so it reduces toe box volume and will keep your toes flat while in the boot. This also prevents toes from lifting and curling /pulling away from the end of the toebox. When I moved my tongue down a bit it changed the fit from my toes feathering against the toebox to being pressed up right against it so I had to remove the foam liner in the toe box to create more room since I like my tongue lower. 

Edited October 16, 2022 by Sniper9

[gosinger 122]

So I im in somewhat of a pickle and would like to pick the MSH collective brain on that:

How do I match the effective profile between the following skates, holders and profiles?
(Read: How do I make them feel as similar as possible with regards to skating, so not catching an edge in transitions, etc. I know that the holders have different pitch, boot construction should be close enough on all of them)

The target: True TF9 retail with True Shift holder (263mm), Onyx runner, stock profile - my absolute favorite skate, everything feels perfect.

Skate #1: True v1 custom skate, Step holder (272mm), Step runner unknown profile (2nd hand skate).

Skate #2: VH custom skate, LS Edge holder (263mm), LS3 runner unknown profile (2nd hand skate).

As profiling is not offered for retail customers anywhere in my country, I'll have to ship the steel out and each roundtrip will take significant time. So any suggestions on how to profile/balance skate #1 and #2 to mirror the TF9 setup?

Thanks in advance for any tips or guidance on that topic.

[Sniper9 530]

On 10/7/2022 at 2:14 PM, sundinleafs137 said:

I'm Replacing tongues on mt customs after about a year.  Do tongues and/or skates need to be re-baked or should the tongues conform to the foot/skate shape naturally over time?

I just deal them and let the tongues naturally form to my foot. Tiff can also just bake the tongued itself and such them back on and lace them up for a few minutes

[VegasHockey 1280]

On 10/7/2022 at 2:14 PM, sundinleafs137 said:

I'm Replacing tongues on mt customs after about a year.  Do tongues and/or skates need to be re-baked or should the tongues conform to the foot/skate shape naturally over time?

I would do a new bake. 

[iceman8310 105]

On 10/6/2022 at 12:51 PM, tcc said:

I thought it would be better to have the whole setup as it should before I did anything 🙂

So the holders were mounted and I was able able to get heat molded.  Everything was great at the store and the skates felt so comfortable.  My toes felt "roomy" and wasn't touching the toe cap like I'm used to on my 2sPros.

At home after I read your comment @Vet88 I did the pencil test.  Although I didn't have a HB pencil I had something close that was around 7-7.5mm in thickness and it just barely fit behind my heel with my toes just feathering the toe cap.  So I think I'm good.  I'm just quite surprised with the difference in holder size (280 true and 263 bauer).

The skates wrap so well that getting in to and out of them are hurting my feet.  I have slight pain/bruising on the tops (see pic, not my feet 🙂 )

Other than that I'm so far liking the skates.

I get to test them out Friday 👏

@FR0GGY33 how is your situation panning out??

https://youtu.be/gITaMaJAv8A

[tcc 9]

Thanks for the link.

Although I do put the skates on sideways and have also tweeked that part of the boot with a heat gun, it still hurts a bit. Albeit it's better than it was b4. 👍

Edited October 30, 2022 by tcc

[iceman8310 105]

I had these

These

True

My first VH still have fit me the best and I loved how they responded.   

[Sniper9 530]

On 10/31/2022 at 5:36 AM, iceman8310 said:

I had these

These

True

My first VH still have fit me the best and I loved how they responded.   

U went back to the SB holders? Or were the middle pair's holders replaced most recent 

[iceman8310 105]

On 11/2/2022 at 12:11 AM, Sniper9 said:

U went back to the SB holders? Or were the middle pair's holders replaced most recent 

Yeah I liked them.

 

What the difference between the Catalyst pro custom vs. the SVH custom?

[Westside 232]

6 hours ago, iceman8310 said:

Yeah I liked them.

 

What the difference between the Catalyst pro custom vs. the SVH custom?

Catalyst customs are now like Bauer/CCM where it’s a standard boot with adjusted foams. The SVH is like the traditional True customs with the boot built around your foot. Pretty sure that’s how I understood it 

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

For starters: I'm pretty sure this has been covered before but I tried searching this Topic to no avail.

I just got my first pair of SVH Customs and wanted to have a spare set of Bauer Tuuks (LS Edge) Holders put on. The issue is that I have 288's and they seem to be a little too long for my skates. My gut feeling is to get the 280 Holders. For those that were in a similar situation: what did you end up doing?

[OzziesDad 89]

20 hours ago, 215BroadStBullies610 said:

For starters: I'm pretty sure this has been covered before but I tried searching this Topic to no avail.

I just got my first pair of SVH Customs and wanted to have a spare set of Bauer Tuuks (LS Edge) Holders put on. The issue is that I have 288's and they seem to be a little too long for my skates. My gut feeling is to get the 280 Holders. For those that were in a similar situation: what did you end up doing?

My True's are a size 9.5 and came with 280 Shift holders. 

I had been in various CCM skates for the past couple decades in a size 10/10.5 and all had a 287 holder. 

For whatever reason, I couldn't adjust to the Shift holder and just didn't like it.

I had the XS holders (287) from my FT4 Pro's mounted on the True's and it's been perfect.

I'm actually very happy I did it. It's the most dialed in I've felt in a pair of skates in a very long time.

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

1 hour ago, OzziesDad said:

My True's are a size 9.5 and came with 280 Shift holders. 

I had been in various CCM skates for the past couple decades in a size 10/10.5 and all had a 287 holder. 

For whatever reason, I couldn't adjust to the Shift holder and just didn't like it.

I had the XS holders (287) from my FT4 Pro's mounted on the True's and it's been perfect.

I'm actually very happy I did it. It's the most dialed in I've felt in a pair of skates in a very long time.

That's dope to hear. I don't plan on using the Shift Holder but will probably just buy the 280 LS Edge Holder. The 288 LS Edge Holder just makes me nervous with it's length.

[tcc 9]

On 3/16/2022 at 9:46 PM, Sniper9 said:

It's the loop Velcro on the tongue that is trash. The hook part that's on the boot is actually fine. Two options 

1) permanently sew the tongue on. 

2) replace the loop Velcro on the tongue with Velcro brand industrial loop. 

Ive done option two with great results. I even extended the loop area higher as I like to push the tongue into the toebox. This way theres more surface area for the hook to grab onto when there's an extended piece of loop on the tongue. 

I agree though. The loop on the tongue is pathetic. After a few adjustments they fray. 

So after almost 2 months of getting my skates one of my tongues is not "sticking" to the velcro tab on the boot.  When I pull out or push in the tongue into the boot it becomes detached. So frustrating 😡

@Sniper9did you remove the old velcro from the tongue before sewing on the new one?  Did you use a regular sized sewing needle?

tia

[Sniper9 530]

2 hours ago, tcc said:

So after almost 2 months of getting my skates one of my tongues is not "sticking" to the velcro tab on the boot.  When I pull out or push in the tongue into the boot it becomes detached. So frustrating 😡

@Sniper9did you remove the old velcro from the tongue before sewing on the new one?  Did you use a regular sized sewing needle?

tia

I actually just added a piece above the old Velcro bc I push my tongue pretty far down and there's excess tab that isn't sticking to anything so that worked for me. But you can do either. I would just remove the old though so there isn't added bulk to the tongue. I used a normal needle but it was annoying bc I used adhesive Velcro and the needle got gummed up often. 

I don't know why they still use the shitty loop Velcro that gets frayed so fast. 

[Torikkun 6]

Hi all! Long time lurker of this thread and MSH in general on/off over the years. I'm hoping to get some validation / confirmation for how comfortable / well these skates should fit.

Tldr; Is the fit on these customs supposed to be so good it's almost like wearing sneakers? A well fitted boot? Does this change if the skates are laced up versus not? Is any "breaking in" supposed to be needed?

 

For a little background on why I'm asking... This is the 2nd time I'm trying out the True customs. I unfortunately bought my 1st pair in 2020 right when Covid hit (around when True changed from the old VH to Shift holders), so even though I felt like I had issues with the fit, I never pushed for a remake since so much time passed between me trying out the skates, re-baking them multiple times with different wrapping & clamping methods, trying different insoles etc, that I felt like too much time had passed to ask for a remake. I also learned I have a slight pronation issue so I figured I would try and fix that with unlaced skating before "ruining" a new pair of skates since all my past skates have opened up worse over time and become sloppier due to my pronation. Fast forward to now, I've got my new skates, but the fit is still... not ideal.

In my first customs, my issue was the skate felt too big overall (length, width, and volume, but in varying degrees and foot areas). I have always been able to pull the tongue out and put my foot straight into the boot without having to do any foot twisting / shoehorn use like most people need to. I figured maybe I was just used to a tighter fit was due to my old retail skates being a 0.5-1 size too small. Even with the smaller skates, I've always had heel lock issues because of my skinny ankles (but wider forefoot, so I need a roomier toe box). In the customs, thicker socks helped with the volume, but not the heel lock since it felt like the heel pocket isn't deep enough and the ankle padding didn't seem to go down low enough.

 

When I ordered the 2nd pair, I did a re-scan and we talked about making a note to have the new skates made smaller. These are definitely smaller... but now I'm feeling like my 1st pair is more comfortable. 😰 My toes can feel the front of the boot, but I'm not sure if it's too much since my toes distinctly feel the curve on the bottom-front of the boot. I think the width is better since I don't feel like my feet have room to slide side to side. I do wish there was a slightly more room in the forefoot, but I think this could be easily stretched? The heel lock on these is definitely improved, but only when I lace the skates up. If I try to skate with these unlaced, it still feels like my foot could easily "walk out" of the boot if I lift my foot up too much... I can also still easily put my foot into the boot without twisting my foot.

My other big problem with the heel is that there is hard rubbing in the infamous Bauer bump/Haglund's deformity area. This discomfort does go away after I skate it bit, but I only think it's my foot getting numb to the pain. I've always had this issue with retail skates, which is why I couldn't wear retail Bauers and had to go with CCM. The ankle padding again, feels like it's too high up, so I'm not sure if that's contributing to this hard discomfort. Is the ankle padding supposed to go low enough to cradle the heel where a Bauer bump would form, so that the skates ARE comfortable? (This is what I've always thought, but maybe I'm wrong?)

Between this and the length issue, my feet are uncomfortable to the point where after lacing up, I just can't wait to get these off my feet. 😞 I forced myself to skate the full public skate sessions to make sure I gave these a fair shake. I skipped trying to wear these in a game since I could imagine myself just wanting to rip them off my feet after one shift.

I don't think the shop is doing anything wrong since I've got buddies who got True customs from the same shop and they all love their skates. Maybe I need to be more explicit with my fit issues? I wasn't painfully explicit after the 1st pair since it was hard to tell with the whole boot just being too big, but now that I've gotten a 2nd to compare the two... it seems a little easier to do.