VH Footwear/TRUE by Scott Van Horne

[IPv6Freely 2095]

12 hours ago, iceman8310 said:

Can you use Superfeet with these or stick with the red insole and true insole ?

If they are retail, absolutely. If they are custom, you probably shouldn't. The boot is already shaped to your foot. Kind of defeating the point putting a generic shaped insole into a custom boot. 

[iceman8310 106]

I've had the worst experience with the Trues recently. They didn’t fit, were too big, and didn’t feel as good as a previous pair of True Skates or VH Footwear skates I’ve had in the past. I’m back to square one, and nothing on the market seems to fit. I’m running out of options. The last thing I want to do is settle for something I'm unhappy with, and while I don’t want to hang up the skates for good, it’s starting to feel like that might be the only choice.

I’m not looking for responses like "True Skates worked for me," as that doesn’t really help me right now. Should I visit another store for a new scan and more measurements?

Any suggestions?

[Sniper9 535]

1 hour ago, iceman8310 said:

 

I've had the worst experience with the Trues recently. They didn’t fit, were too big, and didn’t feel as good as a previous pair of True Skates or VH Footwear skates I’ve had in the past. I’m back to square one, and nothing on the market seems to fit. I’m running out of options. The last thing I want to do is settle for something I'm unhappy with, and while I don’t want to hang up the skates for good, it’s starting to feel like that might be the only choice.

I’m not looking for responses like "True Skates worked for me," as that doesn’t really help me right now. Should I visit another store for a new scan and more measurements?

Any suggestions?

You need to elaborate more. We're the latest true skates custom or retail? Have you looked into ccm and Bauer custom? Have you tried at least 2-3 models from ccm and Bauer and with that I mean 2-3 from the tacks, jetspeed, vapor, and supreme lines and not just the top end. 

[iceman8310 106]

3 minutes ago, Sniper9 said:

You need to elaborate more. We're the latest true skates custom or retail? Have you looked into ccm and Bauer custom? Have you tried at least 2-3 models from ccm and Bauer and with that I mean 2-3 from the tacks, jetspeed, vapor, and supreme lines and not just the top end. 

The trues were the svh.  The VH footwear before the plastic toe cap and the first generation true right after the buyout worked.  The Machs fit decent.  The shadow feels terrible.  I’m 6’3 245 so if use a lower end skate I maybe get half a year out of them 

[flip12 717]

On 12/24/2024 at 12:20 AM, iceman8310 said:

 

I've had the worst experience with the Trues recently. They didn’t fit, were too big, and didn’t feel as good as a previous pair of True Skates or VH Footwear skates I’ve had in the past. I’m back to square one, and nothing on the market seems to fit. I’m running out of options. The last thing I want to do is settle for something I'm unhappy with, and while I don’t want to hang up the skates for good, it’s starting to feel like that might be the only choice.

I’m not looking for responses like "True Skates worked for me," as that doesn’t really help me right now. Should I visit another store for a new scan and more measurements?

Any suggestions?

Do you still have your old VH or True boots?

[Westside 243]

I'm a sucker for 3D printed stuff and have a number of items made from 3D printers. When True leaked, then announced, their 3D printed tongues, I was intrigued. Unfortunately, the one time I got to see them in person at a Pure Hockey the velcro patch was already coming off and they were breaking down. And while there have been a bunch of photos posted online, there seemingly hasn't been any feedback, let alone long term feedback to see if they're any good. During holiday shopping for the family I broke down and decided to pick up a pair for myself. Took about 6 weeks to arrive, during which time I proceeded to dislocate my shoulder and get tennis elbow for the first time in the opposite arm so I've been taking time off to try and heal.

Finally took the tongues out for a skate this weekend during Stick and Puck. First initial reaction was that they take up a lot of volume in the boot. I positioned them roughly where the felt t-guard tongues I typically use are, but when I laced up my skates I had almost zero extra lace slack to tie a knot. 

Stepped onto the ice and *whoooosh* I could immediately feel the cold air flow through the tongues. These are definitely not something I'd want to use on the ODR! Flexibility and comfort of the tongue itself felt great. Zero complaints. I don't suffer from lace bit to begin with and that stayed true with these so far as well. As the session went on, I noticed more pressure on the ball of my foot, likely caused by how much more volume was being taken up and how my laces were tied further smashing my foot into my insole. 

Got off the ice at the end of the session and my socks were SOAKED. I'm not sure if it was from sweat or ice shavings getting into the boot. Could be that the felt tongue usually absorbs more of the sweat? I'm not sure, but it was a surprise given how much ventilation I was feeling. 

After getting home I repositioned the tongue up a little higher which will hopefully eliminate the pressure on the ball of my foot. I also put on longer laces that should allow me to tie the lower part of the boot slightly looser while still giving me enough lace up top to tie up all the eyelets. 

Overall, first impressions were extremely positive even though I needed to make tweaks. I still wish I was able to find an FT6 Pro tongue to modify for True boots because that, to me, is the best tongue I've ever used. Either way, I'll try and remember to post feedback once the setup is dialed in as well as longer term feedback with how it holds up. Hope some of you find this helpful

 

[IPv6Freely 2095]

Have a teammate with them, and absolutely loves them. He too noticed the ventilation.

I'm likely sticking with my TF9 for now but when I get my SVH custom next year I absolutely plan on going with those. 

[caseyjones 26]

On 1/12/2025 at 7:57 PM, Westside said:

I'm a sucker for 3D printed stuff and have a number of items made from 3D printers. When True leaked, then announced, their 3D printed tongues, I was intrigued. Unfortunately, the one time I got to see them in person at a Pure Hockey the velcro patch was already coming off and they were breaking down. And while there have been a bunch of photos posted online, there seemingly hasn't been any feedback, let alone long term feedback to see if they're any good. During holiday shopping for the family I broke down and decided to pick up a pair for myself. Took about 6 weeks to arrive, during which time I proceeded to dislocate my shoulder and get tennis elbow for the first time in the opposite arm so I've been taking time off to try and heal.

Finally took the tongues out for a skate this weekend during Stick and Puck. First initial reaction was that they take up a lot of volume in the boot. I positioned them roughly where the felt t-guard tongues I typically use are, but when I laced up my skates I had almost zero extra lace slack to tie a knot. 

Stepped onto the ice and *whoooosh* I could immediately feel the cold air flow through the tongues. These are definitely not something I'd want to use on the ODR! Flexibility and comfort of the tongue itself felt great. Zero complaints. I don't suffer from lace bit to begin with and that stayed true with these so far as well. As the session went on, I noticed more pressure on the ball of my foot, likely caused by how much more volume was being taken up and how my laces were tied further smashing my foot into my insole. 

Got off the ice at the end of the session and my socks were SOAKED. I'm not sure if it was from sweat or ice shavings getting into the boot. Could be that the felt tongue usually absorbs more of the sweat? I'm not sure, but it was a surprise given how much ventilation I was feeling. 

After getting home I repositioned the tongue up a little higher which will hopefully eliminate the pressure on the ball of my foot. I also put on longer laces that should allow me to tie the lower part of the boot slightly looser while still giving me enough lace up top to tie up all the eyelets. 

Overall, first impressions were extremely positive even though I needed to make tweaks. I still wish I was able to find an FT6 Pro tongue to modify for True boots because that, to me, is the best tongue I've ever used. Either way, I'll try and remember to post feedback once the setup is dialed in as well as longer term feedback with how it holds up. Hope some of you find this helpful

 

Those skates are beautiful. I’ve been hunting for a pair on sale to give them a try.  I’m a little nervous bc idk what size I’d be in trues, the last true skates I tried (og version with the step holders) I hated but never skated and I also hate being pitched forward. I’m a reverse pitch kind of guy.  Even though I’d have to swap holders regardless.  How do you like the skates?

[Sniper9 535]

On 1/12/2025 at 4:57 PM, Westside said:

I'm a sucker for 3D printed stuff and have a number of items made from 3D printers. When True leaked, then announced, their 3D printed tongues, I was intrigued. Unfortunately, the one time I got to see them in person at a Pure Hockey the velcro patch was already coming off and they were breaking down. And while there have been a bunch of photos posted online, there seemingly hasn't been any feedback, let alone long term feedback to see if they're any good. During holiday shopping for the family I broke down and decided to pick up a pair for myself. Took about 6 weeks to arrive, during which time I proceeded to dislocate my shoulder and get tennis elbow for the first time in the opposite arm so I've been taking time off to try and heal.

Finally took the tongues out for a skate this weekend during Stick and Puck. First initial reaction was that they take up a lot of volume in the boot. I positioned them roughly where the felt t-guard tongues I typically use are, but when I laced up my skates I had almost zero extra lace slack to tie a knot. 

Stepped onto the ice and *whoooosh* I could immediately feel the cold air flow through the tongues. These are definitely not something I'd want to use on the ODR! Flexibility and comfort of the tongue itself felt great. Zero complaints. I don't suffer from lace bit to begin with and that stayed true with these so far as well. As the session went on, I noticed more pressure on the ball of my foot, likely caused by how much more volume was being taken up and how my laces were tied further smashing my foot into my insole. 

Got off the ice at the end of the session and my socks were SOAKED. I'm not sure if it was from sweat or ice shavings getting into the boot. Could be that the felt tongue usually absorbs more of the sweat? I'm not sure, but it was a surprise given how much ventilation I was feeling. 

After getting home I repositioned the tongue up a little higher which will hopefully eliminate the pressure on the ball of my foot. I also put on longer laces that should allow me to tie the lower part of the boot slightly looser while still giving me enough lace up top to tie up all the eyelets. 

Overall, first impressions were extremely positive even though I needed to make tweaks. I still wish I was able to find an FT6 Pro tongue to modify for True boots because that, to me, is the best tongue I've ever used. Either way, I'll try and remember to post feedback once the setup is dialed in as well as longer term feedback with how it holds up. Hope some of you find this helpful

 

Honestly, ccm holders on trues look mint. They just go so well together. 

As for the tongues, how did you find the stock tongues that came with with the 9x4?  I was a fan of the cat 9 tongues having come from the traditional felt for years. When I tried the traditional felt with my cat pros it felt like it took up way to much volume and I had pinching in areas I never had. 

Maybe a rebake with the 3d tongues will fine tune the fit for you. 

[Westside 243]

17 hours ago, caseyjones said:

Those skates are beautiful. I’ve been hunting for a pair on sale to give them a try.  I’m a little nervous bc idk what size I’d be in trues, the last true skates I tried (og version with the step holders) I hated but never skated and I also hate being pitched forward. I’m a reverse pitch kind of guy.  Even though I’d have to swap holders regardless.  How do you like the skates?

Thank you. I wear the same size as I do in Bauer/CCM. YMMV

1 hour ago, Sniper9 said:

Honestly, ccm holders on trues look mint. They just go so well together. 

As for the tongues, how did you find the stock tongues that came with with the 9x4?  I was a fan of the cat 9 tongues having come from the traditional felt for years. When I tried the traditional felt with my cat pros it felt like it took up way to much volume and I had pinching in areas I never had. 

Maybe a rebake with the 3d tongues will fine tune the fit for you. 

I didn't like the stock tongues because of how long they were compared to my felt tongues. If I positioned them where the t-guard should sit, they took up too much volume in the toebox. If I positioned them so the toe box was comfortable, they stuck up way too much at the top of the boot. I had considered cutting them down about 2", but haven't got around to it. I still prefer the felt tongues. The difference in length is quite obvious: 

Edited January 14 by Westside

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

On 1/12/2025 at 7:57 PM, Westside said:

I'm a sucker for 3D printed stuff and have a number of items made from 3D printers. When True leaked, then announced, their 3D printed tongues, I was intrigued. Unfortunately, the one time I got to see them in person at a Pure Hockey the velcro patch was already coming off and they were breaking down. And while there have been a bunch of photos posted online, there seemingly hasn't been any feedback, let alone long term feedback to see if they're any good. During holiday shopping for the family I broke down and decided to pick up a pair for myself. Took about 6 weeks to arrive, during which time I proceeded to dislocate my shoulder and get tennis elbow for the first time in the opposite arm so I've been taking time off to try and heal.

Finally took the tongues out for a skate this weekend during Stick and Puck. First initial reaction was that they take up a lot of volume in the boot. I positioned them roughly where the felt t-guard tongues I typically use are, but when I laced up my skates I had almost zero extra lace slack to tie a knot. 

Stepped onto the ice and *whoooosh* I could immediately feel the cold air flow through the tongues. These are definitely not something I'd want to use on the ODR! Flexibility and comfort of the tongue itself felt great. Zero complaints. I don't suffer from lace bit to begin with and that stayed true with these so far as well. As the session went on, I noticed more pressure on the ball of my foot, likely caused by how much more volume was being taken up and how my laces were tied further smashing my foot into my insole. 

Got off the ice at the end of the session and my socks were SOAKED. I'm not sure if it was from sweat or ice shavings getting into the boot. Could be that the felt tongue usually absorbs more of the sweat? I'm not sure, but it was a surprise given how much ventilation I was feeling. 

After getting home I repositioned the tongue up a little higher which will hopefully eliminate the pressure on the ball of my foot. I also put on longer laces that should allow me to tie the lower part of the boot slightly looser while still giving me enough lace up top to tie up all the eyelets. 

Overall, first impressions were extremely positive even though I needed to make tweaks. I still wish I was able to find an FT6 Pro tongue to modify for True boots because that, to me, is the best tongue I've ever used. Either way, I'll try and remember to post feedback once the setup is dialed in as well as longer term feedback with how it holds up. Hope some of you find this helpful

 

Where did you pick those up they look really good. 

[start_today 772]

What’s the advantage of them being 3D printed? Are the tongues somehow customized to you? 

[IPv6Freely 2095]

3 hours ago, start_today said:

What’s the advantage of them being 3D printed? Are the tongues somehow customized to you? 

They aren't. They have a lattice pattern that makes up a lot of the tongue. Makes them lightweight, great airflow, and zero moisture retention. The lattice pattern would be difficult to do without being 3d printed.

[Westside 243]

14 hours ago, start_today said:

What’s the advantage of them being 3D printed? Are the tongues somehow customized to you? 

Nope. I’d compare them to the retail Tacks X helmet (which I also have). The lattice structure conforms to pretty much any shape and allows a lot of air flow. Other than that… gimmicky because they can do it? 
TBD if I leave them on these skates or put them onto my TF9 inline skates. Probably makes more sense to have the tongues for roller for the breathability outdoors 

[flip12 717]

@Westside how much do they weigh compared to your other tongues?

[Westside 243]

16 hours ago, flip12 said:

@Westside how much do they weigh compared to your other tongues?

No clue. Don’t have a scale that would weigh something this light and it honestly never crossed my mind 

[flip12 717]

7 hours ago, Westside said:

No clue. Don’t have a scale that would weigh something this light and it honestly never crossed my mind 

😮 How do you even make your coffee then?

[Westside 243]

8 hours ago, flip12 said:

😮 How do you even make your coffee then?

I... uh... don't drink coffee 🤯

[flip12 717]

18 hours ago, Westside said:

I... uh... don't drink coffee 🤯

How? How do you get through the day?

[Westside 243]

A lot of water 

Edited January 18 by Westside

[IPv6Freely 2095]

Ew, david.

[Westside 243]

On 1/12/2025 at 4:57 PM, Westside said:

I'm a sucker for 3D printed stuff and have a number of items made from 3D printers. When True leaked, then announced, their 3D printed tongues, I was intrigued. Unfortunately, the one time I got to see them in person at a Pure Hockey the velcro patch was already coming off and they were breaking down. And while there have been a bunch of photos posted online, there seemingly hasn't been any feedback, let alone long term feedback to see if they're any good. During holiday shopping for the family I broke down and decided to pick up a pair for myself. Took about 6 weeks to arrive, during which time I proceeded to dislocate my shoulder and get tennis elbow for the first time in the opposite arm so I've been taking time off to try and heal.

Finally took the tongues out for a skate this weekend during Stick and Puck. First initial reaction was that they take up a lot of volume in the boot. I positioned them roughly where the felt t-guard tongues I typically use are, but when I laced up my skates I had almost zero extra lace slack to tie a knot. 

Stepped onto the ice and *whoooosh* I could immediately feel the cold air flow through the tongues. These are definitely not something I'd want to use on the ODR! Flexibility and comfort of the tongue itself felt great. Zero complaints. I don't suffer from lace bit to begin with and that stayed true with these so far as well. As the session went on, I noticed more pressure on the ball of my foot, likely caused by how much more volume was being taken up and how my laces were tied further smashing my foot into my insole. 

Got off the ice at the end of the session and my socks were SOAKED. I'm not sure if it was from sweat or ice shavings getting into the boot. Could be that the felt tongue usually absorbs more of the sweat? I'm not sure, but it was a surprise given how much ventilation I was feeling. 

After getting home I repositioned the tongue up a little higher which will hopefully eliminate the pressure on the ball of my foot. I also put on longer laces that should allow me to tie the lower part of the boot slightly looser while still giving me enough lace up top to tie up all the eyelets. 

Overall, first impressions were extremely positive even though I needed to make tweaks. I still wish I was able to find an FT6 Pro tongue to modify for True boots because that, to me, is the best tongue I've ever used. Either way, I'll try and remember to post feedback once the setup is dialed in as well as longer term feedback with how it holds up. Hope some of you find this helpful

 

Quick update on the 3D printed tongues as I've now had 4 sessions in them. I'm still on the fence about these tongues for the long run. The tweaks I made after the first use made them work much better. I still get a little bit of pressure around the ball of my foot by about the 3rd period of a game. Socks still get soaked. I do think they'll work better in my pair of TF9 since the toe box area is much larger and this will take up some of that space without putting pressure on my foot. Since the TF9 are for roller, I think the ventilation benefits will work better too. 

I did end up cutting off a few inches of the stock 9X4 tongue and tried them out for a few hours on the ODR. Shortening them to the height of the felt tongues made a tremendous impact in comfort for me. If I do decide to put the 3D printed tongues on my inline, I'm going to give the stock tongues another shot on my ice skates. 

Can't really tell on the photos, but I threw a stitch down at the end like they come from the factory to ensure nothing unravels. At some point I'll likely shave down some of the foam so it tapers a bit and then use a nicer cross stitch so it appears more finished and less DIY

[Sniper9 535]

3 hours ago, Westside said:

Quick update on the 3D printed tongues as I've now had 4 sessions in them. I'm still on the fence about these tongues for the long run. The tweaks I made after the first use made them work much better. I still get a little bit of pressure around the ball of my foot by about the 3rd period of a game. Socks still get soaked. I do think they'll work better in my pair of TF9 since the toe box area is much larger and this will take up some of that space without putting pressure on my foot. Since the TF9 are for roller, I think the ventilation benefits will work better too. 

I did end up cutting off a few inches of the stock 9X4 tongue and tried them out for a few hours on the ODR. Shortening them to the height of the felt tongues made a tremendous impact in comfort for me. If I do decide to put the 3D printed tongues on my inline, I'm going to give the stock tongues another shot on my ice skates. 

Can't really tell on the photos, but I threw a stitch down at the end like they come from the factory to ensure nothing unravels. At some point I'll likely shave down some of the foam so it tapers a bit and then use a nicer cross stitch so it appears more finished and less DIY

I actually did this mod on the traditional felt with t guard true tongues in my Bauer matrix skates I converted to inline. The stock tongues had wear on the edge of the felt which gave me a hot spot on the outside of my shin around the cuff area on the boot. So I bought some true tongues, but in order for the middle of the t guard to line up with the flex point of the skate, I had to shorten the tongue which I did by cutting AND tapering the bottom of the tongue so it would feel more stock like. It worked great as I kept the Velcro system. I kept a flap of material from the stock tongues and added a hook velcro on that so I didn't have to sew into the toe box. 

Looking back, I actually think the cat 9 or 9x4 tongue you have would've worked better in terms of overall volume. The traditional felt with t guard is quite thick but it still worked fine overall, and it's only for inlines that I wear like 5-6 times a year at most. 

I also was able to look at the 3d tongues in store and they do seem very thick. And the fact that they don't look like they break in really at all, seems like of it doesn't feel right off the bat it's likely not going to get much better over time. 

[Westside 243]

I feel like the current style felt t-guard true sells is thicker than the older version. I didn’t measure the two so it could be perception and not reality. 
 

3D lattice structures can break in a bit with use, but every product breaks in differently. I’ll try to play a game of roller next weekend and test them out on the TF9

[Sniper9 535]

12 hours ago, Westside said:

I feel like the current style felt t-guard true sells is thicker than the older version. I didn’t measure the two so it could be perception and not reality. 
 

3D lattice structures can break in a bit with use, but every product breaks in differently. I’ll try to play a game of roller next weekend and test them out on the TF9

I'm assuming you molded the skates with the 3d tongues? Can't rmbr if you mentioned that in the original post. But if it was baked with the original tongues they are slimmer, the 3d tongues for sure would feel super tight.