Is it Just Me?

[MDE3 0]

Is it just me, or has the whole industry given up on making durable skates, realizing that so many will buy the new models when they come out? Is the Hockey Industry figuring they no longer need to make skates that will last 10 years, because so many will change just to have the latest hype....some of which works and some of which is just hype.

Have we all become victims of marketing?

[JGraz15 55]

I think the way skates are made are just totally different today. Skates are much lighter, more supportive, and better preforming than ever before. Part of the price you pay is going to be durability. I am currently skating in Bauer 7000's and probably could keep the same pair for the next ten years, but realistically, the skate will turn soft. My liner is durable and the skate is well made, but the support that goes along with a new skate will go away. I just think skates are different today, it is more than just marketing

[Justin 1933 134]

The biggest reason skates don't last as long as they used to is weight...No player will skate a skate the is a tank. These lightweight materials are great, but the don't last as long as some of the heavier materials.

Performance 1st....Durability is around 4th or 5th on the ranking...

[Chadd 916]

People seem much more willing to buy light skates and complain about having to replace them than buy durable skates.

[43%burnt 0]

think makes me think about the skates i'm using now. i got some older bauer 5000s (when 5000s were the top model) which are holding up really well. i'm afraid in the future that if i get some kind of new model that they just won't hold up very well like my 5000s. i think my size and weight would destroy something like a xx or vector skate. would it be a good idea to buy another pair of 5000s if i found them cheap?

[Chadd 916]

If you really like them, why not? Using two pair will extend the life of both pair.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

Once my feet stop growing in a year or two I really want to buy a pair of skates that will last me a long time. Right now I get a new pair every season and it really is expensive. Personally I like all my stuff to be really broken in and I hate buying new equipment aside from sticks. I've had the same elbow pads, chest protector, pants, shinguards, jock and practice jerseys for three years now. I only have used two pairs of gloves in three years, and I can't wait to be able to use the same skates for a couple of seasons.

I'd be willing to sacrifice a little weight and performance for some durability , even if the price is the same.

[MDE3 0]

Is it that these newer materials , or at least the bonding process, do not stand up to the effects of the perspiration, or simply to the repeated flexing? Or could it be that manufacturers spend so much money in development, that they need a higher volume of sales to justify the expense? Hense ...shorter duration and newer styles..mean increased sales. Besides with all these techno freaks out there (most of whom I am sure could benefit at least as much from spending that extra money on practice time versus losing a few grams on the skates) hooked on the latest technology...they may never notice that the skates will not last..all they have to do is last until the newest edition hits the street.

It is interesting though, as car bodies are also lighter due to the increased use of composites, but they seem to be lasting longer...

[Miserable 6]

think makes me think about the skates i'm using now. i got some older bauer 5000s (when 5000s were the top model) which are holding up really well. i'm afraid in the future that if i get some kind of new model that they just won't hold up very well like my 5000s. i think my size and weight would destroy something like a xx or vector skate. would it be a good idea to buy another pair of 5000s if i found them cheap?

It's not a bad idea at all. I got a pair of Easton Z-Air Elbow Pads around Christmas and I like them so much that I'm going to order another pair when the price drops a bit more and just put them away until my curent pair dies.

[kosydar 0]

It seemed like Graf was the last manufacturer who wasn't following the lightweight trend, but now they have to go and release the G line. Still, I find the 700 series to be very durable, at least the old ones at least.

[bulletproof_funk 0]

People seem much more willing to buy light skates and complain about having to replace them than buy durable skates.

A LHS employee I talked to said they had a hard time convincing some customers that the XX skates were wrong for their foot shape. They didn't care though, had to have the latest skate everyone else has.

[Chadd 916]

People trust marketing more than experience.

[Dan_The_Man_16 0]

Just becasue things are new. It's like computers. I have a 200MMX computer and it works just fine on the internet and stuff. All my friends go oh ya my computer is brand enw Pentium 4 with all this crap, but theirs break or freeze all the time, mine doesn't.

[JR Boucicaut 3805]

People seem much more willing to buy light skates and complain about having to replace them than buy durable skates.

A LHS employee I talked to said they had a hard time convincing some customers that the XX skates were wrong for their foot shape. They didn't care though, had to have the latest skate everyone else has.

I can attest to that...

I've sold 5 pair of XX junior skates in a month...reason being? Some kid got them and all the kids just HAVE to have them...

[kosydar 0]

This kid on my team had a year old pair of 705s, not broken down or anything. He decided to buy new XXs and he was talking to me about it. I told him "Don't do it, they'll break down easily, and coming from the 705, you'll have a real hard time adjusting." He didn't listen to me and he went out and had his parents buy them. Three months later, hes back skating in the 705s.

[MDE3 0]

It seemed like Graf was the last manufacturer who wasn't following the lightweight trend, but now they have to go and release the G line. Still, I find the 700 series to be very durable, at least the old ones at least.

Actually Graf was probably one of the initiators of the "lightweight" concept, as I can remember not too many years ago when the 704/703 were advertised as "the lightest hockey skate available". Actually we got them because they were so light, and fit my son's foot perfectly, with little break in time...understanding that not everyone would be comfortable with the foot shape, but he was. Also he liked the "classic" look of the 704's...they actually looked a bit like some of the original(pre CCM) Tackabury's.

[kosydar 0]

But I don't think Graf really sacrificed durability to lose weight. Thier skates aren't the lightest, but they aren't heavy either, and can take a beating.

[joshy207 15]

People trust market more than experience.

That's because people are just plain stupid.

I've had to tell people that certain skates (or sticks, pads, etc) aren't right for them, and just because Jonesy has them, doesn't mean he should have them too. But they don't care, they don't want to hear it...

And as for the durability issue, yeah, top-end skates used to be built to last 3-4 years with constant heavy use... now you're lucky to get the year out of them. And the only tie between performance and lack of durability I see is a negative one... your skates won't perform if they're breaking down after 4 months...

[JR Boucicaut 3805]

It seemed like Graf was the last manufacturer who wasn't following the lightweight trend, but now they have to go and release the G line.  Still, I find the 700 series to be very durable, at least the old ones at least.

Actually Graf was probably one of the initiators of the "lightweight" concept, as I can remember not too many years ago when the 704/703 were advertised as "the lightest hockey skate available". Actually we got them because they were so light, and fit my son's foot perfectly, with little break in time...understanding that not everyone would be comfortable with the foot shape, but he was. Also he liked the "classic" look of the 704's...they actually looked a bit like some of the original(pre CCM) Tackabury's.

Pre-CCM Tacks?

LOL they bought the name in the 30s...

[hattrick74 0]

another reason is possibly the lifetime of the company. if company X makes a pair of skates that last 10 years, then that company will go out of business because the more customers that their skates, the smaller the target market becomes. same deal with OPS. if u make a stick that lasts 4 years, where will the company make their money?

[MDE3 0]

LOL they bought the name in the 30s...

Well you are certainly on top of things.... :D

Yes apparently they have owned the name since 1937, since the death of Mr. Tackaberry. However during my playing youth(to remain a mystery lol), the "myth" about Tackaberry skates was promoted pretty hard..hand fitted skates... was the most common rumour for the "Black Tacks", which were the ones I was comparing the Graf's to.

It may have been that some of the more notables of the time had custom built versions of these skates...which helped perpetrate the rumour, and it certainly was an accepted myth that anyone who wore them (they were known to be pretty dear), had help in paying for them, or earned their money from using them.

[JR Boucicaut 3805]

I hear ya, though...I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. I get the guys looking for new skates, who played in the mid 60's - early 70s and usually all they talk about is their old Tacks...

[Gongshow11 1]

I still remember my Bauer supreme 150s and 100s from a long time ago. Man could those things perform.

And the vapor 8s I once had were awesome, the ones which didnt leak. I even bought a pair when they were discontinued and used them a whole 2 years. They were great IMO

[mojo122 541]

I actually liked the old "Super Tacks" over the Tacks.