Bauer.com

[marka 526]

Howdy,

Digging the inside scoop!

For me, I want there to be a light on the scanning machine that says something like "No really, the retail skate will be fine for you, don't waste your money".

:-)

Mark

[gdl188 4]

1 minute ago, JDub said:

Friday - Turnaround is fast but dependent on the volume of orders. 

Appreciate the response! Everything seems really awesome about this - also curious, can a request be made for LS2's instead of the edge holder? If so, would that effect anything about the customization process. I see some pros (who must be using the custom process) still rocking LS2's. 

[IPv6Freely 2093]

6 minutes ago, JDub said:

Not right away unfortunately. Will follow up on status at a later date. 

Ah, bummer. No new skates for me for now I guess! 😉 

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

18 minutes ago, JDub said:

@Cavs019: Stiffness is not a general option to select from at this point but if you note it in the foot scan, it will be addressed. If you want more comfort (added ankle padding for example) - add it as a note to the scan on the ankle area. Etc. Basically instead of saying Here are 12 different specs of ankle pads to choose from - pick one. Instead we are saying tell us your issue or need and let the experts who have done this for years help you pick whats right. In most cases not everyone one knows what memory foam vs. minicell does and sometimes ends up delivering a product that is not right. Hopefully that makes sense? 

That was exactly the approach that I used to take.  If you go back to that big Bauer custom skate thread, often people would get their hands on the spec sheet and would attempt to self-medicate.  Then send me questions about "What's minicel foam?  Or what is "cut counters the old way."  Whenever I worked on a custom skate, I would input what I felt the player needed, then go back to them and explain why I did it.  And then explain why I didn't choose the other options.  

You see it a lot when people choose options which completely alter the fit of the skate.  Especially with things as simple as tongues.

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

24 minutes ago, marka said:

Howdy,

Digging the inside scoop!

For me, I want there to be a light on the scanning machine that says something like "No really, the retail skate will be fine for you, don't waste your money".

🙂

Mark

But it does.  It's exactly the same scan.  It's going to spit out a recommendation.  

Once again, the fitter still matters.  They should work with the scan and their store stock to get you into a retail boot.

[IPv6Freely 2093]

22 minutes ago, JR Boucicaut said:

people would get their hands on the spec sheet and would attempt to self-medicate. 

You're totally right. I know I definitely did that when I saw the spec sheet for my goal pads. I wanted to know what all the options were. Not necessarily because I needed them but because I didn't want to miss out on an option that I didn't even know existed that could be useful. 

But I'm also a person who, for example, will get a new video game and the first thing I do is go into the settings to see what I can tweak. Just my nature 😛 

[marka 526]

Howdy,

24 minutes ago, JR Boucicaut said:

But it does.  It's exactly the same scan.  It's going to spit out a recommendation.  

Once again, the fitter still matters.  They should work with the scan and their store stock to get you into a retail boot.

I don't disagree, but like with anything else the more I know about how it all really works, the better position I'm in to more knowledgeably decide how much to trust the fitter.

Mark

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

6 minutes ago, IPv6Freely said:

You're totally right. I know I definitely did that when I saw the spec sheet for my goal pads. I wanted to know what all the options were. Not necessarily because I needed them but because I didn't want to miss out on an option that I didn't even know existed that could be useful. 

But I'm also a person who, for example, will get a new video game and the first thing I do is go into the settings to see what I can tweak. Just my nature 😛 

But the theory is that the person you're working with would be well-versed in all of those options.  Sadly enough, those people were in the minority.  

[Haggerty 144]

2 hours ago, CaptainFranchise said:

Great explanation! Is there a tech mesh V-cut option?

@dkmiller3356 he has to have that option 😂😂

[BenBreeg 493]

Great discussion.  As a product manager I always love hearing about other case studies and behind the scenes stories.  The whole idea about letting the customer pick the solution vs. describing their problem and the expert designing a solution is great, and not unique to this situation.  I can't even count how many times I am pressured to "just put a button there" or "color code it" or some other solution proposed by the user (or sales) that seems innocuous on the surface but is really a bad idea if you understand the whole context of the design. 

[boo10 323]

5 hours ago, JR Boucicaut said:

That was exactly the approach that I used to take.  If you go back to that big Bauer custom skate thread, often people would get their hands on the spec sheet and would attempt to self-medicate.  Then send me questions about "What's minicel foam?  Or what is "cut counters the old way."  Whenever I worked on a custom skate, I would input what I felt the player needed, then go back to them and explain why I did it.  And then explain why I didn't choose the other options.  

You see it a lot when people choose options which completely alter the fit of the skate.  Especially with things as simple as tongues.

Unfortunately, Marketing departments are partly to blame.  They run a big campaign telling the public that the new C-Flex tendon guard is the greatest innovation ever, and that there isn't a player out there that won't benefit from the added range of motion.  Of course Joe Public wants that option!

[sharkshockey20 0]

Will the myBauer skates include picking holder size and lifts?

[raganblink 82]

11 hours ago, JR Boucicaut said:

I feel like I'm repeating myself - I posted this two pages back.

The "stay in family" refers to the boot, primarily in terms of volume.

This is absolutely nothing new.  When we did custom skates before, we would recommend the boot with the path of least resistance as a base.  That's why you don't see low volume Nexus skates or high volume Vapors.  There are 3 lines to work with.  Plus all of those lines skate differently and have different pitches.

CCM is doing the same thing.  What @BlueNux is asking for isn't feasible at this time.

I can't tell you how many pairs I've made where the player initially said I want a Vapor skate but I want it to fit like the Supreme. Tough cookies, you're getting Supreme. I can make a custom skate I can't perform a miracle. 

[raganblink 82]

4 hours ago, sharkshockey20 said:

Will the myBauer skates include picking holder size and lifts?

Your standard Excel form would have these options though. Same with heel lifts. New custom form is already out and available at reputable dealers some places...

 

[BlueNux 17]

So it seems a lot of authority and professional advise is reliant on the fitter and the specific LHS you go to. That would not only mean that you get a fitter in the store that has a talent for this sort of work, but also the experience and repetition required to become and expert in custom skates.

I understand the appeal of asking customers what they want, rather than just relying on a set of mechanical diagnosis of the player's foot. After all, every individual is different and some are more sensitive than others in certain areas of the foot. For me, for example, I've never had to worry about lace bit even for skates that failed the pencil test, but always had really sensitive heels. Even a tiny lack of cushioning in my heels would aggravate my heel spur.

I've never gotten custom skates before, so I'm not sure how different the Bauer process is from CCM and True. Can someone shed any light on this? I've heard pretty negative things about CCM (they don't customize much and are not as hands on) and great things about True (they customize everything, mixing very detailed technical diagnostics with anecdotal report by the fitter).

[adam14 182]

CCM offers 2 different "price points" for their custom option. It depends how much extra detail you want.

[IPv6Freely 2093]

My biggest concern is that there still might be some level of expertise required of the fitter which would make the entire thing a no-go for me. 

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

52 minutes ago, IPv6Freely said:

My biggest concern is that there still might be some level of expertise required of the fitter which would make the entire thing a no-go for me. 

No.  As JD said, for the vast majority of people, you're having Bauer analyze the scan and they provide the formula.  Just like every other brand is doing at this point.

This thread got a bit sideways when we discussed that fitters who know what they're doing can provide more to the process, or better yet, not require Bauer to analyze as much.

[VegasHockey 1280]

A cool video showing off a bit of the process

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmBGKKShPHI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

or for those without an IG account

 

 

 

[IPv6Freely 2093]

Okay, then it confused me I guess 🙂 The last bunch of posts made it sound like it was important to have a good fitter still. If that’s not the case then yay!

[BlueNux 17]

14 minutes ago, IPv6Freely said:

Okay, then it confused me I guess 🙂 The last bunch of posts made it sound like it was important to have a good fitter still. If that’s not the case then yay!

My major concern as well. The less room for human error in deciding the quality/fit of the custom skate the better.

For something like this, I'll research the crap out of every detail and option possible before showing up at the shop.

[IPv6Freely 2093]

3 minutes ago, BlueNux said:

My major concern as well. The less room for human error in deciding the quality/fit of the custom skate the better.

For something like this, I'll research the crap out of every detail and option possible before showing up at the shop.

I feel the same way. Only once I’m confident that the jackass 17 year old can’t possibly screw it up will I take the plunge. LOL. If that’s where we’re at then I’m all in (once they start doing custom goal skates)

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

Bauer has been sending employees up to their Blainville facility for the past two years.  I received a certification plaque last year (I got a store one, didn't get an individual one.)

Retailers that are doing this are putting their best people on it.  But once again, you're having their custom skate department build the spec sheet.  You're going to get scanned (if you don't think the scan took, do it again) and you'll try on a retail skate for verification purposes.  The issues with the retail skate should be addressed in the custom process.

19 minutes ago, BlueNux said:

For something like this, I'll research the crap out of every detail and option possible before showing up at the shop.

Once again, you'd be bypassing the person at the shop if you don't think he knows all the ins and outs of the custom skate process; and it goes back to my self-medicating comment.  

[flip12 715]

27 minutes ago, IPv6Freely said:

I feel the same way. Only once I’m confident that the jackass 17 year old can’t possibly screw it up will I take the plunge. LOL. If that’s where we’re at then I’m all in (once they start doing custom goal skates)

I’ve also gotten the smug condescension treatment from 35-55-year-old shop managers. Clearly it’s indicative of the quality of the shop.

[BenBreeg 493]

It's not just on the retailer, it's on the manufacturer.  It's part of the supply chain and if you don't have a way of assuring the quality of any part of your supply chain, it is on you to fix it.  In some cases it is harder than others to assure that, but it certainly has to be part of the consideration when rolling out a product or service.