Newbie Skate Recommendation

[grafgulch 1]

Hi All, I've started to playing Ice Hockey a few years ago. My ice skating still needs a lot of work. It's hard to find stick & puck time during the summer months, so I thought I might look into buying roller hockey skates to use during the summer months, to help with my stride & stamina, and just skating in general. My question is there a pair of skates under $200 that would work well for this? do the skates with a hockey boot perform differently than a inline type boot?

Paul

 

[Stewie 721]

2 hours ago, grafgulch said:

Hi All, I've started to playing Ice Hockey a few years ago. My ice skating still needs a lot of work. It's hard to find stick & puck time during the summer months, so I thought I might look into buying roller hockey skates to use during the summer months, to help with my stride & stamina, and just skating in general. My question is there a pair of skates under $200 that would work well for this? do the skates with a hockey boot perform differently than a inline type boot?

Paul

 

 its not as much a difference in the boot, as it is the chassis that will cause the difference. id just get some recreational skates or a lower end pair of missions/whatever skate fits your feet, and make sure the wheels that come with it are for asphalt. 

[Taskmaster99 6]

You can get some decent roller hockey skates for about 150-200. Now that the new Mission line is out, the Inhaler NL line is being cleared out at most places with some great prices!!!! Alkali has the RPD Recon for about 150 as well as Tour with their Code 5 skates. 

[hockeydad3 51]

Graf Maxx are good quality for low price. They are a bit short. Size 7 was a little too short for me, beeing in Bauer size 6.5.

[grafgulch 1]

I am finally getting around to buying some inline hockey skates. My shoe size is 11 and my skate size is 9.5, but for under $200 I can't find any skates in 9.5 with a hard wheel. So would it be better to go with a skate size of 10 or a smaller size of 9?

[althoma1 574]

If you need a 9.5 then buy that size. If you would prefer outdoor wheels and they come with indoor wheels then you can either ask the shop you're buying from if they'll swap the wheels or you can sell the indoor wheels and buy some outdoor wheels.

[grafgulch 1]

The problem  is I can’t Size 9.5 within my $200 budget.

[althoma1 574]

If you know the size and model you need then you can scour the internet and local shops for older models on clearance (just make sure the sizing and fit is the same as the models you've tried on) or very lightly used skates (sometimes people use skates a few times before determining they aren't the right size or fit). 

If you have no success doing that, then I'd consider pushing your budget up if you can. Using skates that aren't the right size can be painful.

If that's not possible, then buying a 9 at a good local shop that includes stretching with purchases is something you could consider. A good shop can stretch most boots a half size. If you buy online or at a shop that doesn't include stretching then the cost of getting them stretched would be extra. 

Definitely don't get a 10. You'll gain some room in a boot after breaking it in and compressing the padding and you can have a boot that is too small stretched, but you can't make a boot that's too big smaller. With a boot that's too large you could have heel lift, blisters and other issues. 

Oh, and have you tried skates on and you know you're a 9.5 in skates or are you guessing based on the 1.5 size down from shoe size general starting point? If it's the latter then you NEED to go try skates on. Some people go down much more than 1.5 sizes down in skates as every foot is different and people have different fit preferences with shoes and some leave more room than others. With skates you want them as tight as possible without any really painful pressure points, your longest toe should brush the cap and your heel shouldn't lift up when you're skating, walking around or doing lunges. The most common mistake new players make is buying skates that are too large. 

Edited June 24, 2019 by althoma1

[grafgulch 1]

Thanks.. great advice . I have worn 9.5 size ice  skates for over 30 years, but i's hard to find inline skates in the shops near me. I don't really plan on playing roller hockey and just want to skate to stay in shape over the summer, before I join another old man ice hockey league. Maybe an inline non-hockey boot would be better for me? I just thought if I ever do play roller hockey it would be better to get hockey boot, plus they look cooler:)

[althoma1 574]

Another option is to convert ice boots that are the right fit, but by the time you pay around $30 to have them converted and buy wheels, a chassis, bearings and spacers it's usually well over $200 unless you use an old ice boot you already own or get a used or clearance model for next to nothing. I have had several pairs converted because the ice boots I have used fit me better than any of the available inline boots, but it usually ends up running $300 -$500 to do that. I play and ref indoors with expensive wheels and use a specially chassis (Sprung). It'd be a little cheaper with an old flat chassis bought off eBay with basic bearings and cheap outdoor wheels, but it'd still be tough to get it under $200 unless you already have old boots you can use.

If you're not playing in the skates then recreational skates that fit well are fine for just cruising around the neighbourhood and staying in shape. Of course, if you did decide to play some inline in the future, hockey boots are the way to go as they'll provide more support so I see why you would lean that way (and I also think they look better than recommended boots).

Edited June 24, 2019 by althoma1

[Stewie 721]

I’d convert if you have extra ice boots. If you’re going for asphalt usage the wheels will be cheaper, same with just getting some cheaper bearings and a basic aluminum chassis. 

CCM Tacks has a 9.5  on IW in their under 200 boot if you can fit into a Tacks skate. Wheels look outdoor already. If you start to get more serious about inline you probably want to get up to at least the 300$ range 

Lastly, you can get some basic roller blades if your just looking to do some skating. I have all 3 levels that I use for different tasks. 

 

[grafgulch 1]

I ended up getting a pair of Bauer RS inline skates - size 9 -  for $150. I tried them out last night and they feel pretty good. I've only roller bladed a few time. It's a bit different then ice, isn't it? My goal this summer is to build up my strength & endurance, work on my backwards crossovers, etc. Hopefully I'll be better ice skater come this fall when the old man leagues start up.