One piece boots skates

[skates73 3]

Hi, can someone give me some insight on how the one piece boot (ie the Jetspeed FT2 skate) feels in comparison with your regular boot with outsoles?  

It seems like a vast majority of NHLers are still in two piece boots.  I believe even McDavid is in the old Jetspeeds which are two piece.  There must be some advantage as far as feel and maybe mobility etc with two piece over one piece.  I hear one piece fits better and is stiffer and has better "connection" to the ice.  Maybe it's too stiff and loses it's torquing abilities?  

I'm a Bauer Supreme (MX3, 1S) guy and am thinking of maybe trying a one piece boot.    

[Sniper9 517]

2 hours ago, skates73 said:

Hi, can someone give me some insight on how the one piece boot (ie the Jetspeed FT2 skate) feels in comparison with your regular boot with outsoles?  

It seems like a vast majority of NHLers are still in two piece boots.  I believe even McDavid is in the old Jetspeeds which are two piece.  There must be some advantage as far as feel and maybe mobility etc with two piece over one piece.  I hear one piece fits better and is stiffer and has better "connection" to the ice.  Maybe it's too stiff and loses it's torquing abilities?  

I'm a Bauer Supreme (MX3, 1S) guy and am thinking of maybe trying a one piece boot.    

Skates are one thing where if it don't break why fix it. Skates are the biggest pita to break in even with customs. Now try introducing a completely diff boot construction to nhl players who notice the smallest things in terms of difference. Even pro gloves are no where near retail ones and are very very basic in terms of materials and design. 

[pucks_putts 13]

I just switched from Bauer Supremes to True Customs and couldn’t tell you the difference regarding the soles. My Bauers were stiff and so are the Trues. That being said the Trues are very stiff all around and feel great! Because the bottom is also molded to my foot the fit is awesome. 

[skates73 3]

19 hours ago, Sniper9 said:

Skates are one thing where if it don't break why fix it. Skates are the biggest pita to break in even with customs. Now try introducing a completely diff boot construction to nhl players who notice the smallest things in terms of difference. Even pro gloves are no where near retail ones and are very very basic in terms of materials and design. 

Thanks, from what I hear the manufacturers are saying it's all going to go one piece eventually.  Maybe you're right though.  I think I'll stick with the Bauer Supremes for now.  Maybe wait til they "perfect" one piece boots if in fact it's going that way.  

[Sniper9 517]

13 hours ago, pucks_putts said:

I just switched from Bauer Supremes to True Customs and couldn’t tell you the difference regarding the soles. My Bauers were stiff and so are the Trues. That being said the Trues are very stiff all around and feel great! Because the bottom is also molded to my foot the fit is awesome. 

When I switched to trues I noticed a big difference in how I could feel the ice so much better on the bottom of my feet. I felt every bump on the ice. Made me way more aware of my edges 

[puckstopper 16]

14 hours ago, skates73 said:

Thanks, from what I hear the manufacturers are saying it's all going to go one piece eventually.  Maybe you're right though.  I think I'll stick with the Bauer Supremes for now.  Maybe wait til they "perfect" one piece boots if in fact it's going that way.  

The reason Bauer isn't producing one piece boots right now is that they don't want to invest in new machinery. At least in the shop I work at, CCM offering one piece boots and their 90 day guarantee seemed to eat into Bauer's market share. With the XS holders I expect that trend to continue and accelerate, as lack of quick change steel was the biggest reason customers sited for not giving CCM a try.

5 hours ago, Sniper9 said:

When I switched to trues I noticed a big difference in how I could feel the ice so much better on the bottom of my feet. I felt every bump on the ice. Made me way more aware of my edges 

I agree.  When I went from Bauer 1S goalie skates to True 2 piece I was really surprised at all the little sensations that I felt that I'd never noticed before.   I just picked up a pair of TF9's, and I'm curious to see if it's the same swapping from 2 piece forward skates to the Trues.

[Miller55 327]

There are companies like Graf that swear by their two piece construction. I imagine that if Graf is still around when the market moves to one piece they will offer a line if one piece skates but will retain their classics. Graf claims that the two piece construction enables them to achieve a superior fit and comfort, as they can alternate stiffness and flexibility in different sections of the boot. 

Not sure about Bauer's reasons for sticking with the two piece, but Graf definitely does it purposely

[flip12 699]

 

55 minutes ago, Miller55 said:

There are companies like Graf that swear by their two piece construction. I imagine that if Graf is still around when the market moves to one piece they will offer a line if one piece skates but will retain their classics. Graf claims that the two piece construction enables them to achieve a superior fit and comfort, as they can alternate stiffness and flexibility in different sections of the boot. 

Not sure about Bauer's reasons for sticking with the two piece, but Graf definitely does it purposely

I wrote to Graf CA’s Instaspam account about it and they said it would ruin the nice heel pocket they have on their boots. I see what they mean but they’re totally missing the point.

[Miller55 327]

35 minutes ago, flip12 said:

 

I wrote to Graf CA’s Instaspam account about it and they said it would ruin the nice heel pocket they have on their boots. I see what they mean but they’re totally missing the point.

Since I don't know how to make skates and what the practical differences are, I can't comment. I've heard the same thing though. I will say though, that Graf has shown that they're trying to also compete with the more modern skate market with their G9035 and PK series skates, so that's the basis for my assumption that if I've piece become popular enough they would probably also produce a one piece line. However, I don't think they will ever stop making their classics, even if it's only for custom orders, as that is the bulk of their business and they will always have people who swear by Graf, as I'm sure all of us know a few.

I owned one pair of Grafs in my youth and can definitely say that they were some of the most comfortable skates I ever wore and the heel lock and durability were incredible. Presently I'm looking into some ultra G7s, but no shop near me sells them and I'm not one to buy skates without trying them on. One local shop said they can measure and fit me for Grafs using other skates and then recommend a Graf skate for me and order it. Since I'm new to the area I don't know how much I trust these guys to fit me, so I'm holding off for now. But Graf definitely has its niche and I can't see them ever dropping it for a one piece design.

[VegasHockey 1256]

29 minutes ago, Miller55 said:

Since I don't know how to make skates and what the practical differences are, I can't comment. I've heard the same thing though. I will say though, that Graf has shown that they're trying to also compete with the more modern skate market with their G9035 and PK series skates, so that's the basis for my assumption that if I've piece become popular enough they would probably also produce a one piece line. However, I don't think they will ever stop making their classics, even if it's only for custom orders, as that is the bulk of their business and they will always have people who swear by Graf, as I'm sure all of us know a few.

I owned one pair of Grafs in my youth and can definitely say that they were some of the most comfortable skates I ever wore and the heel lock and durability were incredible. Presently I'm looking into some ultra G7s, but no shop near me sells them and I'm not one to buy skates without trying them on. One local shop said they can measure and fit me for Grafs using other skates and then recommend a Graf skate for me and order it. Since I'm new to the area I don't know how much I trust these guys to fit me, so I'm holding off for now. But Graf definitely has its niche and I can't see them ever dropping it for a one piece design.

If they would just ditch that UGLY toe cap I would consider using Graf skate again. I grew up using them and as a kid thought they were the best skates ever. 

I am most interested though in the one-piece Ribcor that coming out in 2021. I saw some leaked images which had me drooling. 

[Miller55 327]

38 minutes ago, SkateWorksPNW said:

If they would just ditch that UGLY toe cap I would consider using Graf skate again. I grew up using them and as a kid thought they were the best skates ever. 

I am most interested though in the one-piece Ribcor that coming out in 2021. I saw some leaked images which had me drooling. 

Eh, I hear but I'm not in a position to care at this point. I tried on 80ks but the lateral flex scared me away. The forward flex is amazing, but they just didn't feel stiff enough for my ankle in the quarter. 

[VegasHockey 1256]

46 minutes ago, Miller55 said:

Eh, I hear but I'm not in a position to care at this point. I tried on 80ks but the lateral flex scared me away. The forward flex is amazing, but they just didn't feel stiff enough for my ankle in the quarter. 

If you go with the custom option they can actually make the quarter packages incredibly stiff. Almost as stiff as an AS3 Pro

[Miller55 327]

46 minutes ago, SkateWorksPNW said:

If you go with the custom option they can actually make the quarter packages incredibly stiff. Almost as stiff as an AS3 Pro

Interesting thought, I never considered that. Maybe they could add some volume too once you go custom. Is that possible? What do customs run with CCM at this point?

[VegasHockey 1256]

5 hours ago, Miller55 said:

Interesting thought, I never considered that. Maybe they could add some volume too once you go custom. Is that possible? What do customs run with CCM at this point?

You would need a full custom if you wanted to do some of those changes. Its not cheap. 

[flip12 699]

12 hours ago, SkateWorksPNW said:

If they would just ditch that UGLY toe cap I would consider using Graf skate again. I grew up using them and as a kid thought they were the best skates ever. 

I am most interested though in the one-piece Ribcor that coming out in 2021. I saw some leaked images which had me drooling. 

They were the best skates ever!

I like the look of the Graf toe cap, more than the other ones on the market. It’s classic. They should just make it more anatomical.

13 hours ago, Miller55 said:

Since I don't know how to make skates and what the practical differences are, I can't comment. I've heard the same thing though. I will say though, that Graf has shown that they're trying to also compete with the more modern skate market with their G9035 and PK series skates, so that's the basis for my assumption that if I've piece become popular enough they would probably also produce a one piece line. However, I don't think they will ever stop making their classics, even if it's only for custom orders, as that is the bulk of their business and they will always have people who swear by Graf, as I'm sure all of us know a few.

I owned one pair of Grafs in my youth and can definitely say that they were some of the most comfortable skates I ever wore and the heel lock and durability were incredible. Presently I'm looking into some ultra G7s, but no shop near me sells them and I'm not one to buy skates without trying them on. One local shop said they can measure and fit me for Grafs using other skates and then recommend a Graf skate for me and order it. Since I'm new to the area I don't know how much I trust these guys to fit me, so I'm holding off for now. But Graf definitely has its niche and I can't see them ever dropping it for a one piece design.

I don’t know about skate manufacturing either, but I do have an idea that I think would be an interesting hybrid and might not even require any new tooling for Graf.

I’ve never tried G7/707, but I thought they’d have more lateral flex than most skates. Forward flex on most Grafs is/was great. I haven’t tried anything newer than their tech-mesh G35s.

[Miller55 327]

19 hours ago, flip12 said:

They were the best skates ever!

I like the look of the Graf toe cap, more than the other ones on the market. It’s classic. They should just make it more anatomical.

I don’t know about skate manufacturing either, but I do have an idea that I think would be an interesting hybrid and might not even require any new tooling for Graf.

I’ve never tried G7/707, but I thought they’d have more lateral flex than most skates. Forward flex on most Grafs is/was great. I haven’t tried anything newer than their tech-mesh G35s

Haven't tried them on, but from my understanding the quarter is composite and very stiff, and the lacing flap that they have is what enables the forward flex to stay good. They are made for ankle injuries apparently, so they are really stiff but have a sort of hinge that enables forward flex.

[flip12 699]

5 hours ago, Miller55 said:

Haven't tried them on, but from my understanding the quarter is composite and very stiff, and the lacing flap that they have is what enables the forward flex to stay good. They are made for ankle injuries apparently, so they are really stiff but have a sort of hinge that enables forward flex.

The classic series also has great forward flex; -3 and -5 patterns. The gap between the top and second eyelets acts almost like an eyelet skip à la Crosby. The top eyelet being lower than other brands helps as well.

[Miller55 327]

2 hours ago, flip12 said:

The classic series also has great forward flex; -3 and -5 patterns. The gap between the top and second eyelets acts almost like an eyelet skip à la Crosby. The top eyelet being lower than other brands helps as well.

Absolutely, but those are made with a much softer material. 

[flip12 699]

6 hours ago, Miller55 said:

Absolutely, but those are made with a much softer material. 

But I’m pretty sure they can be made in any mix of materials Graf has.

[Miller55 327]

56 minutes ago, flip12 said:

But I’m pretty sure they can be made in any mix of materials Graf has.

At the custom level, yeah. The G7s are comp quarters even on the retail skates. I'm not averse to going custom at this point, but I would only do it with a fitter that I really trusted.

Anyway, on topic, one piece boots claim the advantage of better feel, power transfer, stiffness possibly and some say comfort. Two piece boots claim the advantage of a better fit, heel lock, ability to vary stiffness in different areas of the skate and some say durability. These are the claims, but there is no hard and fast proof either way, so everyone basically just goes with their preferences, as with all things gear related.

If I left anything if the list please add or correct me

[Stearnso 0]

On 10/18/2020 at 12:25 PM, Miller55 said:

At the custom level, yeah. The G7s are comp quarters even on the retail skates. I'm not averse to going custom at this point, but I would only do it with a fitter that I really trusted.

Anyway, on topic, one piece boots claim the advantage of better feel, power transfer, stiffness possibly and some say comfort. Two piece boots claim the advantage of a better fit, heel lock, ability to vary stiffness in different areas of the skate and some say durability. These are the claims, but there is no hard and fast proof either way, so everyone basically just goes with their preferences, as with all things gear related.

If I left anything if the list please add or correct me

So you're saying T-Blades aren't the future?!?!?!!!

[Beflar 53]

29 minutes ago, Stearnso said:

So you're saying T-Blades aren't the future?!?!?!!!

Pump the breaks.  T blades worked and you never had to worry about someone giving you a bad sharpen or messing up your profile.  That surgical steel was awesome,  loud but still awesome.  If T-blades came out with FBV or QUAD profiles I would use them today in a heart beat.  

 

Dear T-Blade:  QUAD 0.5 with a 3/4 sharpen please.  

 

 

 

 

 

I use to wear a mirrored visor so take everything a say with a grain of salt.

Edited October 22, 2020 by Beflar

[Miller55 327]

T blades did work, and they were definitely loud as anything. There were definitely folks who benefited from it. 

[SolarWind 23]

Are rivers still falling out from True skates (and other one piece boots) on a monthly basis?

[VegasHockey 1256]

7 hours ago, SolarWind said:

Are rivers still falling out from True skates (and other one piece boots) on a monthly basis?

Maybe for some, but I have never once had that issue with ANY one-piece skate.