Anyone with Custom Bauers?

[GearSnob 0]

Hey hockey world,

Is there anyone here who has custom Bauer skates who wouldn't mind commenting on their fit and feel?  It would be especially helpful if someone with unusual feet could comment on the fit of custom Bauers.  It amazes me that although the vast majority of the NHL is Bauer skates, there is very little information on the internet about them other than propaganda.  

I am a southern redneck who moved to the midwest a couple years ago and at the age of 45 I stepped onto the ice, with my then 5-year-old son, for the first time.  We were both hooked.  I do totally suck at skating but I have goofy feet and I love having really nice equipment so hence the discussion.

All that being said, I have had two pairs of Trues made thus far and they were the most uncomfortable thing I have ever put on my feet.  Incredible pain in the forefoot, toes had to curl up, squeeze like a vice, feet went numb quickly, etc.  Each time the LHS agreed this wasn't right and sent them back but now the ball is in my court.  True has offered to try a third time but I'm scratching my chin trying to decide if I should try again or move on.  For the record, the LHS and True have both been incredibly nice about this and have worked with me.  I just have goofy feet . . .

Being a gear snob, I am now in Bauer Supremes (10 EE) which are punched to the hilt and still not wide nor deep enough but I love the boot (and moreover, the name) so I am thinking about getting a pair of Bauers made.

Right now I am just looking to get feedback from anyone who has first hand, or first foot, experience with the Bauer customs.  I am amazed at how little public feedback there is out there.

Thanks everyone and thanks to the hockey community for being so supportive of myself and my son over the past two years!  Great people is all I have found and I love it! 

[VegasHockey 1280]

3 hours ago, GearSnob said:

All that being said, I have had two pairs of Trues made thus far and they were the most uncomfortable thing I have ever put on my feet.  Incredible pain in the forefoot, toes had to curl up, squeeze like a vice, feet went numb quickly, etc.  Each time the LHS agreed this wasn't right and sent them back but now the ball is in my court.  True has offered to try a third time but I'm scratching my chin trying to decide if I should try again or move on.  For the record, the LHS and True have both been incredibly nice about this and have worked with me.  I just have goofy feet . . .

Being a gear snob, I am now in Bauer Supremes (10 EE) which are punched to the hilt and still not wide nor deep enough but I love the boot (and moreover, the name) so I am thinking about getting a pair of Bauers made.

Right now I am just looking to get feedback from anyone who has first hand, or first foot, experience with the Bauer customs.  I am amazed at how little public feedback there is out there.

Thanks everyone and thanks to the hockey community for being so supportive of myself and my son over the past two years!  Great people is all I have found and I love it! 

If you are having issues with TRUE custom skates fitting you properly you will likely have worse problems with Bauer customs. 

TRUE builds their skates from the inside out and the materials they use are extremely thermoformable. This allows them to adapt to your foot much better than the materials used by other manufacturers. I have found that people who needed to have a skate heavily modified, punched, foams added, basically altering most of the fit to accommodate their foot type have issues with custom Bauer and CCM skates and usually end up in TRUE customs. 

Feet going numb can be due to a number of issues. Lacing the skate overly tight, lack of skate volume, incorrect skate length, skate tongue putting pressure on the forefoot. Most of these issues can be addressed by a good pro shop. 

Did TRUE remake your second pair or did they make adjustments to the first pair and then send them back? 

What shop did you scan? How have they tried to rectify fitment issues? 

[epstud74 24]

Why are your toes curling up?  Do you have proper arch support?

[GearSnob 0]

SkateWorks,

I agree that it is very odd for True to have ill-fabricated skates for me on two separate occasions.  Almost everyone I have talked to who uses True claims they fit like a glove and nobody I've talked to has had these issues.  The foot pain leading to numbness was due to lack of width.  And this lack of width was shockingly apparent.  It was as if though these were in fact not molded to a last of my own foot but I want to emphasize that this is merely my perception and I am not implicating True.

True remade the second pair rather than attempting to rework the first.  They re-scanned my foot.  The first and second pair were not the same in their defects so it's entirely possible that something just happened to go wrong twice.  True has been very supportive or so it seems as I don't get to talk to them directly; rather, I have to communicate through my LHS (actually not that local).  And the LHS has been very supportive too.  

Out of respect for the group who is helping me, I prefer not to reveal the store's identity but I will say that they have been great.  My second pair arrived in March and I didn't get them to the ice until September.  After skating on them for a few weeks I called the store just to see if they wanted to try punching and adjusting but after inspecting the skates they determined it was best to return them.  Despite the time lapse, True offered to remake them again with no additional charges and the LHS also offered to credit the purchase price in full to another pair.  So both parties on that regard have been great.

My curiosity about the Bauer customs is two fold.  (1.) They are very mysterious to me given the lack of public information.  Go to YouTube and search a review of about any oddball item and you can get tons.  I can't really find anything anywhere and that really puzzles me.  (2.)  I have Bauers now and after adjusting they truthfully are just fine.  I am driven by the assumption that there is a better product out there than what I am currently using and I want to get my hands on that product.

There were other things about the Trues that I didn't care for but could probably get used to.  They are hard to get on, super hard to lace the top two eyelets once they are on, and they feel like high heels when you stand up in them.  If the fit was as perfect as they seem to be for other people, I am sure I would adapt to these other issues but they were miserably uncomfortable.

Edited October 17, 2020 by GearSnob

[GearSnob 0]

29 minutes ago, epstud74 said:

Why are your toes curling up?  Do you have proper arch support?

Hi epstud74 (now that sounds weird to say in my head as I type),

Thanks for the follow up questions.  My toes curled only on the second pair but not the first and they did so because the boots were just too short.  In order to get my foot in them, I had to curl my toes.

The arch support in the second pair, on the other hand, was amazing!  That part of the boot did fit extremely well; it was only the front part, in both pairs, that didn't come out right and squeezed my forefoot, at about the ball of the foot, like a vise.

So, hence the reason I was just curious about the Bauer customs.  I have heard many people claim that the CCM Total Custom skates fit like a glove and we have all heard the same about Trues but I really have heard only two cases on the Bauer customs.  Both of them, by the way, also claim that the Bauers were super comfortable.  In theory it sounds like I couldn't go wrong with any of them and I have a funny feeling that I will eventually end up buying at least two if not all three to satisfy my curiosity.  

[pucks_putts 13]

14 minutes ago, GearSnob said:

SkateWorks,

I agree that it is very odd for True to have ill-fabricated skates for me on two separate occasions.  Almost everyone I have talked to who uses True claims they fit like a glove and nobody I've talked to has had these issues.  The foot pain leading to numbness was due to lack of width.  And this lack of width was shockingly apparent.  It was as if though these were in fact not molded to a last of my own foot but I want to emphasize that this is merely my perception and I am not implicating True.

True remade the second pair rather than attempting to rework the first.  They re-scanned my foot.  The first and second pair were not the same in their defects so it's entirely possible that something just happened to go wrong twice.  True has been very supportive or so it seems as I don't get to talk to them directly; rather, I have to communicate through my LHS (actually not that local).  And the LHS has been very supportive too.  

Out of respect for the group who is helping me, I prefer not to reveal the store's identity but I will say that they have been great.  My second pair arrived in March and I didn't get them to the ice until September.  After skating on them for a few weeks I called the store just to see if they wanted to try punching and adjusting but after inspecting the skates they determined it was best to return them.  Despite the time lapse, True offered to remake them again with no additional charges and the LHS also offered to credit the purchase price in full to another pair.  So both parties on that regard have been great.

My curiosity about the Bauer customs is two fold.  (1.) They are very mysterious to me given the lack of public information.  Go to YouTube and search a review of about any oddball item and you can get tons.  I can't really find anything anywhere and that really puzzles me.  (2.)  I have Bauers now and after adjusting they truthfully are just fine.  I am driven by the assumption that there is a better product out there than what I am currently using and I want to get my hands on that product.

There were other things about the Trues that I didn't care for but could probably get used to.  They are hard to get on, super hard to lace the top two eyelets once they are on, and they feel like high heels when you stand up in them.  If the fit was as perfect as they seem to be for other people, I am sure I would adapt to these other issues but they were miserably uncomfortable.

I’ve had True Custom for a couple months now. I also felt like I was in high-heels and really struggled with them... especially skating backwards. It was so frustrating. 

I swapped out the Shift holders for Tuuk and felt like my old self again within 5 minutes. The skate still promotes a more forward lean than Bauer but with the Tuuks it was easily manageable and I don’t really notice anymore. 

I personally am of the opinion that the holders make a bigger difference than people give credit for. 

[VegasHockey 1280]

36 minutes ago, GearSnob said:

Hi epstud74 (now that sounds weird to say in my head as I type),

Thanks for the follow up questions.  My toes curled only on the second pair but not the first and they did so because the boots were just too short.  In order to get my foot in them, I had to curl my toes.

The arch support in the second pair, on the other hand, was amazing!  That part of the boot did fit extremely well; it was only the front part, in both pairs, that didn't come out right and squeezed my forefoot, at about the ball of the foot, like a vise.

So, hence the reason I was just curious about the Bauer customs.  I have heard many people claim that the CCM Total Custom skates fit like a glove and we have all heard the same about Trues but I really have heard only two cases on the Bauer customs.  Both of them, by the way, also claim that the Bauers were super comfortable.  In theory it sounds like I couldn't go wrong with any of them and I have a funny feeling that I will eventually end up buying at least two if not all three to satisfy my curiosity.  

In terms of custom fit I would personally rank them in the following order. 

1: TRUE

2: CCM

3: Bauer

That being said, this is my personal opinion. I have owned multiple customs from each of these brands. I am also open-minded and think that each brand has its pros and cons.
I am ranking them in terms of fit specifically not taking into consideration features and such. 

For example, I prefer LS Edge or XS holders over the TRUE SHIFT holder. I do not dislike the TRUE SHIFT holder but specifically because I use Flare steel and they don't have steel available for that holder currently. I think CCM and Bauer have a better finish and aesthetics than TRUE. I also like that there are more options available with CCM and Bauer as well if you go full custom but going full custom is VERY expensive compared to TRUE. 

Long story short. They are all good but all have pros and cons. 

TRUE skates are typically better fitting than the other brands but you have less input into how the skates are built, options, and specifications. 

Other brands give you more options but it could be argued they are giving you more rope to "hang yourself" as well. I personally have made some decisions in previous skates that I later felt were wrong. Sometimes having too many options can be worse than someone making decisions for you. All of these companies spend a lot of time doing development and testing products finding the right combination of materials to arrive at a product that works entirely with all of the various combined components for the majority. 

Sorry for the lengthy post. 

Edited October 17, 2020 by SkateWorksPNW

[GearSnob 0]

SkateWorks,

No, thank you for the lengthy post.  I appreciate the discussion and input and you are one of the few people who can personally attest to the three brands of customs.

I agree with the idea of having too many options.  I am way too green to know how all of the options in a CCM Total Custom, for example, would manifest in a boot so I would have to rely on the skate fitter to advise.  I am, however, okay with the price on the custom Bauers or CCM so that's one variable I can eliminate.  For whatever reason, I seem to have my preference set in the following order:  Bauer, CCM, TRUE.

 

Pucks_putts,

Thanks for your feedback as well.  It's unfortunate that the customer is not able to work with True to establish the skate's holder and steel as custom options.

[mojo122 535]

I have My Bauer Ultrasonics.  Short version is that I have wide feet (EEE+ and EE+).  You still have to work with someone knowledgeable that has fit stock to dial in the length related to the scan recommendation to determine how you want them to fit.  Width is determined by the Bauer folks and in my case they nailed the fit.  

 

[GearSnob 0]

Just now, mojo122 said:

I have My Bauer Ultrasonics.  Short version is that I have wide feet (EEE+ and EE+).  You still have to work with someone knowledgeable that has fit stock to dial in the length related to the scan recommendation to determine how you want them to fit.  Width is determined by the Bauer folks and in my case they nailed the fit.  

 

Thanks.  I have high arches and wide feet so we may be in a similar boat.  How would you describe the comfort level of the skate?  

[mojo122 535]

I have no issues.  Retail 2S Pros were uncomfortable, more so on the outside forefoot area for a month or so when I first got them.  Ultrasonics were comfortable from day one.

[GearSnob 0]

1 minute ago, mojo122 said:

I have no issues.  Retail 2S Pros were uncomfortable, more so on the outside forefoot area for a month or so when I first got them.  Ultrasonics were comfortable from day one.

Nice!  That seems to be the skate I am leaning to but I am skeptical.  My Supremes are okay now after getting them punched so many times--no major issues--but I wouldn't say they are 'comfortable'.  I am just wondering if something of this nature would be a significant upgrade or, even better, it would fit like a slipper.  I think if I am patient with TRUE that they will eventually get a boot that fits like a slipper but I don't want to have to go changing out holders in order to get the pitch right.  And what's more, trying to wedge my exceedingly wide foot into that boot just isn't fun.

[epstud74 24]

6 hours ago, GearSnob said:

Thanks.  I have high arches and wide feet so we may be in a similar boat.  How would you describe the comfort level of the skate?  

 

High insteps are a problem in many skates.  I have the same issue but my feet aren't really all that wide.  Imo, the issue is the shape of the boot and the material involved.  A "deeper fitting" skate doesn't always equal necessary instep volume. The CCM Ribcor skates seem to fit me the best of the newer models when it comes to instep depth, the others don't.  The Graf G70 Ultras are the skates I've been in for the last 12 years or so. Those combined with a proper orthotic footbed (none of that superfeet nonsense) have made a huge difference and I bought a 2nd pair just to stick with that fit.  It's pretty simple, your current skates do not fit your foot. The instep likely wasn't accounted for in the construction process.  You either need to start all over or find a different skate last that fits your foot. There's no sense in paying $900+ on a pair of "custom" skates for them to hurt your feet like that.  I've always been under the impression that truly good skate outfitters are far and few between and the best ones often command an appointment fee, and notice well ahead of time.

https://www.generalsportsmn.com/book-online

Edited October 18, 2020 by epstud74

[epstud74 24]

Also, using a proper orthotic will position the arch correctly (along with the toes) in the skate and you won't be having those movements inside the boot that lead to arch/toe pain and other maladies associated with high insteps. Your feet should NOT being going numb in the boot while skating.

[GearSnob 0]

5 hours ago, epstud74 said:

Also, using a proper orthotic will position the arch correctly (along with the toes) in the skate and you won't be having those movements inside the boot that lead to arch/toe pain and other maladies associated with high insteps. Your feet should NOT being going numb in the boot while skating.

"Your feet should NOT be going numb in the boot while skating."  Very well said!  Can I quote you on that the next time the LHS provides me their list of excuses such as, "You may just need to keep skating in them a while longer" or "these are TRUEs, they are supposed to fit snug"?

I went the custom orthortic route once about ten years ago for running shoes and ended up taking them out.  They did position my feet perfectly but became a crutch.  I kept them around the house for a few years and used them in my day-to-day shoes during periods when I needed to recover from plantar fasciitis or similar issues.  But as far as using them in my running shoes, I ended up taking them out, taking my shoes off, and running barefoot for a couple of years until my body adapted and that it did very well.  I just discovered something similar in skating that after two episodes seems to have cured my arch pains--skating with loose or no laces!  I haven't actually skated like this yet.  I just put my skates on without tightening the laces and began walking around the house.  The next time I got on the ice, after merely two 45 minute episodes of this, and lacing one eyelet down, man what a difference!  I could finally feel my edges and no more arch pain! 

But, being a gear snob, I still want custom skates because they should be more comfortable, they are cool, and I like great equipment!  🙂

[Leif 161]

I know 3-4 people with custom trues, one friend’s feet go numb but he had no joy with stock Bauer skates, he has big wide feet. The others love their Trues. I know several people with custom Bauers and I have custom 2s Pros. I had blisters on my big toes for a month or two where the toe cap joins the boot shell, it seems to be design fault reported here by several people whose feet are widest at the front. Silicon toe sleeves cured the pain and expanded the boots, and silicon pads can be a solution for other people who have pain in other areas. Obviously they won’t fix short skates. My skates are amazing, they fit like gloves, better actually as gloves on feet would be stupid. I would have thought Bauer would get a good fit, given the heat and pressure moulding of the skates around custom lasts created from your scans unless there is a limit to how far from stock they can go. 

However, I’ve had two Bauer scans two years apart, and there are significant differences (one arch initially high, then below average for example), so maybe scans are sensitive to the way you stand when scanned, or maybe one scan was done wrong. 

[start_today 770]

Where in the Midwest are you, do you have access to other stores? The fact that your Trues have come back with separate issues each time makes me wonder how good the fitting process is from the shop. Sounds like they are nice people and willing to work with you, but perhaps aren’t very skilled at custom fitting and measuring True skates. If they can’t measure you correctly for Trues, they probably aren’t going to do any better for Bauers. 

If the shop and True are willing to do full refund, might be better to back out and find a new place who is better at fitting. 

[GearSnob 0]

On ‎10‎/‎18‎/‎2020 at 9:02 AM, start_today said:

Where in the Midwest are you, do you have access to other stores? The fact that your Trues have come back with separate issues each time makes me wonder how good the fitting process is from the shop. Sounds like they are nice people and willing to work with you, but perhaps aren’t very skilled at custom fitting and measuring True skates. If they can’t measure you correctly for Trues, they probably aren’t going to do any better for Bauers. 

If the shop and True are willing to do full refund, might be better to back out and find a new place who is better at fitting. 

I'm about an hour northwest of Chicago so there are tons of stores around me.  Over the past year since I started looking at custom skates, I have been to four different stores and worked with countless fitters and everyone has a different recommendation.  I fear that part of the problem is the lack of understanding even by the retailers of each brand's manufacturing process.  I like the idea of adding pressure around a heated boot but how that pressure is added is critical and this is all hush-hush.  How Bauer makes its last is hush-hush.  I was recently told by someone I believe in that they don't make a last; rather, they only print parts of your foot and add those to a sort of jig.  TRUE does the best job of trying to educate its following but even at that I am mystified as to how I have had two pairs that don't fit.  Maybe the scanner just isn't that accurate.  Maybe I am wiggling too much during the scan.  Maybe the front part of the foot just presents additional challenges.

The LHS has offered to credit me back for the last pair of TRUES so I just need to decide my next move.  I have been talking with a fitter in another store who seems pretty knowledgeable so I may go there and just get a set of Bauers made and use the store credit at the other LHS for other goodies.  It seems like there is no way to really know unless I get all three made properly and compare.

So thanks to everyone for commenting.

[epstud74 24]

Seems like you're spending a lot of $$ to learn the hard way! haha

Take it from people who've been around skates a long time and make sure you find a retailer that is reputable.  I'm not familiar with the Chicagoland area hockey shops but it sounds like you're reasonably close to Madison, WI too.  I'd check out Suter's

Have you tried on the CCM Ribcor skates?  Just curious

[VegasHockey 1280]

43 minutes ago, GearSnob said:

I'm about an hour northwest of Chicago so there are tons of stores around me.  Over the past year since I started looking at custom skates, I have been to four different stores and worked with countless fitters and everyone has a different recommendation.  I fear that part of the problem is the lack of understanding even by the retailers of each brand's manufacturing process.  I like the idea of adding pressure around a heated boot but how that pressure is added is critical and this is all hush-hush.  How Bauer makes its last is hush-hush.  I was recently told by someone I believe in that they don't make a last; rather, they only print parts of your foot and add those to a sort of jig.  TRUE does the best job of trying to educate its following but even at that I am mystified as to how I have had two pairs that don't fit.  Maybe the scanner just isn't that accurate.  Maybe I am wiggling too much during the scan.  Maybe the front part of the foot just presents additional challenges.

The LHS has offered to credit me back for the last pair of TRUES so I just need to decide my next move.  I have been talking with a fitter in another store who seems pretty knowledgeable so I may go there and just get a set of Bauers made and use the store credit at the other LHS for other goodies.  It seems like there is no way to really know unless I get all three made properly and compare.

So thanks to everyone for commenting.

Part of the reason for the lack of general knowledge is that most of these processes are proprietary, its basically each companies secret sauce, so they want to keep that information internal and provide retailers basic general information. 

You also have to consider that most staff working at stores aren't educated on custom skates since the number of custom skates sold is very minimal compared to the abundance of customers buying off the shelf retail skates. Not to mention many employees of the larger stores which offer custom skates just don't really care all that much. As someone who has owned multiple pro shops I can tell you that not a single one of my staff truly ever understood how each custom skate differs even though I provided them with literature, videos, and even spent time trying to educate them. I was the only person who could handle these questions which is ludicrous considering I am the owner of the stores. 

But, back to your initial question...

Bauer and CCM take your measurements and basically grab the components to match the specific sizing and assemble the boot. After assembling the boot they 3D print a cast of your feet and insert that into the skates. They then apply high heat and pressure the skates to form them to your foot. 

How much pressure? A lot. Specifically how much, no clue, that's proprietary. 

How much heat? A lot. Specifically how much, no clue, that's proprietary. 

How does TRUE make their custom skates? Depends on who you ask. TRUE used to create a custom last based on your specifications and then build the skate around the last. This allowed them to make many adjustments to the skate as they are building it. It's a very hands-on process which requires a lot of work and truthfully the end result is only as good as the person doing the work. We did a ton of TRUE customs and yes, there were times we had issues with skates being too big or had a holder that was not properly aligned and 99% of the time TRUE fixed the problem. There is only one customer I can think of that we couldn't satisfy and he had significant foot issues. That customer also tried custom CCM and Bauer skates and those also didn't work for him as well. 

My suggestion, give TRUE one more try to get it right. Provide them as much feedback as possible. The more information you provide the better understanding they have of what works and what doesn't. If that pair comes back wrong still then I would look into other options. 

Edited October 19, 2020 by SkateWorksPNW

[psulion22 402]

If you still need width and volume in a Supreme EE, I'd try to find a Nexus EE as a test before starting the process with Bauer.  They're discontinued, so you should be able to find one realtively cheap.  I just think it would be a good way of getting a reference point for what Bauer may or may not be able to do.  This way you'll have more information and not have to guess what will work and won't going into a custom order.  Just my .02

[GearSnob 0]

3 hours ago, epstud74 said:

Seems like you're spending a lot of $$ to learn the hard way! haha

Take it from people who've been around skates a long time and make sure you find a retailer that is reputable.  I'm not familiar with the Chicagoland area hockey shops but it sounds like you're reasonably close to Madison, WI too.  I'd check out Suter's

Have you tried on the CCM Ribcor skates?  Just curious

Nah, I have only been in a couple different pairs of Bauers and then the TRUEs.  And yes, I am spending a lot of $$ to learn the hard way but that's part of the game.  I'll never be able to play or even skate well but at least I can have good equipment!  I truthfully think the Bauer custom Supremes would be just fine particularly if they are made like SkateWorks just explained.  My current off-the-shelf Bauer Supremes aren't too far away.  In fact, I think most people would say I am foolish for not using them and perhaps I am but I like the idea of making improvements.  I'm also probably making a mountain out of a mole hill but just because I don't mind spending money on a pair of custom skates even though I suck at skating doesn't mean I want to turn around and buy two pairs of custom skates because I just don't like the first one or perhaps the first one doesn't feel as good as I had hoped.  So I'd like to make a purchase that I really feel good about.

I've got Jerry's Hockey and Pure Hockey around me in abundance.

And, gentlemen, thanks so much for all the input.  You guys put a lot of effort into your answers and I appreciate it.

[GearSnob 0]

3 hours ago, SkateWorksPNW said:

Part of the reason for the lack of general knowledge is that most of these processes are proprietary, its basically each companies secret sauce, so they want to keep that information internal and provide retailers basic general information. 

You also have to consider that most staff working at stores aren't educated on custom skates since the number of custom skates sold is very minimal compared to the abundance of customers buying off the shelf retail skates. Not to mention many employees of the larger stores which offer custom skates just don't really care all that much. As someone who has owned multiple pro shops I can tell you that not a single one of my staff truly ever understood how each custom skate differs even though I provided them with literature, videos, and even spent time trying to educate them. I was the only person who could handle these questions which is ludicrous considering I am the owner of the stores. 

But, back to your initial question...

Bauer and CCM take your measurements and basically grab the components to match the specific sizing and assemble the boot. After assembling the boot they 3D print a cast of your feet and insert that into the skates. They then apply high heat and pressure the skates to form them to your foot. 

How much pressure? A lot. Specifically how much, no clue, that's proprietary. 

How much heat? A lot. Specifically how much, no clue, that's proprietary. 

How does TRUE make their custom skates? Depends on who you ask. TRUE used to create a custom last based on your specifications and then build the skate around the last. This allowed them to make many adjustments to the skate as they are building it. It's a very hands-on process which requires a lot of work and truthfully the end result is only as good as the person doing the work. We did a ton of TRUE customs and yes, there were times we had issues with skates being too big or had a holder that was not properly aligned and 99% of the time TRUE fixed the problem. There is only one customer I can think of that we couldn't satisfy and he had significant foot issues. That customer also tried custom CCM and Bauer skates and those also didn't work for him as well. 

My suggestion, give TRUE one more try to get it right. Provide them as much feedback as possible. The more information you provide the better understanding they have of what works and what doesn't. If that pair comes back wrong still then I would look into other options. 

Thank you, sir, for the advice.  You clearly have a lot of experience with custom fittings and I appreciate you sharing it with me.  It'll either be TRUEs, Bauers, or both if I just cannot make up my mind.  TRUE does seem to win people over and that is what has captured my intrigue.

 

Thanks

[Leif 161]

20 hours ago, GearSnob said:

Nah, I have only been in a couple different pairs of Bauers and then the TRUEs.  And yes, I am spending a lot of $$ to learn the hard way but that's part of the game.  I'll never be able to play or even skate well but at least I can have good equipment!  I truthfully think the Bauer custom Supremes would be just fine particularly if they are made like SkateWorks just explained.  My current off-the-shelf Bauer Supremes aren't too far away.  In fact, I think most people would say I am foolish for not using them and perhaps I am but I like the idea of making improvements.  I'm also probably making a mountain out of a mole hill but just because I don't mind spending money on a pair of custom skates even though I suck at skating doesn't mean I want to turn around and buy two pairs of custom skates because I just don't like the first one or perhaps the first one doesn't feel as good as I had hoped.  So I'd like to make a purchase that I really feel good about.

I've got Jerry's Hockey and Pure Hockey around me in abundance.

And, gentlemen, thanks so much for all the input.  You guys put a lot of effort into your answers and I appreciate it.

Slightly off topic and apologies if this has been addressed, but I strongly suggest you take one on one skating lessons. In my case they are making a huge difference to my skating which in turn greatly improves my hockey. (Still can’t shoot for poop, hi ho.) Spending  $1,000 on skating lessons will do massively more to improve your skating than buying $1,000 skates. 

[Stearnso 0]

On 10/20/2020 at 11:29 AM, Leif said:

Slightly off topic and apologies if this has been addressed, but I strongly suggest you take one on one skating lessons. In my case they are making a huge difference to my skating which in turn greatly improves my hockey. (Still can’t shoot for poop, hi ho.) Spending  $1,000 on skating lessons will do massively more to improve your skating than buying $1,000 skates. 

Them: My custom fitted skates are causing pain and still don't fit right even with the manufacturer's guarantee

You: LEARN TO SKATE, NOOB!