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mtn

Heel Lock issues - any way to solve, other than new skates?

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Got some new skates - Graf Peakspeed 7700s. 

My heel is slipping (lifting up, not moving forward) in the right skate. Left foot was perfect. This was very, very strange to me, as 
1: my right foot, including my heel is slightly larger than my left (confirmed with a caliper in the past). Definitely not enough to move me into different sized/width/fits between the two.
2: and I have NEVER had this issue in any of my past skates. I've always bought retail skates too. 

What can I try to attempt to fix this? Here is what I am planning, in this order: 
1: Replace the insoles with those from my old skates. That is 3 different pairs of stock insoles - 2 Grafs, and 1 CCM. The new Graf insoles seem to be half as rigid and thick as my old ones. 
2: Rebake the skates
3: Thicker socks
4: Superfeet (hesitant on this one, because of (a) the cost and (b)I don't really understand how they'd actually do anything to help me solve the issue)
5: Add memory foam, either on the sides of my heel or on the bend of my ankle to reduce volume. I would not attach it in any way, at least at first.
6: Give up and call it fine, or find new skates. Again.

Is there anything else I should try here? 

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Long version that is likely relevant background information:

I had been looking for new skates for a while; I was extremely happy in my Graf G75s. I'd be in them for 8 hours a day with no issue whatsoever. When they wore out I got a tremendous deal on some Jetspeeds - 80% off of a brand new skate; obviously I took a gamble. I used those for a season. They fit good enough, but were never quite right - a little too tight everywhere except the heel, and they didn't quite pass the pencil test. After 2 hours in them, the dogs were barking. I considered getting them punched, but after talking it out with a few knowledgeable folks, I came to the conclusion that they weren't the right fit and I needed something new. If they'd passed the pencil test I'd have given it a shot. 

So, I tried on skates. Tacks sort of felt like they fit right, slightly too wide, but were too stiff/tall so were a non-starter. Ribcores were just not right, they never felt comfortable for whatever reason. Nexus had too much volume. Vapor too narrow. Supremes were the closest, but similar to the Ribcore, just not right. Trues were too ugly and too expensive, so I didn't even look at them. Customs are cost prohibitive. 

Having always been happy in Grafs, I searched hard for them. A bunch are available online, but too much money for me to buy without trying them on. I ended up finding some at a very reputable independent LHS near enough to me, and put them on in the store. They fit extremely well. Had the owner there confirm it. I walked around in them, they were great. Fit was just about perfect to the point that I maybe shouldn't even have baked them. I baked them. Obviously I did not walk around in them for 24 hours after baking, so I did not realize that there was an issue until later.

I Skated on them last night, and I had a lot of heel slippage in my right foot. And so here I am, trying to solve that. 

Edited by mtn

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What volume do you have in the right skate ie pencil test? If you have a little bit of room next time try a piece of foam or felt or something semi soft and squishy under the tongue from top eyelets 2 to 5 just to fill up any space. If this helps reduce the lift then it points to a little too much volume. This isn't suggested as a long term fix, just a thought to maybe give you another piece of the puzzle.

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I have had this issue with a heel being too tight actually, where my heel was slipping because it didn't quite sit deep enough in the heel pocket. I had to rebake them and focus on getting my heel in deep and then tie them so that my heel locked in tight.

This was with x:60s years ago, and for reference, I am on the border between Supreme and Nexus in terms of volume and did very well in 8090s once upon a time, so obviously x:60s were not the right skate for me but I didn't know better then.

Contact the shop you bought them from though. 

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16 hours ago, PBH said:

Bake them and use a ratchet clamp just above the heel to lock in your foot. Like this:

 

Should my foot be in the boot when doing that?

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Try this lacing method. I find it helps push the heel back into the heel pocket and keep it there. You don't even have to get on the ice to see if it works. If it works, you should feel your foot being pushed back into the skate. You might be able to combine it with some of the other suggestions like adding foam to increase effectiveness. 

 

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