New True Catalyst Skates

[nisselrm 21]

On 9/10/2022 at 8:47 PM, PBH said:

The Shift holders will be awesome once TRUE releases the 4mm steel.

What will that change? I just ordered SVHs and the holder is my only real concern coming from a CXN with standard step steel

[Hills 712]

My video comparison of the True Catalyst 9 vs Catalyst Pro vs TF9 is now on YouTube. I can't link it here though. There will be an actual on-ice review of the Cat Pro vs previous True Customs in the future but I thought it would be important to get a sizing comparison on the Cat 9 vs TF9.

Also of note, people on this forum and online who reached out to True in an attempt to make videos and a review happened are the actual reason I got a chance to get a pair of the Cat Pros and do the videos. So huge thank you to the community for the assistance there!

[G14 7]

Awesome video as always Matt @Hills ! Love the detail and happy True has you on their radar! 

[bl4 39]

5 hours ago, Hills said:

My video comparison of the True Catalyst 9 vs Catalyst Pro vs TF9 is now on YouTube. I can't link it here though. There will be an actual on-ice review of the Cat Pro vs previous True Customs in the future but I thought it would be important to get a sizing comparison on the Cat 9 vs TF9.

Also of note, people on this forum and online who reached out to True in an attempt to make videos and a review happened are the actual reason I got a chance to get a pair of the Cat Pros and do the videos. So huge thank you to the community for the assistance there!

Great review! Many thanks, as always

[Jbear 113]

Thanks Matt!  I'll add my .02 Loonies...

Fits like CCM/Bauer (or very close) ...just as you indicated.  I'm a little surprised at how much less padding/foams there are in the ankle relative to my other skates (AS1, AS3Pro, Ribcor70k and 80k and 2xPros) .  I haven't baked them yet so I'll be bending out the facing of the top 4-5 eyelets (they're digging into my (previously fractured now deformed left) ankle.  Also as Matt and others have noticed in True skates...lots of excess glue, but can't say I care, especially given the price.  I may want to change to a traditional felt tongue as this stock one is very stiff.  It seems protective though, and of course I will skate in them first.  

The big takeaway...fits like other brands...thank you True!

 

[Hills 712]

9 minutes ago, Jbear said:

Thanks Matt!  I'll add my .02 Loonies...

Fits like CCM/Bauer (or very close) ...just as you indicated.  I'm a little surprised at how much less padding/foams there are in the ankle relative to my other skates (AS1, AS3Pro, Ribcor70k and 80k and 2xPros) .  I haven't baked them yet so I'll be bending out the facing of the top 4-5 eyelets (they're digging into my (previously fractured now deformed left) ankle.  Also as Matt and others have noticed in True skates...lots of excess glue, but can't say I care, especially given the price.  I may want to change to a traditional felt tongue as this stock one is very stiff.  It seems protective though, and of course I will skate in them first.  

The big takeaway...fits like other brands...thank you True!

 

I want to clarify, only the full customs I have had in the past had the excess glue/epoxy or whatever it is. The TF line and the Cat line has a lot of that cleaned up.

[Hills 712]

1 hour ago, G14 said:

Awesome video as always Matt @Hills ! Love the detail and happy True has you on their radar! 

We will see what happens after they see the "Areas of concern" section of the video haha.

[Jbear 113]

Mine's pretty "glue-ey," at least relatively. I have no experience with the full customs.  I did notice that the TF9s I had for a hot minute were cleaner.  I like the way these feel lots better. We'll see after I take them for a slide 👍🥅🇨🇦🏒😎

[tcc 9]

Great and informative video.  Looking forward to the cat pro video. 👍

[Westside 232]

Great, informative video Matt! Really wish the Pro colors were available on the Cat9. That subdued grey color looks so much better 

[nisselrm 21]

Got my SVHs in and am pretty underwhelmed. They weren’t sent in the display box like I asked and the fit is pretty off. They barely fit in length and don’t have nearly enough volume. Tongue doesn’t sit correctly and the top theee eyelets run directly into my upper ankle bone with almost no space between. I can’t even lace them up.

 

my question is do I go directly through true or back to the retailer for replacements?

Edited September 17, 2022 by nisselrm
Misspelling

[Hills 712]

23 minutes ago, nisselrm said:

Got my SVHs in and am pretty underwhelmed. They weren’t sent in the display box like I asked and the fit is pretty off. They barely fit in length and don’t have nearly enough volume. Tongue doesn’t sit correctly and the top theee eyelets run directly into my upper ankle bone with almost no space between. I can’t even lace them up.

 

my question is do I go directly through true or back to the retailer for replacements?

Can you show photos for what you are talking about for the eyelets when they are on?

You would go through your retailer to fix the issues.

[Jbear 113]

Damn that's disappointing. Have you baked already? I got these Cat Pros used and when I put them on, same as you...forefoot volume was concerning and the eyelets dug hard into my ankles. I baked/shrink-wrapped them last night and  they seem much more friendly now.  I flared out the top while they were still warm, and that helped too.  That being said, I cannot lace these skates while they're on.  I'll need long enough laces to loosen without removing from any eyelets.  Tomorrow I'll go for a slide we shall see.  They are definitely a different beast and will take some adjusting to...and perhaps further modification.

Hope you get resolution one way or another. 

Interesting aside...the bottom of my skates look like the bottom of the TF9s...doesn't have the "PRO" graphic on them.  Everything else is "normal."  Strange. 

Edited September 17, 2022 by Jbear

[althoma1 574]

7 hours ago, Jbear said:

 That being said, I cannot lace these skates while they're on.  I'll need long enough laces to loosen without removing from any eyelets. 

Before you switch to super long laces, try threading the top two eyelets from behind the tongue and then pulling the lace over top of the tongue. That's what I need to do with my TF9 inline conversions - I really struggled trying to thread the eyelets in front of the tongue, but now I can do it with ease from behind the tongue. 

[bl4 39]

After watching @Hills's review, I picked up a pair of Cat 9s. Skated on them today for the first time and was kind of disappointed.  I bought and baked them at my LHS.  My LHS owner is a longtime True/SVH fan and did a great job with the saran wrap, etc.  They felt very good in the store, and I was almost worried that the fit would be too snug.  When I skated on them today, though, it felt like they opened up a bit too much.  For want of a better word, I'd describe the fit as a bit sloppy.  I actually didn't get great heel lock on either skate. And, I always deal with slight pronation on one foot, but I felt like I was getting it much more today than I ever have in a pair of new skates.  (It's inevitable when boots break down, but I don't expect it to be an issue in a properly fitting pair of new, stiff boots.)  I'm not sure if that's attributable to user error - I have narrow feet and usually use waxed laces and tie my skates quite tight. Today, I used the stock laces and at my LHS's urging (and based on threads on here), I took it easy on the top few eyelets. So, maybe if I go tighter and use waxed, I'll get better heel lock?  That said, when I tried going tighter today, I definitely had less forward flex. 

Finally, any tips for determining if my steel is warped?  I know this is a recurring concern with the Cat skates, and maybe that helps explain the slight lack of stability that I felt today.  

I'm planning to swap out my laces and try another skate or two.  If things still aren't great, I'll probably try to take them back to my LHS and see about re-baking and checking the steel.  Maybe the Trues just aren't the right fit for me, but we'll see...

[VegasHockey 1280]

2 hours ago, bl4 said:

After watching @Hills's review, I picked up a pair of Cat 9s. Skated on them today for the first time and was kind of disappointed.  I bought and baked them at my LHS.  My LHS owner is a longtime True/SVH fan and did a great job with the saran wrap, etc.  They felt very good in the store, and I was almost worried that the fit would be too snug.  When I skated on them today, though, it felt like they opened up a bit too much.  For want of a better word, I'd describe the fit as a bit sloppy.  I actually didn't get great heel lock on either skate. And, I always deal with slight pronation on one foot, but I felt like I was getting it much more today than I ever have in a pair of new skates.  (It's inevitable when boots break down, but I don't expect it to be an issue in a properly fitting pair of new, stiff boots.)  I'm not sure if that's attributable to user error - I have narrow feet and usually use waxed laces and tie my skates quite tight. Today, I used the stock laces and at my LHS's urging (and based on threads on here), I took it easy on the top few eyelets. So, maybe if I go tighter and use waxed, I'll get better heel lock?  That said, when I tried going tighter today, I definitely had less forward flex. 

Finally, any tips for determining if my steel is warped?  I know this is a recurring concern with the Cat skates, and maybe that helps explain the slight lack of stability that I felt today.  

I'm planning to swap out my laces and try another skate or two.  If things still aren't great, I'll probably try to take them back to my LHS and see about re-baking and checking the steel.  Maybe the Trues just aren't the right fit for me, but we'll see...

Never heard of warped steel on TRUE skates. Can you link me to that thread or info? 

[bl4 39]

9 minutes ago, PBH said:

Never heard of warped steel on TRUE skates. Can you link me to that thread or info? 

@Hills mentions it in his review (in his "areas of concern"), and I noticed that a couple of (otherwise positive) customer reviews on IW mentioned the same issue (https://www.icewarehouse.com/True_Catalyst_9/descpage-TC9SK.html).

[Hills 712]

15 hours ago, bl4 said:

After watching @Hills's review, I picked up a pair of Cat 9s. Skated on them today for the first time and was kind of disappointed.  I bought and baked them at my LHS.  My LHS owner is a longtime True/SVH fan and did a great job with the saran wrap, etc.  They felt very good in the store, and I was almost worried that the fit would be too snug.  When I skated on them today, though, it felt like they opened up a bit too much.  For want of a better word, I'd describe the fit as a bit sloppy.  I actually didn't get great heel lock on either skate. And, I always deal with slight pronation on one foot, but I felt like I was getting it much more today than I ever have in a pair of new skates.  (It's inevitable when boots break down, but I don't expect it to be an issue in a properly fitting pair of new, stiff boots.)  I'm not sure if that's attributable to user error - I have narrow feet and usually use waxed laces and tie my skates quite tight. Today, I used the stock laces and at my LHS's urging (and based on threads on here), I took it easy on the top few eyelets. So, maybe if I go tighter and use waxed, I'll get better heel lock?  That said, when I tried going tighter today, I definitely had less forward flex. 

Finally, any tips for determining if my steel is warped?  I know this is a recurring concern with the Cat skates, and maybe that helps explain the slight lack of stability that I felt today.  

I'm planning to swap out my laces and try another skate or two.  If things still aren't great, I'll probably try to take them back to my LHS and see about re-baking and checking the steel.  Maybe the Trues just aren't the right fit for me, but we'll see...

How much are you toes touching the ends when you are standing and they are tied up?

I have been feeling the lack of heel lock in these so far as well when playing, my feet feel like they slide forward too much and I have to crank the laces on the top which kills any forward flex I had. So I am trying to find a balance.

For the steel, try and pop the steel out and see if it comes out easily (you should have to pull, but I actually couldn't get the steel out of the pair I had).

[Hockeydad97 3]

So I seem to have the bend issue in my left skate,  cat 9’s. It’s not much but it’s definitely bent. I have email out to true and am waiting on reply. Based on the reviewer on the iw review, sounds like they will replace the steel. That is fine if the issue is the steel but hockey reviews seems to point the issue being the holder mount. Won’t the new steel bend as well if the holder is the issue? Eyeballing my holder it is hard to tell it could be a bit off the centre line. Slightly left?

[bl4 39]

2 hours ago, Hills said:

How much are you toes touching the ends when you are standing and they are tied up?

I have been feeling the lack of heel lock in these so far as well when playing, my feet feel like they slide forward too much and I have to crank the laces on the top which kills any forward flex I had. So I am trying to find a balance.

For the steel, try and pop the steel out and see if it comes out easily (you should have to pull, but I actually couldn't get the steel out of the pair I had).

Many thanks, but I'm sorry to hear that the fit has been an issue for you as well.  Honestly, because of the material in the toe cap, I can't tell exactly where I am length-wise.  I'd say feathering, though.  I am wondering whether - despite the great heat molding - these skates actually are too wide and have too much volume for me.  I can't skate again for a couple of days, but I'll share any updates once I do.

And thanks for the advice re: the steel.  Will double check. 

[Jbear 113]

Skated in the Cat Pros today.  Just a public session but, that's actually a better diagnostic for me as there's nothing to "hide" behind.  It's like playing a guitar without an amp...I know exactly how that guitar plays rather than having the amp "color" it.  Anyway...

Really like how they feel now that they are baked.  Very comfortable and nice flexion.  Seems somewhere between the AS3 Pro and 100k Pro. I like that piece of foam in the toe and hoping it'll mitigate the impact of shots as I block a lot of 'em.  Was swapping between AS3 Pros, 100k Pros, and these.  I like them!   So.. I'm set with three pair to rotate through. Just need to decide if I am keeping my 70k and 80k's as well🤔🤣👍🏒🥅🇨🇦😎

Edited September 18, 2022 by Jbear

[Hills 712]

6 hours ago, Hockeydad97 said:

So I seem to have the bend issue in my left skate,  cat 9’s. It’s not much but it’s definitely bent. I have email out to true and am waiting on reply. Based on the reviewer on the iw review, sounds like they will replace the steel. That is fine if the issue is the steel but hockey reviews seems to point the issue being the holder mount. Won’t the new steel bend as well if the holder is the issue? Eyeballing my holder it is hard to tell it could be a bit off the centre line. Slightly left?

Yeah... I have heard just the "steel is bent" but I have a hard time believe all of this steel went into the holders already bent and weren't bent over time from improper holder mount...

[bl4 39]

Hoping that it's not going to be necessary to return them, but do others have experience w/True's 30 day warranty?  If so, have you had any issues, or has it been relatively straightforward?

[flip12 714]

@bl4 do you have any other tongues you could try in your boots? Trying a thicker classic felt tongue could help, as long as it's not too stiff (usually tendon protection in tongues tends to be quite stiff). You might be able to get better lace tension and heel lock without having to crank down on the tongue too much. I don't know the Cat tongue yet, but tongues with too much stiffness can impede proper forward flexion when cranked down with tight lacing.

[birky 24]

Has anyone gone from Fit 1 Vapors to these? I've been in Vapors for 15 years, and my current pair is a 9.0R (from before the Fit 1/2/3 era, which I believe means I'd be in a Fit 1 today). Just curious for anyone's experience, as I'm very interested in trying the Catalyst skates.