True Catalyst Pro Skates

[Sniper9 518]

1 hour ago, bonez05 said:

I’m still waiting on my cat 9 pros. 2 weeks in. 

The guy at my LHS said right now it's a fast turnaround. He said the last svh customs they ordered was one week. And that Trues factory were all hands on deck from now until dec 23 when they shut down the factory for a week. 

Does true still send you an email where you can track the status of the build once your order is placed?

Either way I'm in no rush and rather the skates not be rushed and come out looking sloppy. 

Edited December 17, 2022 by Sniper9

[bonez05 6]

 

25 minutes ago, Sniper9 said:

The guy at my LHS said right now it's a fast turnaround. He said the last svh customs they ordered was one week. And that Trues factory were all hands on deck from now until dec 23 when they shut down the factory for a week. 

Does true still send you an email where you can track the status of the build once your order is placed?

Either way I'm in no rush and rather the skates not be rushed and come out looking sloppy. 

They told me a week generally too. I did not got an email from True even though I gave them my email multiple times. I figure they are busier for Christmas.  

[VegasHockey 1260]

On 12/16/2022 at 4:24 PM, Sniper9 said:

The guy at my LHS said right now it's a fast turnaround. He said the last svh customs they ordered was one week. And that Trues factory were all hands on deck from now until dec 23 when they shut down the factory for a week. 

Does true still send you an email where you can track the status of the build once your order is placed?

Either way I'm in no rush and rather the skates not be rushed and come out looking sloppy. 

The official time frames without expedited ordering is as follows:

ESTIMATED PRODUCTION TIME: CATALYST PRO (7 DAYS), SVH CUSTOM (14 DAYS), ALL OTHER SKATES (14 DAYS)

[Sniper9 518]

13 hours ago, VegasHockey said:

The official time frames without expedited ordering is as follows:

ESTIMATED PRODUCTION TIME: CATALYST PRO (7 DAYS), SVH CUSTOM (14 DAYS), ALL OTHER SKATES (14 DAYS)

All other skates as in Bauer and ccm.?

 

[Sniper9 518]

Is there a way to tell on the cat pros which she'll they used? Not only the size but the width as well? Is it stamped anywhere?

[VegasHockey 1260]

On 12/18/2022 at 7:25 AM, Sniper9 said:

All other skates as in Bauer and ccm.?

 

Bauer is 9 weeks.

CCM is 48 days for Total Custom and 61 days for Total Custom Plus. However, certain sizes and models can be delayed further. 

[bonez05 6]

I picked up my catalyst pros this week. 
Toe box was tight but not pinching before bake. Right after bake they felt perfect. No space in the toe box but not tight.

there is some kind of clear resin tape they apply to the outside of the boot that is a bit bubbled and shoddy looking. Haven’t had a chance to test drive them yet but I’m excited I think they are going to be perfect. 

[Sniper9 518]

6 hours ago, bonez05 said:

I picked up my catalyst pros this week. 
Toe box was tight but not pinching before bake. Right after bake they felt perfect. No space in the toe box but not tight.

there is some kind of clear resin tape they apply to the outside of the boot that is a bit bubbled and shoddy looking. Haven’t had a chance to test drive them yet but I’m excited I think they are going to be perfect. 

Are you able to tell whether they used a regular or wide shell? Is there any indication on the boot anywhere what size and width they used?

[bonez05 6]

8 hours ago, Sniper9 said:

Are you able to tell whether they used a regular or wide shell? Is there any indication on the boot anywhere what size and width they used?

No indication whatsoever 

[Sniper9 518]

Just got mine. My fitter didn't use the saran wrap technique which was fine bc after the bake it felt pretty locked in. After walking around the store it felt good. Better than my tf customs did after the first bake. The only thing was that it was tied up to the top eyelet and I usually drop that one. No big deal. 

I bring them home and test it out with the top eyelet dropped. Still felt good but less overall lock. Also because the skate wasn't wrapped during the bake the eyelets still flared a touch and although I didn't need to crank on the laces I still had to put more tension than I did for my tf customs which I don't need to put any tension on laces except the top two. 

After a few hrs I went out to a public skate. Aside from the iffy sharpening job from the shop, the skates felt pretty good overall except the pro tongue. Because it's thinner and the sides taper off, it doesn't provide enough cushion between my ankle and the inside of the boot which caused noticeable rubbing on both skates. Hopefully this is a tongue thing and not a skate thing. But either way I'm sure I can spot heat the area if changing the tongue doesn't work out. 

The feel of the skates felt very similar to my tf customs but I def felt the more tapered fit and lower volume toe cap. My tongue was positioned to where I didn't have to slide it into the toebox and there was very little wiggle ro for my toes. For my tf customs I had to slide the tongue down a bit and make my own diy power foot inserts to get the same feel in the toebox. 

The new genetix insoles are a huge upgrade from trues stock ones in the past. It actually supported my arch very well. I will say they are fairly thick though but not super spongey. I will keep them for a few skates and see if I'll ultimately go back to my trusted speedplates. 

My plan is to rebake these skates at home and use the saran wrap technique while using the felt tongue. 

Overall I'm impressed with the fit and feel. I can notice a touch more flexion over my tf customs but because I was just testing them out during a public skate, I can't say for certain and will update tomorrow when I play a game. 

Aside from the tongue issue that is likely causing ankle rub there's nothing to really complain about. The only thing I don't like is how the new foam feels so plush. This was the same with my tf customs until about a mth or so in when the foam breaks in a bit and the fit is less "soft" and more locked in. 

I had the steel profiled to quad 0 and didn't notice any real difference between the shift max holders/steel vs my previous SB 4.0 holder and Tuuk edge holder setups. This is for those wondering about pitch etc. With the steel profiled to quad 0 it felt like my tf customs that have the sb 4.0 holders on.  The shift max dlc also felt very smooth. 

I'm currently waiting for my skates to be sharpened at my regular shop as I mentioned above the place I got my cat pros from did my regular 9/16 hollow but it literally felt like 5/8 or even 1". I got my regular place to go 1/2" just in case as I usually jump from 1/2"-9/16" so I'll get a sense of whether it was the sharpening job at the other place or the actual steel that caused it to feel like there was no bite. 

I dont think the edges were uneven or anything like that as it was both inside and outside edges that felt like there was no bite and I could keep sliding on them. Steel appeared straight too so that discounts a bent holder/steel. 

I'll update tomorrow!

On a side note, is there anyone that actually like the tf pro tongues?

[Sniper9 518]

On 12/25/2022 at 5:03 AM, bonez05 said:

No indication whatsoever 

Oh and there was paperwork left in my box that showed they used a 7w shell.  Nothing on the boot that indicated width but there was a stamp inside the boot stating the boot length was a 7.s

Them using a wide boot was surprising bc although my feet aren't narrow I didn't think I needed a wide. But this makes sense since almost all retail skates give me rubbing on my pinky toes and forefoot area bc i have slim ankles and heels and a wider forefoot in proportion. So a fit 1 Bauer is great for my ankles and heels but not so much for tht forefoot. 

These being wide even felt snug on the sides so a regular would've been way too tight for sure. 

[Westside 219]

2 hours ago, Sniper9 said:

The feel of the skates felt very similar to my tf customs but I def felt the more tapered fit and lower volume toe cap. My tongue was positioned to where I didn't have to slide it into the toebox and there was very little wiggle ro for my toes. For my tf customs I had to slide the tongue down a bit and make my own diy power foot inserts to get the same feel in the toebox. 

Not the Cat Pros but I picked up a pair of Cat 9s and feel the same. Narrower and less overall volume for sure compared to the TF. Like you, I swapped the felt tongues in right off the bat and moved them up an inch or so higher compared to where they were positioned in the TFs. Toe cap still has a lot less volume even after the tongue adjustment. 
 

The other difference I can’t quite explain is the hardness of the midsole. I was using the same superfeet I had in my TF, but the Cats felt like I was standing on hard concrete for lack of a better explanation. Real strange feeling I’ve never had in another pair of skates before. Going to swap the stock insoles for my next skate to see if the additional padding makes an impact 

[Sniper9 518]

2 hours ago, Westside said:

Not the Cat Pros but I picked up a pair of Cat 9s and feel the same. Narrower and less overall volume for sure compared to the TF. Like you, I swapped the felt tongues in right off the bat and moved them up an inch or so higher compared to where they were positioned in the TFs. Toe cap still has a lot less volume even after the tongue adjustment. 
 

The other difference I can’t quite explain is the hardness of the midsole. I was using the same superfeet I had in my TF, but the Cats felt like I was standing on hard concrete for lack of a better explanation. Real strange feeling I’ve never had in another pair of skates before. Going to swap the stock insoles for my next skate to see if the additional padding makes an impact 

Hmmm I can't comment on the midsole as I use speedplates and those are rock hard lol. I'm testing out the new genetix as they seem pretty good and actually support my arch and doesn't compress with weight. That's the only reason I like speedplates is bc it supports the arch completely and doesn't give. Makes the fit way more locked in imo. I have a game tomorrow so I'll be able to test out the insoles but I'll bake my speedplates so they're ready. 

Speaking of baking I rebaked my skates just now and was shocked that the instructions said to bake no more than 6 mins.  The previous trues and vh were always 8-10 mins. After 6 mins the skates were no where near as pliable as if they've been in for 8-10 mins. I've done my share of baking true customs and this was odd. I didn't want to sway from the instructions so I popped them on and shrink wrapped them. I'm kind of disappointed if the different materials used now prevents from longer baking times or whether it has to do with the holders potentially warping if it's heated too long. 

I can see it from a liability stand point where if people don't know exactly what theyre doing they can damage the skates and or holders baking for x amount of time. 

Anyways, well see how they feel tomorrow. Going to let it cool down overnight before I walk around them in the house. 

[Sniper9 518]

So I was able to play in them earlier tonight.  Very interesting experience. Good and bad. 

The good: more or less felt like how trues should feel. Foot felt hugged all around and comfortable around the forefoot heel and arch.  There actually is noticeably more flexions when taking strides side to side but forward flexion seems similar to svh/tf line. Shift max holders seems very nice and the dlc steel is nice as well. What I found interesting was even after getting it re sharpened at 1/2" it felt more like 9/16. So something is either up with the steel not biting as much or the genetix insoles being pretty thick that it absorbs most of the "connected" to the ice feeling. Either way it's not a big deal but just interesting. 

The bad: even though I flared out the medial side of the cuff I'm still having rubbing on the inside of my shins just above the ankle. This is on both skates. I had this issue creep up on me in my old tf customs on the right foot and was able to fix it with spot heating and pushing it out but that area wasn't as near the eyelet but more the upper cuff. This concerns me as I might not be able to fix this issue without compromising the wrap if I flare the actual top two eyelets. I even notice my ankle bone rubbing on the top eyelets when I remove and put on the skates which I never ever did on my tf customs. This is probably due to the cat pros having less wrap and the eyelets are in a position where my ankle will graze everytime I put on or remove the skates. 

The neutral: the shift max holders are taller than ccm and Bauer and it made it feel like my stick was too short by about 1/4". Noticed this on some plays where I reached for the puck and missed. 

Overall if I can resolve this pesky ankle rubbing, the skates are very good.  Even with the skates being more flexible I still felt most comfortable playing without the top eyelet done. I really hope either my ankles get used to the rubbing or am able to fix it bc it would suck. There's no visible mark on my ankles as it's not chaffing but more the hardness of the eyelet cuff. 

I will do a full rebake having the skates in the oven longer. I reached out to true and they said that their new recommendations are 6 mins Max but they can still be safely heated longer into they are pliable to my liking. Hopefully the reason for this is bc as I mentioned in my post above it never really got that soft after 6 mins 

Anyone else have this rubbing issue and was able to resolve it please let me know what worked. 

Stay tuned....

 

[start_today 757]

1 hour ago, Sniper9 said:

 

The neutral: the shift max holders are taller than ccm and Bauer and it made it feel like my stick was too short by about 1/4". Noticed this on some plays where I reached for the puck and missed. 

Are the holders a 1/4” taller? Or just enough so that you notice it in your stick? 

[Sniper9 518]

6 hours ago, start_today said:

Are the holders a 1/4” taller? Or just enough so that you notice it in your stick? 

I didn't actually measure but there height difference of the holders and new steel combined was about1/4" taller.  Holder itself looked at least 1/8" taller just visually. 

[Sniper9 518]

Well I rebaked for 10 mins. And the pliability was night and day. Stretch wrapped the heck out of it.  There is also wayyyyy more wrap now on the upper 3 eyelets. Going to let them cool overnight and then deal with the rubbing cuffs. 

Edited January 11, 2023 by Sniper9

[Sniper9 518]

On 12/24/2022 at 1:41 PM, bonez05 said:

I picked up my catalyst pros this week. 
Toe box was tight but not pinching before bake. Right after bake they felt perfect. No space in the toe box but not tight.

there is some kind of clear resin tape they apply to the outside of the boot that is a bit bubbled and shoddy looking. Haven’t had a chance to test drive them yet but I’m excited I think they are going to be perfect. 

This is what my LHS told me was a protective film to slow down and prevent chipping and damage to the carbon from skate cuts etc. I agree that they could've done a better job applying the film bit I appreciate the added protection. Mine only has a couple areas that have small bubbles. 

Btw, have you tested yours out yet. 

[beedee 224]

Any pix of these bubbles?

[Sniper9 518]

1 hour ago, beedee said:

Any pix of these bubbles?

I'm not home but it just looks like bubbles that occur when you don't properly squeegee vinyl stickers or paint protective film. It's really just cosmetic since the film itself is a protective film and not part of the skate. 

[bonez05 6]

16 hours ago, Sniper9 said:

This is what my LHS told me was a protective film to slow down and prevent chipping and damage to the carbon from skate cuts etc. I agree that they could've done a better job applying the film bit I appreciate the added protection. Mine only has a couple areas that have small bubbles. 

Btw, have you tested yours out yet. 

Yup I"ve skated in mine about 5 times.

I love them. Should have went custom a long time ago because of my wide feet. My toes just brush the cap and volume feels perfect for me.

I also really like the holder and steel. I was skidding a bit on my outside edge on my CCM Tacks because i couldn't get used to the balance. These feel like the perfect front to back balance to me.

If i tie them to tight in the middle i get some pressure on the arch / mid foot, so i have to really be careful and leave that loose. I'm using my superfeet. I just like them better than the stock insole they have /shrug.

 

 

 

 

[Westside 219]

18 hours ago, Sniper9 said:

This is what my LHS told me was a protective film to slow down and prevent chipping and damage to the carbon from skate cuts etc. I agree that they could've done a better job applying the film bit I appreciate the added protection. Mine only has a couple areas that have small bubbles.  

So this is a protective film? My Cat9s have removable film on the tornados, but I just assumed this was excess glue or something 

 

[Sniper9 518]

1 hour ago, Westside said:

So this is a protective film? My Cat9s have removable film on the tornados, but I just assumed this was excess glue or something 

 

That actually looks like epoxy. I'll take a pic when I get home of the film. If yours has a protective film you should see the lip/ridge under the river shield logo. It wraps both sides and also the heel of the skate. You can't miss it if you have it. Not sure when they started putting it on but they aren't on the demo skates. 

[Westside 219]

That’s what I figured 

[Sniper9 518]

This is the protective film that's applied to the cat pros now.