If you can afford something like True SVH skates why would you bother getting off the shelf skates?

[Beflar 53]

My whole life I thought it was normal for skates to hurt my feet.  Then I bought True SVH full custom skates.  Life is short, save up the extra money and go full custom.  

I think that skates are so stiff in general, that the only way they have any shot at being comfortable is if it is made around a mold of your foot.  Now that it is 2023 and stuff like this is available be sure to take advantage of it.

 

 

[Giltis 116]

Fully agree, it's like nothing else. They are more comfortable than some of my work boots that I've had in the past.

[start_today 770]

Because a lot of people can find comfortable fits for stock skates.  Especially off the shelf Trues mold and fit so well the non-custom are fine for a lot of people.  

I suspect a lot of people need to actually just take time fitting their skates and trying things on.  There’s a huge gap between ordering Vapors online because “Bauer is the best” without ever trying anything on, and going full custom. 

A pair of off the shelf $500 Trues would probably be the best option for a huge number of people. But the world too easily pushes the narrative of you need the most expensive things all the time no matter what. 
 

[Buzz_LightBeer 969]

People also enjoy the instant gratification of taking new skates home the same day.

[Sniper9 529]

Off the shelf true skates have been just as comfortable for me as custom true skates. That's just me though. For people who have different size feet that's 1/2 a size or more, it's definitely beneficial for custom. I used to be fine with off the shelf Bauer. I would still be if I never got trues. Ever since I got trues my feet became desensitized to certain pressure points etc. Now if I wear old skates I used to have they feel like crap. Almost wish I never tried trues so I had way more options at the retail level 😂

[Beflar 53]

5 hours ago, start_today said:

Because a lot of people can find comfortable fits for stock skates.  Especially off the shelf Trues mold and fit so well the non-custom are fine for a lot of people.  

I suspect a lot of people need to actually just take time fitting their skates and trying things on.  There’s a huge gap between ordering Vapors online because “Bauer is the best” without ever trying anything on, and going full custom. 

A pair of off the shelf $500 Trues would probably be the best option for a huge number of people. But the world too easily pushes the narrative of you need the most expensive things all the time no matter what. 
 

For off the self skates I find that they fit as long as I'm upright but the second I shift my weight forward, my foot gets wider, and that is when bad things happen.  I think if they built a skate mold around a human foot that is actively being used, flatter/wider, like my SVH skates, that would be the best place to start.  Instead they build a skate mold around a foot that is not actively used.

If you look at my SVH skates it looks like a real human foot while off the shelf skates seem to have been built for mannequins.

[Sniper9 529]

1 hour ago, Beflar said:

For off the self skates I find that they fit as long as I'm upright but the second I shift my weight forward, my foot gets wider, and that is when bad things happen.  I think if they built a skate mold around a human foot that is actively being used, flatter/wider, like my SVH skates, that would be the best place to start.  Instead they build a skate mold around a foot that is not actively used.

If you look at my SVH skates it looks like a real human foot while off the shelf skates seem to have been built for mannequins.

I tend to agree with this as people's feet widen and splay out when leaning forward and bearing weight. The minimal foams in the forefoot and toebox on ccm and Bauer skates make you have to get used to a skate that's forefoot is too narrow during actual play. Yes you get used to it eventually and it wasn't until I tried true skates that I realized how ill fitting my previous skates were. I mean in general most human footwear is not ergonomical and too narrow, but I digress. 

[puckpilot 312]

2 hours ago, Sniper9 said:

I tend to agree with this as people's feet widen and splay out when leaning forward and bearing weight. The minimal foams in the forefoot and toebox on ccm and Bauer skates make you have to get used to a skate that's forefoot is too narrow during actual play. Yes you get used to it eventually and it wasn't until I tried true skates that I realized how ill fitting my previous skates were. I mean in general most human footwear is not ergonomical and too narrow, but I digress. 

The trick I found that worked for me was to simply not use the first set of eyelets. It opens up the forefoot area where the toecap meets the boot quite a lot. 

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Being able to afford it doesn't necessarily mean being willing to spend it. 

[stick9 890]

1 hour ago, IPv6Freely said:

Being able to afford it doesn't necessarily mean being willing to spend it. 

BOOM! 

Playing 2-3 nights a week year round I could easily justify the expense. It's about value. The retail offering fit me really well. The question becomes, why pay extra for something I don't need...

Edited October 19, 2023 by stick9

[VegasHockey 1280]

On 10/18/2023 at 11:36 PM, Beflar said:

My whole life I thought it was normal for skates to hurt my feet.  Then I bought True SVH full custom skates.  Life is short, save up the extra money and go full custom.  

I think that skates are so stiff in general, that the only way they have any shot at being comfortable is if it is made around a mold of your foot.  Now that it is 2023 and stuff like this is available be sure to take advantage of it.

 

 

 

I think if you can't find anything at retail that fits well and doesn't cause you pain, then the only natural decision would be to go full custom. 

I skate with a lot of people who buy $1100+ skates, complain about the pain they have, yet refuse to pay the small fee to upgrade to a custom skate... It's not logical. 

Edited October 20, 2023 by VegasHockey

[Sniper9 529]

19 hours ago, puckpilot said:

The trick I found that worked for me was to simply not use the first set of eyelets. It opens up the forefoot area where the toecap meets the boot quite a lot. 

Ya there are different methods but for me the main issue especially with ccm skates is where the toecap meets the boot. That junction is brutal since they use a clip rivet system. Bauer is better in that they used to sew it. Now Bauer also uses a rivet but it's a bit more flush. Either way I'm most happy with my trues since the entire boot and toe cap is seamless 

[MyBoxersSayJoe 133]

I have weird feet and I'm not growing anymore.  After a pair or two of skates that never fit correctly, I went to @DarkStar50for custom Bauer APX's back in the day and it was sooooooooooo worth the custom fee.  No break-in, no pain, still rocking them 12 years later.

[BenBreeg 493]

I used to lust after custom Grafs.  I remember people posting on here with pics of their white and gray boots, country flags, etc.  

[bl4 39]

I'm planning to try customs for my next skates, but worth noting that customs can feel like a bigger risk than retail, even if the price tag is similar.  That's in part because you can try on traditional retail skates before you buy, but also because return and warranty policies have gotten much more attractive of late. Pure offers the 30 days on all skates, True off the shelf come with the fit guaranty, and up until very recently CCM had the long warranty policy.  Dropping a lot of cash on a pair of skates can be stressful, but the ability to try them on before you buy and know that you can skate on them and return no questions asked can make the big cash outlay feel a little safer.  The upside of customs is incredible, and I know many folks on here have spoken about good customer service experiences with SVH if there were fit issues, but the risk for many consumers may still appear greater.

[Sniper9 529]

9 hours ago, bl4 said:

I'm planning to try customs for my next skates, but worth noting that customs can feel like a bigger risk than retail, even if the price tag is similar.  That's in part because you can try on traditional retail skates before you buy, but also because return and warranty policies have gotten much more attractive of late. Pure offers the 30 days on all skates, True off the shelf come with the fit guaranty, and up until very recently CCM had the long warranty policy.  Dropping a lot of cash on a pair of skates can be stressful, but the ability to try them on before you buy and know that you can skate on them and return no questions asked can make the big cash outlay feel a little safer.  The upside of customs is incredible, and I know many folks on here have spoken about good customer service experiences with SVH if there were fit issues, but the risk for many consumers may still appear greater.

It was always the recommendation that if retail skates for you fine stick with them.  My next skates will be retail since true makes retail now, and the fact Bauer and ccm are finally on board with comfort being a priority as well. The Mach skates were a huge win for Bauer in the comfort category 

[Beflar 53]

13 minutes ago, Sniper9 said:

It was always the recommendation that if retail skates for you fine stick with them.  My next skates will be retail since true makes retail now, and the fact Bauer and ccm are finally on board with comfort being a priority as well. The Mach skates were a huge win for Bauer in the comfort category 

You only live once and the custom skates will last for a few years,  offsetting the price tag somewhat.

[stick9 890]

11 hours ago, Beflar said:

You only live once and the custom skates will last for a few years,  offsetting the price tag somewhat.

Same materials as retail and I believe made in the same factory. If those two things are true, how would they last longer than a retail skate?

Someone should note. If you go custom, you better like them because there is no returning them after a certain point. The resale value on custom skates is garbage.

Edited October 23, 2023 by stick9

[Beflar 53]

20 minutes ago, stick9 said:

Same materials as retail and I believe made in the same factory. If those two things are true, how would they last longer than a retail skate?

Someone should note. If you go custom, you better like them because there is no returning them after a certain point. The resale value on custom skates is garbage.

Do you buy skates every year?  I swear my skates last for a few years easy.  I have never needed to buy new skates, I just do.

[Sniper9 529]

12 hours ago, Beflar said:

You only live once and the custom skates will last for a few years,  offsetting the price tag somewhat.

Customs don't last longer than retail skates. 

[Sniper9 529]

48 minutes ago, Beflar said:

Do you buy skates every year?  I swear my skates last for a few years easy.  I have never needed to buy new skates, I just do.

Same with me lol.  Gear whore life. 

[stick9 890]

2 hours ago, Beflar said:

Do you buy skates every year?  I swear my skates last for a few years easy.  I have never needed to buy new skates, I just do.

No, I can easily get 3+ years out of a pair of skates. 

[MyBoxersSayJoe 133]

Maybe I'm a mutant.  13 years in Graf 703's.  10 years in my current custom APX.  But I'm also not a large guy, or heavy.

[start_today 770]

This thread just seems like someone who has enough money that they don’t really care what they spend it on, and then try to justify it after the fact (custom skates last longer), and then when that false assertion gets called out, backpedals to another money flex (I don’t need to buy new skates, I just do). 

 

[Beflar 53]

6 hours ago, start_today said:

This thread just seems like someone who has enough money that they don’t really care what they spend it on, and then try to justify it after the fact (custom skates last longer), and then when that false assertion gets called out, backpedals to another money flex (I don’t need to buy new skates, I just do). 

 

Check out Mr Sunshine over here. 

Not sure what thread you are reading but you have a great day either way..

Edited October 24, 2023 by Beflar