True catalyst vs. hzrdus skates?

[iceman8310 105]

What’s the difference between the True catalyst vs. hzrdus skates?

Edited May 14 by iceman8310

[krisdrum 233]

Skates?  Sticks?  

Not as familiar with the sticks, but for skates believe Cats are a bit narrower and a bit softer.  More of an "agility" skate.  Hzrdus are the newer version of the TF series.  Although I am hearing they are not as wide and the sizing has been corrected to be in line with other manufacturers.  The TFs you had to size down at least a 1/2 size.  

[VegasHockey 1280]

On 5/11/2024 at 5:59 PM, iceman8310 said:

What’s the difference between the True catalyst vs. hzrdus skates?

Mainly the stiffness of the skate and the tendon guard; Catalyst is less stiff and has a flexible tendon guard. 

Edited May 14 by VegasHockey

[start_today 770]

Is True doing two lines of skates, like Vapor and Supreme, or did the Hrzdus replace the Catalyst?  
 

Hrzdus sounds like an off brand energy drink, or a Christian rapper who primarily tours county fairs in the midwest. 

[krisdrum 233]

1 hour ago, start_today said:

Is True doing two lines of skates, like Vapor and Supreme, or did the Hrzdus replace the Catalyst?  

2 lines.

[flip12 712]

7 hours ago, start_today said:

Is True doing two lines of skates, like Vapor and Supreme, or did the Hrzdus replace the Catalyst?  
 

Hrzdus sounds like an off brand energy drink, or a Christian rapper who primarily tours county fairs in the midwest. 

It's more like Supreme and Supreme extra stiff. Catalyst is supposed to be an agility skate, but it doesn't have the traditional agility flex profile, it's just a little less stiff than their stiffer offerings.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

On 5/16/2024 at 4:21 AM, start_today said:

Is True doing two lines of skates, like Vapor and Supreme, or did the Hrzdus replace the Catalyst?  
 

Hrzdus sounds like an off brand energy drink, or a Christian rapper who primarily tours county fairs in the midwest. 

Hzrdus the name of one of True's golf shaft line.

[gutta26 0]

On 5/16/2024 at 8:39 PM, flip12 said:

It's more like Supreme and Supreme extra stiff. Catalyst is supposed to be an agility skate, but it doesn't have the traditional agility flex profile, it's just a little less stiff than their stiffer offerings.

I’ve been in pro stock Supreme 2S Pro’s for a while now which are quite stiff (getting broken down now though) and tried to switch to retail Ultrasonics a couple years ago but found them to be too soft. Do you think the stiffness of the Hzrdus would be comparable to my 2S Pro’s and the Catalyst the retail Ultrasonics? I live in Norway and there’s only one LHS I can go to and all they had in stock was the Hzrdus 9X. They felt closest to the stiffness I’m looking for, but it’s hard to tell without baking them. 
 

Also, does anyone know if the Catalyst or Hzrdus skates have the foam piece in the toe cap that can be pulled out that some True skates have had? I’m usually between two sizes but was only able to try on the smaller size and my toes were very hard up against the front in the Hzrdus. If baking doesn’t give me enough room I’m wondering if I could pull out that piece to get a bit of extra space. 

Edited June 15 by gutta26
Spelling errors

[ProfessorBarDownski 11]

Does anyone know what model from true is closest to Bauer supreme skates in terms of performance aspects? Eg..recoil ..long powerful strides, tongue inserts and so on.. I know most people say not to pay attention to what the companies say about how a Vapor is meant for quickness, speed  and a supreme is meant for power and so on, but i really feel the difference and from my experience when I went for a model that wasn’t meant for my skating style, it really affected my skating ability. Even with the perfect fit because they were custom. Comfort wasn’t an issue. 

[krisdrum 233]

On 6/15/2024 at 9:07 AM, gutta26 said:

I’ve been in pro stock Supreme 2S Pro’s for a while now which are quite stiff (getting broken down now though) and tried to switch to retail Ultrasonics a couple years ago but found them to be too soft. Do you think the stiffness of the Hzrdus would be comparable to my 2S Pro’s and the Catalyst the retail Ultrasonics? I live in Norway and there’s only one LHS I can go to and all they had in stock was the Hzrdus 9X. They felt closest to the stiffness I’m looking for, but it’s hard to tell without baking them. 
 

Also, does anyone know if the Catalyst or Hzrdus skates have the foam piece in the toe cap that can be pulled out that some True skates have had? I’m usually between two sizes but was only able to try on the smaller size and my toes were very hard up against the front in the Hzrdus. If baking doesn’t give me enough room I’m wondering if I could pull out that piece to get a bit of extra space. 

Not sure how the new Hzrdus react to heat, but I know the older TF skates were impossible to properly fit without baking.  Pretty sure True's policy is still that the boot should be baked for try-on, whether a purchase is made or not, so I would ask your shop if they will bake them, whether you buy them or not.  Believe the concept is 1) they fit way better baked and 2) material and construction is designed to be baked many many times.  

I don't believe the newer skates have the "between sizes" foam pad in the toe.  I've only seen that in the original "for retail" version of the Trues before they introduced the TF line.  

[krisdrum 233]

Shifting topic a bit... anyone with an inside track seen or heard anything about the Hzrdus and '24 Cats solving for the heel cracking issue?  I'd heard they re-engineered.  But yesterday a guy at one of my LHS said they hadn't yet and the improvements would be seen in the 2025 models.  

My kid cracked the heels on his Cat 9s, got them warranty replaced and is already seeing damage and cracking on the new pair.  So he'll need new skates in the next 2 months before the season and I'm concerned with sticking to True and having the same issues pop up mid-season.  

[Sprungdownunder 18]

I need advice on sizing as I am thinking of moving to the Hazrdus or the soon to be released 9x4's.

I always fit comfortably with my big toe just brushing up in the toe box in a 9 regular fit in a Bauer or CCM, 8.5's get uncomfortable on the big toe & they go numb.

Would I be right that in Trues you need to size down because of the moulding process? Also I have always skated on 280 size holders going down to a 8.5 would put me into a 272 size holder which is a bit of a concern.

Lastly is the Hazrdus more durable then the Cat9 to carbon cracking?

Thx for the advice modsquad community 👍

[VegasHockey 1280]

On 6/27/2024 at 6:10 AM, krisdrum said:

Shifting topic a bit... anyone with an inside track seen or heard anything about the Hzrdus and '24 Cats solving for the heel cracking issue?  I'd heard they re-engineered.  But yesterday a guy at one of my LHS said they hadn't yet and the improvements would be seen in the 2025 models.  

My kid cracked the heels on his Cat 9s, got them warranty replaced and is already seeing damage and cracking on the new pair.  So he'll need new skates in the next 2 months before the season and I'm concerned with sticking to True and having the same issues pop up mid-season.  

The 2024 Catalyst is entirely new. Not sure why the store would have given you incorrect information.  

13 hours ago, Sprungdownunder said:

I need advice on sizing as I am thinking of moving to the Hazrdus or the soon to be released 9x4's.

I always fit comfortably with my big toe just brushing up in the toe box in a 9 regular fit in a Bauer or CCM, 8.5's get uncomfortable on the big toe & they go numb.

Would I be right that in Trues you need to size down because of the moulding process? Also I have always skated on 280 size holders going down to a 8.5 would put me into a 272 size holder which is a bit of a concern.

Lastly is the Hazrdus more durable then the Cat9 to carbon cracking?

Thx for the advice modsquad community 👍

The fit of the 2024 Catalyst and the Hazrdus are similar.

Are you saying that you go with a 0.5 size larger to accommodate your toes? If so, you have probably been in skates that are too big for you. Can you go to a store and try on the 2024 Catalyst and the Hazrdus? Thats the best way to find a good fit. 

[Sprungdownunder 18]

12 hours ago, VegasHockey said:

The 2024 Catalyst is entirely new. Not sure why the store would have given you incorrect information.  

The fit of the 2024 Catalyst and the Hazrdus are similar.

Are you saying that you go with a 0.5 size larger to accommodate your toes? If so, you have probably been in skates that are too big for you. Can you go to a store and try on the 2024 Catalyst and the Hazrdus? Thats the best way to find a good fit. 

Size 9 R is my correct fit, toes just brush the cap on the major brands.

I have used 8.5 R  in both brands & won't drop down to that size again because of the pain in my big toe.

So I was wondering if a 9 in the Trues would end up being too big for my liking because of the thermo moulding properties open them up alot more then other brands.

Unfortunately I am in a location that has no Trues & id have to order them online if I wanted them.

Edited June 30 by Sprungdownunder

[krisdrum 233]

On 6/29/2024 at 7:00 PM, Sprungdownunder said:

Size 9 R is my correct fit, toes just brush the cap on the major brands.

I have used 8.5 R  in both brands & won't drop down to that size again because of the pain in my big toe.

So I was wondering if a 9 in the Trues would end up being too big for my liking because of the thermo moulding properties open them up alot more then other brands.

Unfortunately I am in a location that has no Trues & id have to order them online if I wanted them.

You should not need to size down (1/2 size less than Bauer/CCM) in the newer True retail offerings.  This was correct for the TF series, but with release of Hzrdus and Cats, True sizing is now aligned to industry standards.  

[krisdrum 233]

On 6/29/2024 at 1:00 PM, VegasHockey said:

The 2024 Catalyst is entirely new. Not sure why the store would have given you incorrect information.  

Thanks @VegasHockey I figured you'd or a few others would have the inside scoop.  So - the marketing material says complete redesign.  Based on what you've seen/heard how confident are you they've actually addressed the issue?  Or is this a wait and see situation?  

[Sniper9 529]

On 7/1/2024 at 6:21 AM, krisdrum said:

Thanks @VegasHockey I figured you'd or a few others would have the inside scoop.  So - the marketing material says complete redesign.  Based on what you've seen/heard how confident are you they've actually addressed the issue?  Or is this a wait and see situation?  

Id personally wait. They also added a piece of material that runs along the heel as well. Maybe this is to mask any cracking that might happen down the road... Or as a protective layer to prevent damage. Who knows. Time will tell. I will say I haven't seen any hzdrus heel cracks yet, but not sure how well those have sold vs the tfs and cats. 

Edited July 2 by Sniper9

[krisdrum 233]

32 minutes ago, Sniper9 said:

Id personally wait. They also added a piece of material that runs along the heel as well. Maybe this is to mask any cracking that might happen down the road... Or as a protective layer to prevent damage. Who knows. Time will tell. I will say I haven't seen any hzdrus heel cracks yet, but not sure how well those have sold vs the tfs and cats. 

Yeah, thanks for that perspective.  It is a bit hard to tell if the cracking is an impact issue or simply a materials/design issue.  If we do buy the new Cats, I would 100% cover the heels with helicopter tape in case it is an impact issue.  Carbon is not known for its impact resistance unfortunately.  

[VegasHockey 1280]

On 7/1/2024 at 6:21 AM, krisdrum said:

Thanks @VegasHockey I figured you'd or a few others would have the inside scoop.  So - the marketing material says complete redesign.  Based on what you've seen/heard how confident are you they've actually addressed the issue?  Or is this a wait and see situation?  

All the demo pairs I used and have seen others using had no durability issues like the previous generation. 

[krisdrum 233]

14 hours ago, VegasHockey said:

All the demo pairs I used and have seen others using had no durability issues like the previous generation. 

That is great news that hopefully sticks with the full production models.  Because I know my son and I have found them to be the most comfortable skates.  Fixing the durability issues makes them a no brainer for way more people.  Now they need to win the retail stores back.  Heard some of the box stores are dropping them because of the durability issues and the requirement to bake in order to try on.  

[VegasHockey 1280]

3 hours ago, krisdrum said:

Heard some of the box stores are dropping them because of the durability issues and the requirement to bake in order to try on.  

It only stores that are very loyal to Bauer that usually go this route. Those stores feel TRUE is more difficult to sell since it requires more time. Having to bake the skate and actually spend time with the customer verifying proper fit seems to be too much work for those retailers. The 2024 Catalyst has significantly better step in comfort compared to the previous model, so we will see if that changes the retailer thought process. 

[krisdrum 233]

18 minutes ago, VegasHockey said:

It only stores that are very loyal to Bauer that usually go this route. Those stores feel TRUE is more difficult to sell since it requires more time. Having to bake the skate and actually spend time with the customer verifying proper fit seems to be too much work for those retailers. The 2024 Catalyst has significantly better step in comfort compared to the previous model, so we will see if that changes the retailer thought process. 

Oh, I can see that.  The story I got was they were having issues with some pairs being baked too many times and degrading the amount they thermoform.  

[mojo122 535]

1 hour ago, VegasHockey said:

It only stores that are very loyal to Bauer that usually go this route. Those stores feel TRUE is more difficult to sell since it requires more time. Having to bake the skate and actually spend time with the customer verifying proper fit seems to be too much work for those retailers. The 2024 Catalyst has significantly better step in comfort compared to the previous model, so we will see if that changes the retailer thought process. 

From a major retailer's perspective decisions are customer driven and not based on loyalty.