im shopping for a new pair of hockey skates, what should i look for?
Jake B asked:
i have about ten years of competitive ice hockey experience. but i havent laced up the skates in 2 years. im playing in a recreation league right now and my old buaer vapor 7’s arent cutting it anymore. i do know where a good pro shop is here in town and i was looking to get a little information as to what i should look for befor i go down there. any suggestions?
i have about ten years of competitive ice hockey experience. but i havent laced up the skates in 2 years. im playing in a recreation league right now and my old buaer vapor 7’s arent cutting it anymore. i do know where a good pro shop is here in town and i was looking to get a little information as to what i should look for befor i go down there. any suggestions?
I’ve always used and love them….CCM Tacks. After getting off the ice it stinks putting your shoes back on…lol.
Ive played ice hockey for the past 4-5 years now and had about 3 different pairs of skates. personally my favorite make was CCM as they Just seem to adapt to your feet allot easier and quicker than any other ive had. they’re reliable and last extremely well. Another pair i had were Easton synergy’s. extremely good looking skates, cost a bomb, but were so so uncomfortable. they didn’t mold to my foot shape at all, they felt far to chunky for my liking. so personally id say go for a pair of CCM skates. make shure they’re the right width of your foot too, allot of people just think its length and not width.
I still wear CCM Tacks personally .. had Bauer’s years ago and didn’t like them.
comfort. graf makes good custom skates that aren’t really expensive but it depends on your foot. try on lots of different kinds and see what fits your foot best
The key is fit to your foot… not anyone else’s. Make sure that you go and try on several pair of skates, of a number of different makers… make sure you do this in the evening after you have had a normal day of activity as your foot apparently changes shape a bit from morning to night.
Now, I have tried Bauer’s in the past but I found them too narrow. However, this was quite a while ago and I am not sure what they fit like these days. CCM’s were what I wore during my competitive hockey days and I always loved them, though they were “done” after a year of 50+ games and practices each time. The CCM’s seemed to break in around my foot well, and that is, of course, key to comfort.
I purchased a pair of Easton Beta Gels back in the early 90’s and I did like them. They were a bit heavy, but comfortable. My current pair are Graf 705’s and they are a very stiff boot… (in fact, it is this new stiffness in boots that people believe is causing so many groin injuries in the NHL – sure, it’s good for speed, but bad for groins).
I am also finding that as I age, my foot is getting a bit wider (they have not grown length-wise in 20 years) and that the Graf boot is not adjusting / breaking-in accordingly… this is causing more discomfort than I would like, for sure! I doubt that I would buy Graf again for this reason!
As hockey is, contrary to many people’s opinions, a side to side game (rarely “straight-line” skating), you want comfort for the width of your foot at all costs!
But the only one who can decide what’s “perfect” is you! Your foot is your foot, and in actual fact both of your feet are distinctly different from one another as well! Thus, what’s the best skate for both of your feet? – that is the question.
As I mentioned, try a number of pairs on… your skates are going to last several years in a rec-league, so make sure they are comfortable or you will have a few years of foot pain while playing, which is simply no fun…
Get ones that fit. Super key.
My last 2 pairs of skates have been Graf, they’re my favourite but just try on lots of styles and makes and if possible, get them molded. I also like nike bauer