[Berger_4_]

I guess if you're only on them once or twice a month, a big investment into skates isn't a huge deal. But I'm on mine at least five days and sometimes all seven out of the week. So the extra money is worth it to me.

I just find that there's a huge difference in performance even going from an entry level to a mid-price skate. If you can afford it, why not go a step or two up? They'll probably last a bit longer than entry levels, and the decrease in weight will help your footspeed a little too.

That being said, even expensive skates don't hold up very well. I've gone through two sets of Easton's (one 1200's and one set of 1300's). On the 1200's, all the stitching ripped away from the composite boot so they were retired. The 1300's were a little tougher but I broke a blade in them just a few weeks ago. I'm back to the 1200's now since the 1300's were getting too small, so there was no point in putting new blades in them (although I had to do it anyways for the 1200's).

Again though, I'd recommend going to an actual hockey store like Tuxedo or PHL. They know the equipment inside and out, and in my opinion it's better to pay a little more at that kind of place for a little more care and expertise. Plus it's good to keep those kinda places in business. My last year of minor hockey was brutal cause the only hockey store in Camrose closed down...had to drive just about an hour to get skates sharpened sometimes. The only other place in town was Sport-Mart, and those flunkies could hardly tell a glove from a helmet it seemed.

Actually, the talk about skate sharpening made me think of another point. Don't take your skates to Sport-anything. There may be the odd good guy on the machines, but if you take them to Tuxedo, you can get exactly the hollow you want on your skates, and it'll be the same every single time. That alone can make a big difference in your skating. A good sharpening goes a long, long way.