So what's the deal with hockey skates these days? Advice please.

[blankall]

So i decided to join a hockey league. I have not played since I was in a beer league in university 4 years ago. I also sucked.

I decided joing a power skating class. Anyways, I went to my local sport mart to look at sticks and took a look at the skates. They are totally different than what I remember.

My old skates are Black CCM Pro 541. These new skates are made of entirely different materials.

They had a CCM Vector 3.0 - $100
Bauer Men's Vapor H15 - $140
Reebok Men's 1K - $65


My question is this. Is it worth it to me as a novice hockey player to buy these skates? They are all within my price range. They look totally different than the skates I ahve and are made of totally different material.

Are these changes all asthetic or will it actually make a difference to my skating/playing?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[GrrlGoalie33]

Each skate has a different fit and feel. Go to a place like Tuxedo, Professional Skate etc and get properly fitted. Then, even if you can't buy right then and there you at least know which make/model of skates to look at. Sometimes at places like that you can find smoking deals! I found a pair of Reebok 5k skates for $100 at one of those places earlier this year.

[Methanolic]

Try em on!

If your feet hurt like hell or go numb, those are the ones you want!

[Ice]

Definitely try them on and see which ones fit your foot better. When I had my Vectors, I had them baked when I bought them and they fit my foot perfectly so I never had discomfort. Then I decided to try Bauer Vapor skates. I liked them a lot better. I didn't bake them and they were comfortable and they felt like they had better support than my Vectors. I hate having to tie my laces real tight and with the Vectors I can leave the laces pretty loose and be totally supported. I walked around the store in them a little bit and really felt a difference. Take your time, try on different skates and see what feels the best. Then if you want, you can shop online and see if you find a deal.

[blankall]

I guess my real question is are the new skates really all that different than the old school black ones? Is it worth it for the upgrade?

[Northendzone]

i'd say if your current wheels are in good shape and still comfy then why spend money......as with anything, you get what you pay for.

Personally I could not imagine a pair of $100 skates lasting that long - but what do I know.

[bluejays]

Generally, Bauers are for people with fatter feet. CCM and Eastons are much more snug for people with skinnier feet. I believe RBK's are closer to Bauer on the spectrum. Anyway, everyone gave the best advice. Just try out stuff and eventually you'll find your fit. What is amazing are the weights of todays skates. I'm not sure how dramatic a difference it'll make, but simply lifting the One-90's are amazing.

[_Q_]

Yeah I had crappy old CCM skates that I bought in the late 90s. About a year ago I broke the blade and decided to go invest a decent amount of money on new skates. I spent about $200 on new bauer vapors and the difference is like night and day. The way they are designed now makes the back of the boot stiffer so you can transfer more energy to the blade. That way you skate faster without putting in as much effort. Also the front of the boot is usually made of plastic, instead of woven cloth. This allows to skate to last longer without the toe getting mangled. Also my new skates are probably half the weight of my old CCMs. In my opinion it was well worth it to go for the newer skates and I wish I bought them before my old ones broke.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by _Q_

Yeah I had crappy old CCM skates that I bought in the late 90s. About a year ago I broke the blade and decided to go invest a decent amount of money on new skates. I spent about $200 on new bauer vapors and the difference is like night and day. The way they are designed now makes the back of the boot stiffer so you can transfer more energy to the blade. That way you skate faster without putting in as much effort. Also the front of the boot is usually made of plastic, instead of woven cloth. This allows to skate to last longer without the toe getting mangled. Also my new skates are probably half the weight of my old CCMs. In my opinion it was well worth it to go for the newer skates and I wish I bought them before my old ones broke.

Thanks for the advice. Which model of vapors did you buy?

[_Q_]

Vapor XVI

I bought them about a year and a half ago now actually, so I don't know if they exist anymore, but I am pretty sure Bauer still makes something at a similar price point with equivalent features.

[gordo67]

I have tried every type of high end skates and am back in a pair of Daoust 501's

[blankall]

So looking around. The local sportmart has vapor XII, X:15, andX:20.

Can anyone tell me about these models?

[Ice]

I'd avoid the XII's, from what the salesman explained to me about the Vapor models, that is going to be a pretty lightweight boot that has very little ankle support. The X:15's and X:20's are more current and should be fine.

[blankall]

Thanks for the tip Ice.

I'm going to check out the local consignment store as well. hopefully, should be able to find something.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by blankall

I guess my real question is are the new skates really all that different than the old school black ones? Is it worth it for the upgrade?

My last employer had a "wellness credit"- they'd pay 50% towards skates so I went shopping just before I was done working there. My plan was to get a $200 pair and only pay $100. After having trouble finding a pair to fit my square feet- I tried on a $500 pair just to see if they fit. Felt like putting on a pair of slippers. I bought them.

Now I am far from a good skater- my nickname on my jersey says "No Brakes" for a reason. However with these new skates I can actually almost keep up with the guys who played AA hockey; and I can actually stop now.

Prior to this I had a pair of $60 skates from Canadian Tire. The new skates are a world of difference.

[awildermode]

i know this is kinda off topic...yet sorta on topic

but, have any of you seen the new Bauer TotalONE skate? that thing is AMAZING!

[Ice]

Originally Posted by awildermode

i know this is kinda off topic...yet sorta on topic

but, have any of you seen the new Bauer TotalONE skate? that thing is AMAZING!

Yes! For 800 bucks they better be amazing!

I would never spend that much on skates, I don't deserve them.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by ken0042

My last employer had a "wellness credit"- they'd pay 50% towards skates so I went shopping just before I was done working there. My plan was to get a $200 pair and only pay $100. After having trouble finding a pair to fit my square feet- I tried on a $500 pair just to see if they fit. Felt like putting on a pair of slippers. I bought them.

Now I am far from a good skater- my nickname on my jersey says "No Brakes" for a reason. However with these new skates I can actually almost keep up with the guys who played AA hockey; and I can actually stop now.

Prior to this I had a pair of $60 skates from Canadian Tire. The new skates are a world of difference.

What type of skates were they?

[ken0042]

^^
Sorry, had to get them out from where they were stored for the summer.

They are Eastons. They say "Synergy" as well as SE10 on them.

Not sure if this is the best of the best- it probably isn't. But after paying the sale price and then getting another 1/2 of that back; it was probably the best use of almost $200 I could put towards my game.

OK- maybe lessons wouldn't hurt either.

[Ice]

I offered my kid Synergy SE10's when he wanted SE16's. At the time, the SE16's were way too expensive for a kid. He ended up with Vectors, like mine only better, and they fit his foot better. For recreational skates, the Synergys are fine, but if you start to use them a lot, they seem to have a durability issue. Kids in our league are replacing those way more frequently than any other skate in the comparable price range. The toe of the boot wears out pretty fast. These kids are really kicking in corners and hitting a lot, so they abuse their skates more than most adults, however.