Author Topic: Hockey Skates - advice needed!  (Read 4372 times)

rnewbolt

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Hockey Skates - advice needed!
« on: September 24, 2014, 04:18:35 pm »
Hi there,

I was wondering if anybody had any advice on what hockey skates to get. I was bought a pair of bauer vapor elites for christmas this year and they've been a nightmare. Every time I wear them my right foot pronates to such an extent that it makes it impossible to skate.



At first I thought the boots were broke or aligned wrong. Then after reading up about vapor elites I thought it may be because they are not strong enough for my height and weight (6ft - 13 stone) being that they are only entry level boots. I then tried on some more expensive boots (bauer x40's, reebok 9k pump etc) at my local skate shop and my right foot still leans inwards pretty bad. I then tried insoles thinking that perhaps I was flat footed but they didnt help at all.
The guy at my local skate shop told me to get my foot prints measured at my local sport store to see what my arches are like and it seems that my left foot has a super high arch and my right slightly less. However my right foot is definitely not flat (As you can see in the pic)  so I find it strange that I am pronating so much. Could this be the route of my problems? Has anyone else experienced anything similar to me?



The weirdest part about it is that my right foot barely pronates when I skate with the cheap, blue, plastic rental skates most ice rinks hire out...

Any help would be appreciated!  :)

Steve+Kayleigh

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Re: Hockey Skates - advice needed!
« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2014, 12:35:54 am »
I skate in Graf Ultra F10 which are also an entry level skate - I weigh nearer 14 stone and have had no problems. I was going to suggest having your blades realigned (they can be  repositioned and riveted). If you are having problems when you try other skates then it's clearly not just a matter of having the skates 'fitted' to you. Kayleigh's coach noticed her foot tipping in once and referred her to a sports podiatrist who fashioned some insoles specific to her feet. That was nearly a year ago now and she has not had any problems since (except when she changed boots she needed new insoles fashioned!). So... blades can be repositioned, but it may be worth getting a professional opinion first.

Good luck
Steve

Loops

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Re: Hockey Skates - advice needed!
« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2014, 09:16:32 am »
If you can relign hockey blades as Steve+Kayleigh suggested, that might be a good option.  Wouldn't hurt to talk to a podiatrist either.  It could also be that that boot just doesn't fit you correctly and you need a different brand/model. I'm a figure skater so have limited knowledge with hockey boots.

I can tell you this though- everyone's feet are different, and some of us are just not "normal" ;).  I have "normal" arches, but supinate.  I could hold my ankles up and everything (I skate in mid/high-range stiffness figure boots), but had other issues with my skating.  It never occurred to me to realign the blades, but a good skate tech watched me skate, and wanted to push them out a couple millimeters and shim them on the inside. It's made a huge difference, for the better.

Best bet is to talk to a good skate tech, ask around your hockey friends and/or the local hockey club (check with the most advanced players you can find- more likely to have been down this road themselves).  Your local guy might be the go-to man, but maybe not.  You should have an easier time finding one of them in the hockey world than we do in the figure-skating world! 

Good luck!

rnewbolt

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Re: Hockey Skates - advice needed!
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2014, 07:13:31 pm »
Thanks both for your replies. I will definitely look into having my blades realigned. I was originally under the impression that realignment couldnt be done on entry level boots like mine but I will ask my local shop if they can do that for me. Im pleased to know that having abnormal feet is common!

 Regarding getting custom insoles from a podiatrist, would you recommend the graf sidas? And has anyone had any experience with Superfeet yellows?

Sorry for all the questions. Again, I really appreciate your responses!

Steve+Kayleigh

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Re: Hockey Skates - advice needed!
« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2014, 08:11:12 pm »
Can't speak for the Graf inserts - never tried them. Superfeet are highly recommended by a lot of people, even outside the skating community - the yellow ones seem popular with skaters.

But custom insoles from a podiatrist would be just that.. custom, not Graf or any other make. A podiatrist will look at your stance, your walk, your stance in your ice boots (hockey or figure), access your 'weak points' (or whatever it is they do) and will be able to fashion an insole specific to your needs. As I said, when Kayleigh changed her boots the insoles needed adjustment too - very custom and specific.

Her first appointment was about £45, and a follow-up around £30. OK that may be twice the price of Superfeet, but there was no guessing (so no trying another pair) and they were made to measure.

Loops

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Re: Hockey Skates - advice needed!
« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2014, 08:52:05 pm »
Her first appointment was about £45, and a follow-up around £30. OK that may be twice the price of Superfeet, but there was no guessing (so no trying another pair) and they were made to measure.

...and could be designed specifically to fit into your skates. 

This is why the superfeet yellow are so common amongst skaters (at least figure skaters) because they are designed to go into skates (and ski boots, iir).  Figures skates fit pretty tightly and there isn't a whole lotta room in there for anything extra, like an orthotic.  Hockey skates look like they're more forgiving on that front.

The proshop might be able to tell you though if it's worth going the podiatrist route and forking over that money.  If you do need orthotics, as Steve says, it's probably worth it to see a podiatrist in the long run.  Then you know you've got something that will work for you.



 

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