Every day we get asked questions regarding which skates a player should purchase. We typically reply "whatever pairs we have in stock." Well, not really.
Some of the more common questions we get include:
1) What brand is the best?
2) What do we Mike & I wear?
3) Do you have to spend $500 to get a good pair?
We give the same responses each time to these questions and those who have bought skates from us will confirm our sales pitch.
Answers:
1) All brands are good. We don't just say this so nobody gets offended becuase they may have a skate we dislike. The fact is that every brand Nike/Bauer, CCM/RBK, Mission, Easton, Graf, etc. all produce many great skates. Our answer is always "whatever skate fits your foot best."
Each skate has a slightly different feel. Stiffer ankle, different weights, varying widths, features are just a few of the differences between skate brands. Almost every major brand has several models. Each has a high end ($400-$500), middle ($200-$300) and entry level ($80 - $150).
Don't get caught up with a "brand" over "feel."
2) Mike & I currently both wear Vector 10.0 skates. The main reason I chose these was because Ovechkin makes some sick moves with them (i'm kidding). These fit our feet best is what it came down to. We tried on many different pairs and as much as I loved the weight of the One90s, they just did not feel good to me. Mike on the other hand just like to copy me so he thought it would be cool to match (again, kidding). From a marketing standpoint we should have both taken different brands to show other players a variety, but we are players as well and want comfort too.
3) $500 will get you a very good, high end pair of skates that will be very comfortable if properly fitted. ...but a $200 pair of skates may serve your purpose and still allow you to have $$$ for that $170 composite stick (leaving you with change or money for rolls of tape).
So to give direction to our hockey playing friends, here is what we say...(our current skate purchasing customers will confirm this).
1) Try on every skate we have that may fit your foot. Put a different model on each foot and walk around.
2) DO NOT LOOK AT PRICE. This is not a sales tactic to have you fall in love with the $500 pair. What we want you to do is feel the difference between brands, levels & models. Often times, a player may choose the less expensive skate because it feels better.
3) We ask questions. What is your playing style? How long do you want these to last? What is your price range? Does your heel move, is there pressure in certain spots? Does the left feel the same as the right? Are you in a hurry to purchase skates? Now we can start determining your needs.
4) Once you have it narrowed down to either 1 pair or a few, price is factored. "Wow this RBK 9K is nice.....what? $450?" Remember, each brand of skate has several models within a family of skates. Reebok has a 9K, 7K & 5K. The basic boot design is the same on each skate. You may have to give up some features (composite bottom, steel mesh outer shell, etc.) by dropping to a lower model, however the "feel" will be similar. If we don't have that model, ordering will be simpler since we now know your size in that family of skate.
5) If we don't get the feeling you like any of what we have, we'll tell you to wait, or shop around. There is no benefit to sell you a skate you do not like. We offer options of other skates that may fit your particular foot so you can have as much info as possible.
In the end, hockey players can skate in just about any skates. When shopping for new ones though, consider that your performance should improve if the skates FIT & FEEL better than ones that don't.
Here are a few funny (and not so funny) stories about some of our customers.
- A customer came in regularly (sometimes daily) over the course of 2-3 weeks and kept trying on several pairs of skates until they found the right ones.
- A customer of ours currently has 4 of the top end skates of each brand. Vapor XXX, RBK 9K, Synergy 1500 & Supreme One90s. This equates to approx. $1800-$2000. He uses them all.
- A customer was sold a pair of skates from a competitor that were a Size 10. After using them for awhile was fitted by us into a size 8.
- A customer came in prepared to spend $250 on a pair of skates and left with a pair for $100.
- We helped 2 of our customers sell their used skates to 2 other potential customers of ours.
- We've strectched numerous skates for kids (width & length) instead of selling them a new pair.
- Through some resources, we helped track down a discontinued skate model for a customer due to their specific preference.
All in all, skates are important. If we were all rich, we could have every skate model to use and try for periods of time, but in reality, we have to make a wise decision that should not be rushed in to. We are here to help make you a better player (well maybe at least feel more comfortable).
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