Smoke Monster
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Is there a site which reveals which skates nhl hockey players use?
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no, you'll have to look at the most recent pics of games yourself
Keep in mind that almost all NHL players are using custom skates. Other than looks,its not the same as a retail skate,even the totalone. I'd try on as many brands as us can to determine the best fit.
Supreme and Vapor skates also fit quite differently, Supreme's have a wider forefoot (the standard "D" width Supremes actually are built on a last with a slightly wider "E" forefoot, while "D" Vapors are actual D width). Also, Vapors have a more pitched forward stance (good for quick acceleration going forwards, but not as great for going backwards), while Supremes have a more neutral stance. I'd say most new skates on the market have a more pitched forward stance than Supremes, which have more of an old school stance, but you'll adapt to pitched forward or neutral within the first few skates anyways.Yup, I was at Bauer and RBK/CCM headquarters. They say a lot of the pros customize the skates so there is a big difference in pro vs retail. An interesting fact is that Bauer has two lines Vapour and Supreme. I am pretty sure they said Vapour is designed with the feedback of pro's, and Supreme is designed based on feedback from retail.
Also I think about 60% of the pro's wear bauer skates.
Supreme and Vapor skates also fit quite differently, Supreme's have a wider forefoot (the standard "D" width Supremes actually are built on a last with a slightly wider "E" forefoot, while "D" Vapors are actual D width). Also, Vapors have a more pitched forward stance (good for quick acceleration going forwards, but not as great for going backwards), while Supremes have a more neutral stance. I'd say most new skates on the market have a more pitched forward stance than Supremes, which have more of an old school stance, but you'll adapt to pitched forward or neutral within the first few skates anyways.
Thanks for the information. That's the type of info I was looking for, especially the part about pitched forward abd neutral stance skates. I have a pair of rebook 8k that allow for quick acceleration and sharp turns; what I don't like about them is that making a quick transition between going forwards to backwards is awkward and I sometimes feel like I'm going to stumble or trip myself. I think it has something to do with the fact that the skate has a pitched forward stance. I wonder if I'd have the same feeling with a more neutral stance skate like the supremes. The skates that are angled forwards force you to skate hunched over while the neutral stance skate I think would provide more stability on the ice allowing you to skate more upright. I wonder if the difference between the two skates is better acceleration and sharper turns with the angled forward skates, while better stability and trasition between backwards abd forwards with the neutral stance. Perhaps two-way players and playmakers are better off with a neutral stance skates while snipers and speedsters are better off with angled forward skates.Supreme and Vapor skates also fit quite differently, Supreme's have a wider forefoot (the standard "D" width Supremes actually are built on a last with a slightly wider "E" forefoot, while "D" Vapors are actual D width). Also, Vapors have a more pitched forward stance (good for quick acceleration going forwards, but not as great for going backwards), while Supremes have a more neutral stance. I'd say most new skates on the market have a more pitched forward stance than Supremes, which have more of an old school stance, but you'll adapt to pitched forward or neutral within the first few skates anyways.
Bauers are the most popular skates with NHLers, but that's as much about their marketing as it is about the product itself, if you were to compare, for example, the $600ish skates from all the major manufacturers (Bauer one100s, Bauer Vapor X7.0s, CCM U+ CLs, Rbk 11Ks and Easton EQ50s) they're all so close in weight, stiffness, build quality, etc. that you really shouldn't be worried about anything but the fit. Basically the same with any other price point too.
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As for custom skates, pros get a lot of custom options, but you can get quite a few custom options retail too. In general at any high end hockey shop they'll have a relationship with reps from the major brands, and if you want they'll have a rep come in who will fit you for a custom skate. Basically the cost is the same as for the top of the line skate plus around $100 or so (regardless of how many custom options you add). Custom skate options generally include:
- Quarter sizes length wise, and different sizes per skate (i.e. you could get 8 3/4 on one foot, 8 1/2 on the other, if your feet are different sizes)
- A wide variety of widths for both the forefoot and the ankle, instead of just the 2 general widths for the whole skate that are normally offered
- A wide variety of liners to chose from
- Different skate stiffnesses
- Some eyelet moving options, basically for more or less volume
- Double stitching (better durability)
- Extra foam around the ankles
etc.
Custom skates are generally (always?) only available for the top of the line skate in each brand/line though, not for midrange skates unfortunately. Before getting a custom skate I'd definitely want to have spent quite a bit of time trying on the retail models, so you know roughly what you want in terms of length/width (for example, maybe a size 9, D width Easton EQ50 fits you almost perfectly, but you'd like it just slightly shorter, with a slightly narrower ankle, it's best to know that going into the custom fitting instead of just relying on foot measurements).
Just to clarify though, this would be the worst idea ever. By far the most important thing about skates is how they fit your feet, and all brands/lines fit a bit differently, buy the skates that fit best, not the skates with the best marketing.I checked into a bunch of different brands and found a list of the players that are part of the brand's "team".
Bauer Team: http://www.bauer.com/athlete/index
CCM Team: http://ccmhockey.com/en/players/
MLX Team: http://mlxskates.com/players.html
Easton Team: http://eastonhockey.com/the-team
Reebok Team: http://www.reebokhockey.com/team/
I realize it doesn't show the specific skates the player is using, but I don't know if you had any favorite players and wanted to buy their skates. I hope this helps.
I'm sure Bauer will market their Vapor and Supreme lines as for specific types of players, but really things like pitch/stance are just personal preference/what you're used to, I'm sure for every "type" of player in the NHL you'll see a variety of pitches/stances based simply on the player's preference. I have had both skates that put me a bit more forward and those that are more neutral, and honestly it just takes me a couple skates to adjust, then I hardly notice the difference. If you are having trouble with forwards/backwards transitions, you just need more practice, not new skates. Again, you should base your skate choice almost entirely on fit, other things like stiffness, stance, etc. are things you should basically only use to decide between two different skates that fit similarly.Thanks for the information. That's the type of info I was looking for, especially the part about pitched forward abd neutral stance skates. I have a pair of rebook 7 that allow for quick acceleration and sharp turns; what I don't like about them is that making a quick transition between going forwards to backwards is awkward and I sometimes feel like I'm going to stumble or trip myself. I think it has something to do with the fact that the skate has a pitched forward stance. I wonder if I'd have the same feeling with a more neutral stance skate like the supremes. The skates that are angled forwards force you to skate hunched over while the neutral stance skate I think would provide more stability on the ice allowing you to skate more upright. I wonder if the difference between the two skates is better acceleration and sharper turns with the angled forward skates, while better stability and trasition between backwards abd forwards with the neutral stance. Perhaps two-way players and playmakers are better off with a neutral stance skates while snipers and speedsters are better off with angled forward skates.
Just to clarify though, this would be the worst idea ever. By far the most important thing about skates is how they fit your feet, and all brands/lines fit a bit differently, buy the skates that fit best, not the skates with the best marketing.
Most definitely, cool to see for sure, just making sure the OP knows not to buy skates worn by his favorite player IF they don't fit well.Ponder I agree I merely just thought this was the question originally posed by Smoke Monster and was doing my best to answer it. In my opinion it is kind of cool to see what brands different players use?
Not trying to doubt you, but where do you get this information? I've heard this dozens of times online, and all the knowledgeable people I've asked say this isn't true.Supreme and Vapor skates also fit quite differently, Supreme's have a wider forefoot (the standard "D" width Supremes actually are built on a last with a slightly wider "E" forefoot, while "D" Vapors are actual D width). Also, Vapors have a more pitched forward stance (good for quick acceleration going forwards, but not as great for going backwards), while Supremes have a more neutral stance. I'd say most new skates on the market have a more pitched forward stance than Supremes, which have more of an old school stance, but you'll adapt to pitched forward or neutral within the first few skates anyways.
Bauers are the most popular skates with NHLers, but that's as much about their marketing as it is about the product itself, if you were to compare, for example, the $600ish skates from all the major manufacturers (Bauer one100s, Bauer Vapor X7.0s, CCM U+ CLs, Rbk 11Ks and Easton EQ50s) they're all so close in weight, stiffness, build quality, etc. that you really shouldn't be worried about anything but the fit. Basically the same with any other price point too.
************
As for custom skates, pros get a lot of custom options, but you can get quite a few custom options retail too. In general at any high end hockey shop they'll have a relationship with reps from the major brands, and if you want they'll have a rep come in who will fit you for a custom skate. Basically the cost is the same as for the top of the line skate plus around $100 or so (regardless of how many custom options you add). Custom skate options generally include:
- Quarter sizes length wise, and different sizes per skate (i.e. you could get 8 3/4 on one foot, 8 1/2 on the other, if your feet are different sizes)
- A wide variety of widths for both the forefoot and the ankle, instead of just the 2 general widths for the whole skate that are normally offered
- A wide variety of liners to chose from
- Different skate stiffnesses
- Some eyelet moving options, basically for more or less volume
- Double stitching (better durability)
- Extra foam around the ankles
etc.
Custom skates are generally (always?) only available for the top of the line skate in each brand/line though, not for midrange skates unfortunately. Before getting a custom skate I'd definitely want to have spent quite a bit of time trying on the retail models, so you know roughly what you want in terms of length/width (for example, maybe a size 9, D width Easton EQ50 fits you almost perfectly, but you'd like it just slightly shorter, with a slightly narrower ankle, it's best to know that going into the custom fitting instead of just relying on foot measurements).
I'm sure Bauer will market their Vapor and Supreme lines as for specific types of players, but really things like pitch/stance are just personal preference/what you're used to, I'm sure for every "type" of player in the NHL you'll see a variety of pitches/stances based simply on the player's preference. I have had both skates that put me a bit more forward and those that are more neutral, and honestly it just takes me a couple skates to adjust, then I hardly notice the difference. If you are having trouble with forwards/backwards transitions, you just need more practice, not new skates. Again, you should base your skate choice almost entirely on fit, other things like stiffness, stance, etc. are things you should basically only use to decide between two different skates that fit similarly.
Also, just wanted to clarify, you talk about "skating upright" and "skating hunched over" like having your knees/ankles bent is a bad thing that makes you unstable, when it's actually the opposite. A low, knees/ankles bent stance is best for all forms of skating, you can generate more power and are much more stable with a low, "athletic stance," like this:
Only beginners skate upright, because they're too scared to bend their knees/ankles:
Regardless of the skates you are wearing you want to always have a real good, deep/low ankle/knee bend.
Got it online too, but from very knowledgeable posters who own hockey shops or who have worked at hockey shops for a long time and deal with Bauer reps. It's also very obvious when you try the skates on: at the same size D width Supremes are noticeably wider in the forefoot than D width Vapors, I am very confident that it's true. And posters who have ordered custom Supremes have confirmed that if you want the retail width you must order an E width forefoot, a D width forefoot will be narrower, because retail "D" width Supreme's are built on the same last as custom E width Supremes, while with Vapors this is not the case (the custom D width forefoot is the same as the forefoot on the D width retails.Not trying to doubt you, but where do you get this information? I've heard this dozens of times online, and all the knowledgeable people I've asked say this isn't true.
Poor fit is a fantastic reason to get new skates. Wasn't trying to be a ****** or anything, just wanted to give you good advice and hammer in the "fit is king" point, since you were originally talking about which players use certain skates being something you'd want to know pre-purchase.I'm an experienced skater, I don't have trouble going backward or forwards or transitioning between them. The reason my current skates are not adequate is because they are not the right fit - they are slightly too long and too narrow. That's the reason I'm looking for new skates.
I'm an experienced skater, I don't have trouble going backward or forwards or transitioning between them. The reason my current skates are not adequate is because they are not the right fit - they are slightly too long and too narrow. That's the reason I'm looking for new skates.
Have you look into customized skates where you bake them. I know you can bake most skates, but from my experience with my Vapor APX's I think a skate fits great when it meant to be baked.
Here are the ones that I know me and my teammates like:
Bauer Vapor APX: http://www.bauer.com/gear/player/skates/11583-BAUER#shell
Reebok 10K Pump: http://www.reebokhockey.com/gear/products/player/skates/product/10k-pump-skate/
(not Baked, but has the pump feature)
Easton EQ50: http://eastonhockey.com/eq50-4.html
CCM U+10: http://ccmhockey.com/en/catalogue/skates/product/u-plus10-skates/
MLX: http://mlxskates.com/performance.html