New Skates -- How Often?

[noobman]

Simple question... how often is it that people buy new skates?

I've noticed recently with my skates that the outside of my right foot tends to be a little painful after skating. Additionally, they don't seem to have the same support around the ankles that they used to... no matter how I tie them they always seem to have a lot of wobble around the ankle region.

The skates are about four years old, and I play hockey 2-3 times a week year-round... is it time for new skates? On the exterior, they still look pretty new... but I am wondering if it might be time for a new pair. Is there anything I should look/feel for in the boot as a telltale sign of age?

 

[ean]

Composite skates, which is all you see now, are made for lightweight performance. So they break down pretty easily and can lose stiffness quickly. Exception here is Grafs which are still made with leather and such.

 

[Jarick]

If you're on the ice 5x a week a pair may only last a season. If only once a week, maybe you get five years. I think you're about due for new ones.

 

[Samuel Culper III]

I skate ~4x per week from September to February and than ~2x a week from March to August. I don't have any kind of time frame in mind, but I noticed the last two times I decided to replace my skates it was right around 14 months (first Vector 10.0s to Vapor XXXXs, then Vapor XXXXs to X:60s).

 

[noobman]

Ah, i c.

I use midrange skates (I believe they're Vapor XXVIs?) and if it makes any difference I was about 185 when I got them... now I'm about 210. I'm probably going to re-lace them and see if I can get a better feel for them, but if not I'm going to sell them and probably get a replacement at around the $400 price point.

The only problem is that I got rid of the original insoles when I got my Superfeet insoles.

 

[Badger36]

As needed. How often you need new skates will be dependent upon how often you skate.

 

[Jarick]

My timeline:

Dec 2005 - started playing again, got $70 Bauer VII's in an 8D

Mar 2006 - skates were already completely shot (boot would collapse and make me lose edges), got $250 Vapor XIX's in an 8D

Mar 2008 - feet were killing me because they were too long and narrow, got $300 Vapor XXV's in a 7.5EE, old skates were still in great shape though

Mar 2010 - had problems with my ankle/heel turning inside the boot, got PROPERLY FITTED and got $500 Graf G35's in 8D, then had them punched/stretched up front, old skates were still in great shape though

As you can see, I've gotten new skates roughly every two years, but the only reason I got new skates was because they were the wrong size. I could have saved about $500 if I had just gotten PROPERLY FITTED right from the get go. But I probably could have gotten another couple years out of each pair.

FWIW, a buddy of mine has been using the same Mission L7's for four years now, and is probably going to get another year out of them. He's had to swap the steel once and has another set of steel ready to go for when he sells them, but those were top end skates that fit his foot really well. Smart guy.

 

[saskfarmboy]

i wear 9Ks, and need a new pair every year and a half-2 years

 

[BadHammy*]

If you're on the ice 5x a week a pair may only last a season. If only once a week, maybe you get five years. I think you're about due for new ones.

A teammate I played roller with for a couple seasons was around 6'2, 275 and not what I'd call fat. He was an all-state D linemen in HS and said he played college. He destroyed a number of skates during the two seasons I played with him. He'd just be skating in a pair for the third or fourth time and all of a sudden, poof, it was done like dinner. Though this was roller hockey, the upper end skates are still pretty stiff

 

[Badger36]

A teammate I played roller with for a couple seasons was around 6'2, 275 and not what I'd call fat. He was an all-state D linemen in HS and said he played college. He destroyed a number of skates during the two seasons I played with him. He'd just be skating in a pair for the third or fourth time and all of a sudden, poof, it was done like dinner. Though this was roller hockey, the upper end skates are still pretty stiff

He's the exception though, not the rule. Most hockey players arent that big.

 

[Jarick]

I'd say most of my teammates seem to get 4-5 years out of a pair of skates. Once a week beer leaguers, average height and weight.

 

[BadHammy*]

I'd say most of my teammates seem to get 4-5 years out of a pair of skates. Once a week beer leaguers, average height and weight.

Yeah, for intermediate players in a fairly stiff skate, I agree. Buddies of mine who played more seriously and still play what I'd call competitive rec hockey, leagues with other former serious players, and are a little bigger than average usually get maybe 16-18 months out of a top end pair.

 

[Frankie Spankie]

I've had my skates for about 2-3 years now and hope they will last a lot longer. I play with several people now that are still using the same skates for 12-15 years now.

Frankly, it doesn't even seem like a big deal nowadays to replace them, it's pretty much the same as price as a stick.

 

[Badger36]

Wow, 12-15 years on a pair of skates seems like a really long time!