Great point on Graf’s blade holders… i’ve also had problems there. mine got “soft” on one pair of skates, and would flex with each stride. i’ve also had them break, or get loose and let the blade fall out… graf could stand to work on that!

Thanks for the input!

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a post about how to buy skates. It’s funny how every person is so different with their hockey gear. I hope more people that are new or seasoned hockey players find this post before they spend hundreds on a new pair of skates. In my experience finding a skate that’s right for your feet can change your game overnight.

I’m with Jodi on this one, I have only ever had Bauers but I’ve heard Graf’s are awesome skates because they’re are so light and wide. Right now I have the XXX’s but maybe i’ll jump up to the XXXX’s one of these days

Another thing to keep in mind for anyone looking for skates is if you buy a higher end skate, you can actually have them “baked.” For anyone that doesn’t know what that means, basically they heat up the skates for you and immediately after you put them on for about 20 minutes. This is a good head start to break in the skates.

Cool post Jeremy, keep up the good work!

I agree that you can find huge discounts online. If that has worked well for you in the past, by all means, go with it! I just wanted to clarify what I meant in the post: The main reasons I suggested using a pro shop are (1) to help ensure proper sizing; (2) to get your skates baked (Many pro shops charge $25 or more to bake skates that weren’t bought through them––this can “erase” some of the online savings); and (3) if anything is faulty, returns are generally more easy through a pro shop.

I’ve been thinking about your question regarding kids out growing their skates… this is a tough one to solve without sacrificing performance. I’ve know some families who buy the skates half-a-size too big, and let the kids grow into them; however, these players definitely go through a phase of “clumsiness” while they grow into the boot. I’ve known other families who developed organized systems of “hand-me-downs.” By keeping good care of the skates, their other kids could usually reuse the same skates 3 or 4 times over.

I’m afraid I don’t have much more to offer in that realm… anyone else have any ideas? Maybe there is a way of manipulating the insoles in the skates (switching them for thinner ones, or trimming them down somehow) to open up some room in the boot? I dunno… just a thought?

My own skate preference are Easton boots with Tuuk holders and blades (Easton’s blades are too flimsy). I have to drill a couple holes in the bottom of the Easton boot for access to the blade release, but the holders fit perfectly on the boot and I haven’t had any problems.

I’ve ordered all my skates online and haven’t had a bad experience yet. My feet are big enough that I can usually find high end skates in my size at clearance prices. I’ve saved as much as 50% off the pro-shop price finding clearance skates online. As an adult player I’m not putting the wear and tear on skates that the younger players do, so I can keep my skates several years before I consider replacing them – that gives me a lot of time to find a great deal. I did purchase a pair or skates for my wife at a pro-shop because they had the best deal and I couldn’t find any clearance skates online that would fit her. It was a pair of Bauers, and she really struggled getting them broken in – I tried to talk her into Eastons, but she liked the Bauers better. My son went from Bauers to Easton this last time around and he likes the Easton’s better too. In fairness, we’ve never tried Graf skates, but I know several people who swear by them.