What To Look For When Shopping For Hockey Skates
Whether you’re an amateur or a professional hockey player, purchasing the right and best pair of hockey skates can make a huge impact on your performance.
Although having the right pair of hockey skates won’t improve your skills instantly, it can help you improve your performance and make the most of your abilities on the ice. However, before buying hockey skates, there are various things you should look for, and these are the following:
Price
Determine how much you can afford to spend and, then, start searching for models that match your budget.
There are cheap and expensive hockey skates available in the market. However, not all may be suited for your personal preferences or needs. This is why it’s best to know your skill level first before you shop around. For example, if you’re just getting started with hockey, it’s a good idea to choose an entry-level pair of hockey skates to help you master the basics of hockey. Then, consider upgrading as you progress in your hockey journey.
Just remember that whether you’re a beginner or a more experienced hockey player, always stick with the hockey skates that don’t only match your budget, but will also provide you comfort and won’t give you any inconvenience.
Overall Skate Construction
Hockey skates may vary in terms of the materials that make up the overall skate construction. They may include some components that could make your feet sweat fast, which may require you to use a sports odor eliminator to avoid bad odor and for better comfort.
When shopping around for hockey skates, you may choose which features are necessary or you personally prefer. Here are the skate components you should know:
- Runner and holder – These work together to provide smooth skate movement. The holder basically holds the blade in place, while the runner is referred to as the blade. With these two, skaters can move properly. Although holders aren’t a concern when buying hockey skates, runners serve a big purpose and can be a selling point to several skaters to switch out the blades regularly.
- Boot construction – The boots are the shoes that are found in the skates where your feet would be placed. This is the area where skaters can be picky based on their needs and wants. For instance, you might be particular with the materials used. Skaters may prefer one kind of material over the other.
Fit
When shopping for hockey skates, make sure to prioritize fit and comfort. Remember that you’re going to spend a lot of your time wearing them to the point where your feet will sweat too much (for which you can use an odor-neutralizing product, like the one offered by Scenturion).
As you shop around for hockey skates, know if you have high arches or wide feet. If there’s something special with your foot type, you’d want to pick a hockey skate that has a bigger toe box. Many skates are available in wide and standard models. Fortunately, there are many resources online to help you determine which types of skates are best suited for your feet.
Also, every manufacturer has its own fitting guide for their skates. Like with sneakers and other types of shoes, sizing differs from one manufacturer to another, so never assume that because you’re wearing a size 8 from a certain brand, you’ll be comfortable in another brand’s size 8 hockey skates.
Stiffness
When looking for hockey gear, like skates, you must always pay attention to the stiffness as it may affect your techniques and overall skating experience. A simple way to check it is to do the squeeze test. You only need to hold the skates by the package and give their top a squeeze. If the skates fold together easily without putting much effort, they’re not ideal for ice hockey because there would be no support that’ll keep you upright. On the contrary, hockey skates that don’t offer lots of stiffness are a good choice for players.
However, you should bear in mind that some don’t’ require as much stiffness as other people. Players who have a high skill level in skating would require more stiffness to accommodate their style.
On the one hand, beginners don’t require as much stiffness as professional players. As a matter of fact, purchasing skates that have too much stiffness may restrict the body from developing enough ankle support that’s necessary for skating. It may also restrict you from breaking in the skates. A decent stiffness level is recommended instead.
Conclusion
Every manufacturer offers different kinds of hockey skates suited for a wide range of users, so it’s safe to say that you have many models to choose from. Once you approach the process of selection the right way and by using the guidelines above, you’ll most likely end up with the right hockey skates for you.
