Quote:
Originally Posted by Zetterqvist24
99.9% of the time it's a simple combination of lacing them too tight and new skaters laboring under the delusion that hockey skates are comfortable.
Hockey skates are *relatively* comfortable, when you find the right pair. Let's be real here though, I've worn CCM V10.0s, Bauer XXXXs, Bauer X:60s... none of them are "comfortable" when you're sprinting up and down the ice for an hour. I'm not saying I've had any complaints about my comfort level; it's just that I've been skating for almost 20 years and know what to expect by now. I don't buy "uncomfortable" skates, but my standard for what's comfortable isn't the same as if I'm going to buy a pair of New Balance, you know?
If you don't think you're going to have to break in your new skates before they're comfortable you're mistaken. Even once broken in, they'll never be dreamy. I know guys will reply "my Grafs/CCMs/Vapors fit like a charm" but let's be honest, it's because you know what hockey skates feel like and you're used to the discomfort and aches of playing ice hockey.
In my mind it's pretty simple. You can do things to ease the discomfort and certainly there are specific skates that don't fit specific feet, but in general, no matter what, skating in hard leather/composite boots with a plastic runner and steel blade attached to the bottom for an hour plus is only worth it because you love playing hockey.
Learning to tie your skates just right makes a HUGE difference. You have to find the tightness you like; enough support without strangling your feet. After that it's just getting used to being on ice skates.
I'm not trying to say you don't have unique feet and perhaps need special action such as punching out, getting custom insoles, etc. but it's more likely that you're tying the skates too tight and are expecting to skate around painlessly when you're in skates you can't have possibly had enough time to break in yet.
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Well, aches and pains after an hour of skating is one thing. Intense pain in the arches after 2-3 minutes is something else altogether.
That said, before I try anything else, I will go and get a pair of superfeet insoles. Hopefully that makes skating at least bearable. I don't mind aches, but when it's nearly impossible to even stand on my skates from the pain, something is definitely wrong.
It's definitely true though that I have not totally broken in my skates, though I did tie them a bit looser this week than last. I think another part of it is that my other leg muscles are very sore, and simply not used to skating at all, so there's that.