Hey Puckmugger-I'm confused about the Bauer skate lines
Nov 21 '07
The Bottom Line Bauer currently has one of the better lineups with skates that will fit several types of feet. Only Graf has more options for fit.
Hey Puckmugger,
Hello again from Australia!
I am planning to buy new skates and I wish to ask a question. (I am sure you will have an opinion on this one!)
I currently own Bauer Supreme 7000 skates and I need some new ones. I have never skates in any other type of Bauer skates, so I don't know how other Bauer skates compare to the 7000.
The way I see it, my choices are:
• Bauer Supreme 7000 skates (again);
• Bauer Supreme 8000 skates;
• Bauer Supreme 8090 skates;
• Bauer Vapor XX skates;
• Bauer Vapor XXX skates.
If it were your call, which would you choose? And, please tell me if there is any significant difference between the Supreme 8000 and 8090. Thanks again - I love your Epinions reviews.
Yours Sincerely,
- Robert -
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Robert,
How are you doing? It's good to hear from you again.
You're making a good choice by sticking with Bauer again. It's often difficult for players who have always skated in one brand to make a change. By staying in Bauer skates, they will at least feel familiar if they aren't terribly comfortable before they are broken in.
Now where it me, Bauer skates simply wouldn’t work. They just aren’t the proper shape for my feet. However, since they apparently fit you pretty well, here’s what I would suggest. NOTE: Since this email I was surprised to find myself switching to 8090’s, go figure.
The Bauer 7000 was notorious for painfully long break-in times. (I know three guys who gave up and bought a new pair of skates). If you didn’t have problems breaking in your first pair and can find another pair, it’s probably the best choice though. They are going to last longer than any of the other skates on your list.
The second choice would be the 8000. These were not quite as stiff as the 7000. They broke in easier and still held up very well. However, both the 7000 and 8000 might be very hard to find as they are two and three year old models now. (The good news is that if you do find a pair, they should be pretty cheap).
The 8090 is also a very good skate. The boot will fit differently than the 7000 and 8000. It’s a little higher on the instep and a bit wider as well. (It still doesn’t fit me even in a EE width though, so I don’t think it’s significantly wider). It should last you several years.
I would steer clear of the Vapor XX for sure. It’s the bic pen of skates (although you’d think a disposable skate would be a bit cheaper). The Vapor XXX is a little bit better skate. They are lasting players about a year to eighteen months. It still isn’t a great amount of time for a skate in this price range to last in my opinion, but lots of players are willing to shell out big bucks for the lightweight despite the lack of durability. The Vapor line has a deeper fit than the Supreme skates. Width is pretty similar to that of the old Supremes (the 7000 and 8000).
NOTE: Currently we can add to that the new Supreme line including the Supreme 30, 50 and 70 which fit the same as the 8090. Also Bauer has introduced the ONE90 which has a similar fit, but with a bit less height in the instep and toe-box when compared to the Supremes
I hope that points you in the right direction. Best of luck!
Scott
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Hey Puckmugger,
Thanks for your info. You are always very helpful.
One other question: was it the stiffness/support of the Bauer 7000 that gave it a long break-in time?
I have heard that stiff skates are harder to learn in. I'm surprised about their break-in time considering that the 7000 skates have the 'oven-fit' feature to help customize them to a skater's foot. Anyway, thanks again.
Yours Sincerely,
- Robert -
_______________________________________
Robert,
The 7000 was one of the stiffest skates ever made for the general public. This is indeed the reason that it is a tough skate to break in. It also makes the 7000 a durable, high performance skate model.
The oven-fit feature is applicable to almost every skate on the market today. The skates in the Nike line are the only ones I can think of that cannot be heat molded. However, oven fitting is not the miracle fit option that most players think of it as. In fact, the heat fitting process only helps with the first part of breaking in a skate which is to round out the boots to the player’s foot. The only thing that the oven fit really accomplishes is the elimination of the need to keep tightening the laces over the first few uses.
What a heat fit does not accomplish is major re-shaping of the skate to fit the unique shape of the player’s feet. Most notably in the 7000, the anklebones and balls of the feet have given players problems. These are both areas that can be punched out, but will still take some skating time to break-in for a perfect fit.
Best,
Scott
© 2007 Scott Noble – All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.
You might also enjoy my book on hockey, Hockey for Weekend Warriors. Click here to read the reviews.
A few of my other reviews that you might find helpful:
Bauer Vapor XX Skates
Bauer Vapor XXX Skates
Bauer Supreme 8000 Skates
Bauer Supreme 8090 Classic Skates
Bauer Supreme 50 Skates
Bauer ONE90 Skates
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