Skate Durability

[TheGoalNet]

Heard lots of issues with True skate durability. Curious how real this phenomenon is. 

If you own skates and have an issue, please post pics and details 

[Jonathon v]

1 hour ago, TheGoalNet said:

Heard lots of issues with True skate durability. Curious how real this phenomenon is. 

If you own skates and have an issue, please post pics and details 

As you saw, the chipping in my holder after a month or so on my  1 piece babies. Yesterday took a shot that knocked the steel half way off, couldn’t get it back In because of the special took you need to take it in/out of the holder. Not even a super fast shot, shouldn’t have came out 

performance is amazing though

[TheGoalNet]

@Trav4oilers don’t you have an issue with a broken boot?

[LordOfTheCrease]

1 hour ago, TheGoalNet said:

@Trav4oilers don’t you have an issue with a broken boot?

If I remember correctly, he had a boot issue, but they took care of that for him. However, the skates he is using now (Bauer cowling) he has been using for 3-4 years and he is currently dealing with quite the "collapsing" boot. @Trav4oilers

[Big2]

My son had two pairs made within a 3 month period and the holders where crooked ! Also his first set, right after the moulding process the inner liner ripped. I have seen numerous skates with the inside liner ripped in various areas, I have seen the front rubber section unglued from the carbon boot , I have seen on a player skate with the tendon tab broken. 

The comments above are from a small sample size, 8 pairs I would have to say that durability/quality are as poor as you can get. Unless you have some Frankenstein feet I would avoid these skates. In 7 years as a goalie my son never had any quality related issues with his Bauer’s. 

Today you can get custom skates from Bauer/CCM not sure if Graf has that option but I would think really hard before dropping a grand on these skates.

My son is currently sporting a pair of Bauer 2S Pro skates off the shelf and we only had some minor tweaks made - changed inner footbed and a minor punching. 

[Teezle]

I've been using mine 2-3x a week since late April, and they've held up perfectly well. They are the two-piece version of the skates.

[ThatCarGuy]

My Elliott pro returns are still going strong. However my goalie partner who received his True two-piece skates a week or so ago broke the heel just by trying to put them on. He didn't even get to try them on the ice before having to send them back.

[TheGoalNet]

7 hours ago, ThatCarGuy said:

My Elliott pro returns are still going strong. However my goalie partner who received his True two-piece skates a week or so ago broke the heel just by trying to put them on. He didn't even get to try them on the ice before having to send them back.

Wow, brutal 

[bunnyman666]

Mine were mid-True take over. Mine are holding up, but then again- having acquired these right before my colon took a shit and caused me to be out for months rather than weeks, it’s hard to judge how durable they really are. I will say the fit has loosened significantly and I wear a dress-weight sock with mine, now.

Probably if I did not install a cowling, they could be falling apart. Who knows? 

I am willing to try a less expensive custom option, which exists in the Bauer and CCM lines. I almost went for the one piece, but I suspected that possibly something like @Jonathon v had happen would, and it did. 

[Wrbsti15]

My True 2 piece are comfortable but I’ve had lots of issues. Quality and durability are horrible for what they cost. The glue areas look like crap. Rivets keep popping out. Eyelits popping out. Trim around ankle coming apart.  I’m thinking about Bauer 2x pro or ccm jetspeed now. 

[Wrbsti15]

Having trouble deciding on the Bauer or ccm and if ccm retail or 3D 

[Flyers27]

I've been using my 1 piece skates for a few months now. No durability issues so far. They're incredibly comfortable and work really well. I much prefer going back to the 4mm steel too. I use them 2-3x per week right now

[ThatCarGuy]

The most beat up thing on my skates is the cowlings. I bought some backup cowlings last week just in case. 

[daffy]

Ive had my custom True 2 piece since march.  No issues.  Guy at the store said make sure they are aired out and you wont have issues.  I use a fan and dehumidifier after games.  Keeps all my gear dry.  So far so good!

[Puckstopper]

7 hours ago, daffy said:

Ive had my custom True 2 piece since march.  No issues.  Guy at the store said make sure they are aired out and you wont have issues.  I use a fan and dehumidifier after games.  Keeps all my gear dry.  So far so good!

That is also called out in the True fitting videos that are provided to store personnel.  My intention is to follow the directions to the T and remove the footbeds after every skate.   The skates will also be dried in front of a fan after each use.  My theory is that you don't buy a Ferrari and plan on changing the oil every 10k miles, and I treat my equipment the same way.  I'll update periodically as my journey with True continues.

[bunnyman666]

8 hours ago, daffy said:

Ive had my custom True 2 piece since march.  No issues.  Guy at the store said make sure they are aired out and you wont have issues.  I use a fan and dehumidifier after games.  Keeps all my gear dry.  So far so good!

20 minutes ago, Puckstopper said:

That is also called out in the True fitting videos that are provided to store personnel.  My intention is to follow the directions to the T and remove the footbeds after every skate.   The skates will also be dried in front of a fan after each use.  My theory is that you don't buy a Ferrari and plan on changing the oil every 10k miles, and I treat my equipment the same way.  I'll update periodically as my journey with True continues.

Herein lies the rub: taking care of your equipment makes it last a LOT longer. My gloves aren’t slimy when wet/ weirdly crusty when dry on the insides because my gloves get the nozzle of a blow dryer inside them and my skates are put on a boot dryer when I get home. My Factory catch glove does have a funk, but the Nash is still soft and pliable. Not certain what is different... My other catch gloves don’t smell, and my blocker palms don’t smell, either. My Vaughn pads don’t smell funky and the Nash feels like new because I don’t store them in my bag (I throw mine over the shoulder). I don’t remove my insoles regularly, but I do remove them on occasion to inspect the T-nuts (since they are zinc plated rather than stainless) and so far, no rust. Rivets will rust if you don’t dry your boots. 

The point is if you have the luxury of taking your items out and dry them properly, you will get a lot more life from your gear in general. But if True says some issues arise from care of the boots, that reiterates my point. Just like how I instruct people on care of the T-shirts I sell. Rough treatment, washing rightside out with blue jeans and drying in a hot dryer is a guaranteed destroyer of HTV on clothing.

[goalieThreeOne]

7 hours ago, bunnyman666 said:

Herein lies the rub: taking care of your equipment makes it last a LOT longer. My gloves aren’t slimy when wet/ weirdly crusty when dry on the insides because my gloves get the nozzle of a blow dryer inside them and my skates are put on a boot dryer when I get home. My Factory catch glove does have a funk, but the Nash is still soft and pliable. Not certain what is different... My other catch gloves don’t smell, and my blocker palms don’t smell, either. My Vaughn pads don’t smell funky and the Nash feels like new because I don’t store them in my bag (I throw mine over the shoulder). I don’t remove my insoles regularly, but I do remove them on occasion to inspect the T-nuts (since they are zinc plated rather than stainless) and so far, no rust. Rivets will rust if you don’t dry your boots. 

The point is if you have the luxury of taking your items out and dry them properly, you will get a lot more life from your gear in general. But if True says some issues arise from care of the boots, that reiterates my point. Just like how I instruct people on care of the T-shirts I sell. Rough treatment, washing rightside out with blue jeans and drying in a hot dryer is a guaranteed destroyer of HTV on clothing.

I suppose my response to that is that if my Bauers or CCM's hold up well without having to go the extra mile of removing foot beds or buying a boot dryer or fanning it out after every skate,

1. I'm even more convinced True is not worth it if I have to baby it. Their customization is no longer unique.

2. I'm even more concerned about how these skates hold up if they can't even be but on a shelf and air dried without falling apart. What kind of materials or adhesives are they using that fall apart so easy if they aren't gingerly dried every time? Regardless of how I dry them, they're still getting sweat for 1-2 hours a session a couple times a week. I would never keep these as my only pair

I hear what you're saying about taking care of your gear, but if all things are even (and now that we have custom Bauers and CCM's at the same price point, they are) why would I go with something that takes up that much more of my time to care for? If Bauer and CCM can make skates that hold up with minimal care, why can't True? There's nothing inherent to True skates that makes them any more high performance than the other brands that would explain this. And even if you babied the hell out of your gear, why wouldn't you go with Bauer or CCM anyway given that the durability baseline is higher? It just doesn't make sense.

[bunnyman666]

16 minutes ago, goalieThreeOne said:

I suppose my response to that is that if my Bauers or CCM's hold up well without having to go the extra mile of removing foot beds or buying a boot dryer or fanning it out after every skate,

1. I'm even more convinced True is not worth it if I have to baby it. Their customization is no longer unique.

2. I'm even more concerned about how these skates hold up if they can't even be but on a shelf and air dried without falling apart. What kind of materials or adhesives are they using that fall apart so easy if they aren't gingerly dried every time? Regardless of how I dry them, they're still getting sweat for 1-2 hours a session a couple times a week. I would never keep these as my only pair

I hear what you're saying about taking care of your gear, but if all things are even (and now that we have custom Bauers and CCM's at the same price point, they are) why would I go with something that takes up that much more of my time to care for? If Bauer and CCM can make skates that hold up with minimal care, why can't True? There's nothing inherent to True skates that makes them any more high performance than the other brands that would explain this. And even if you babied the hell out of your gear, why wouldn't you go with Bauer or CCM anyway given that the durability baseline is higher? It just doesn't make sense.

That could be true. And frankly, part of me makes me think that True is trying for their out for premature breakdown. When I told someone I was buying those skates, they warned me of how poorly they wear.

I may have to tear mine down if I end up replacing them before they are done. A fellow composites guy says they are built pretty poorly and I have a funny feeling that I know why.

[TheGoalNet]

On 10/5/2019 at 7:08 AM, Wrbsti15 said:

My True 2 piece are comfortable but I’ve had lots of issues. Quality and durability are horrible for what they cost. The glue areas look like crap. Rivets keep popping out. Eyelits popping out. Trim around ankle coming apart.  I’m thinking about Bauer 2x pro or ccm jetspeed now. 

Has True helped you with the warranty?

[TheGoalNet]

22 hours ago, Puckstopper said:

That is also called out in the True fitting videos that are provided to store personnel.  My intention is to follow the directions to the T and remove the footbeds after every skate.   The skates will also be dried in front of a fan after each use.  My theory is that you don't buy a Ferrari and plan on changing the oil every 10k miles, and I treat my equipment the same way.  I'll update periodically as my journey with True continues.

I don’t argue that gear needs to be aired out. But if the skates require TLC beyond not normal airing out, I can see that being an issue for goalies. Especially if you’re on the ice 3-5 times a week. 

I haven’t owned True skates, so I can’t speak to this. But I’m trying to understand if this is squeaky wheel sort of thing or a legit quality issue. 

I guess the other way to look at this would be... if we started a CCM thread asking goalies about skate durability for last 3-4 years, would there be as many issues with them?
 

[daffy]

17 hours ago, Puckstopper said:

That is also called out in the True fitting videos that are provided to store personnel.  My intention is to follow the directions to the T and remove the footbeds after every skate.   The skates will also be dried in front of a fan after each use.  My theory is that you don't buy a Ferrari and plan on changing the oil every 10k miles, and I treat my equipment the same way.  I'll update periodically as my journey with True continues.

Good point! I also take my footbeds out after every use.  Only put back in just before i wear them.  

[Trav4oilers]

On 10/3/2019 at 6:49 PM, TheGoalNet said:

@Trav4oilers don’t you have an issue with a broken boot?

On 10/7/2019 at 4:42 PM, bunnyman666 said:

That could be true. And frankly, part of me makes me think that True is trying for their out for premature breakdown. When I told someone I was buying those skates, they warned me of how poorly they wear.

I may have to tear mine down if I end up replacing them before they are done. A fellow composites guy says they are built pretty poorly and I have a funny feeling that I know why.

Yup, rivets popping out, eyelids coming out, leathers and stitching ripping and coming out, plastics popping, my current skates are a messed but I can't afford new ones for a few more months. The 2 pieces where a nightmare out of the gate, after TRUE fixed them they were a little better but ended up becoming another nightmare a few months later. Just decided to give up. 

[TheGoalNet]

1 hour ago, Trav4oilers said:

Yup, rivets popping out, eyelids coming out, leathers and stitching ripping and coming out, plastics popping, my current skates are a messed but I can't afford new ones for a few more months. The 2 pieces where a nightmare out of the gate, after TRUE fixed them they were a little better but ended up becoming another nightmare a few months later. Just decided to give up. 

So your original VHs have been good and your True branded skates both had issues and you gave up?

[bunnyman666]

10 hours ago, Trav4oilers said:

Yup, rivets popping out, eyelids coming out, leathers and stitching ripping and coming out, plastics popping, my current skates are a messed but I can't afford new ones for a few more months. The 2 pieces where a nightmare out of the gate, after TRUE fixed them they were a little better but ended up becoming another nightmare a few months later. Just decided to give up. 

I may have avoided a lot of heartache when I got rid of the player/goalie holder and went back to a cowling installed with T-nuts, it sounds like. My rivets were easy to remove with hand tools in the basement as I did not have proper skate tools at the time. I thought my foot was broken by one ex-pro’s shot and was desperate for protection when I hastily installed my Vaughn cowlings. 

My eyelets have been fine, but I never needed to crank down on my skates when lacing them, either. Mine are cream puffs compared to many as they only see ice time twice per week max right now. 

Again- the only reason why I ended up in Trues were the fact that nothing fit my skinny heel, super-wide toes without tonnes of volume foot that was shaped by standing for work the last 30 years. Reebok’s old boot fit perfectly, but the wide toe box was narrowed considerably with the brand name change to CCM and I am still pissed off about that. 

It’s strange that you couldn’t order combination lasts from CCM of Bauer like you have been able to with figure skates for seemingly aeons. At least CCM and Bauer realise that people need more options and saw that True was eating their snacks by poaching the hard-to-fit customer with a better custom fit programme. True did not take much of a bite out of either company’s sales, but their rise concerned the big makers enough to roll a better custom programme out. Bauer’s old custom programme was ONLY good IF the person measuring your foot knew what they were doing (and many don’t as evidenced by poor-fitting custom boots from the past). It seems now that we won’t have to deal with the delicate boots of True just to get a skate that fits. 

[Jonathon v]

I’ve had true one piece skates for about a month or 2. Extremely comfortable and great performance, part of the carbon fiber on the holder is chipping. And also a pretty weak shot knocked the steel out and got part of it jammed, had to take that to get fixed but that was no bother