New Bauer Konekts - dealing with a hotspot

[Xped]

Hi All...

 

Long time lurker...first time poster.  My son's a U15 AAA goalie (U16 next season) so I tend to hit this forum for a lot of my "dad" information.  Finally joined as I need some advice.

 

Just purchased the Bauer Konekts and had them heat molded at the store.  The fitter used shims for the outside of my son's foot for a known hotspot.  After we got home, my son spent some considerable time in the skates (not on ice) and believes he may need a little more relief in this area. Not sure if spending actual time on the ice (which he will do) would help but I'm trying to gather as much info if/when the time comes to figure it out.  I've added pics (stolen from the internet) below to help identify where the spot is...little bone on the outside of the foot is a pressure point in the skate.  This spot seems to be a reinforced area on the outside of the Konekts.  Since it's a plastic boot shell...is this still possible to have it punched out?  Or, am I looking at a different type of solution?  Is it worth baking again and adding an even larger shim...or is the reinforced area too reinforced to have an effect through baking?

 

Love to hear your thoughts.

 

 

 

 

 

[kohula]

I´ve had similar issue, but on inside of the skates. Just take the heatgun, heat the plastic shell on the spot that you need (not the whole shell). Then put on the liner and then skates on your son´s feet. Let it cool down completly and it shoud help 

[Hockeygoalie111]

Try wearing the lower buckle looser.  The top buckle is supposed to be super snug and bottom just tight enough to hold.  Might be squishing his foot.

[Xped]

Thanks for that! Was considering using the heat gun to target the exact area but wasn't sure about the plastic shell and this reinforced area.  You had no problems?  Just be careful about not staying in one spot, I assume?  Does it get fairly pliable?

[Xped]

"Try wearing the lower buckle looser.  The top buckle is supposed to be super snug and bottom just tight enough to hold.  Might be squishing his foot."

Was going to take a look later at how tight my son had the lower buckle.  With laces, he used to just crank it to become one with the boot....told him his foot still had to be able to use its muscles and tendons! LOL 

Thx!

[Hockeygoalie111]

1 minute ago, Xped said:

"Try wearing the lower buckle looser.  The top buckle is supposed to be super snug and bottom just tight enough to hold.  Might be squishing his foot."

Was going to take a look later at how tight my son had the lower buckle.  With laces, he used to just crank it to become one with the boot....told him his foot still had to be able to use its muscles and tendons! LOL 

Thx!

I would try this before using the heat gun.  The shell is really not that pliable other than "wrapping" over the top of the foot.  Another option is to rebake the liners.  

[Xped]

9 minutes ago, Hockeygoalie111 said:

I would try this before using the heat gun.  The shell is really not that pliable other than "wrapping" over the top of the foot.  Another option is to rebake the liners.  

Will give this a try!

[kohula]

Yes, I also needed to "play" with the lower buckle, you shoud try that first as mentioned. But if it wouldn´t help, try the heat gun. I don´t remember the temperature or time that I used, but the shell was pretty hot on that spot. And I think that is better to stand on the skates during the cool down insted of just sitting. I´ve done that and the skates are my far favourite piece of the gear

[Puckstopper]

Be careful about overheating.   The skate oven only heats to about 175 F, so even the low setting on a heat gun would be easy to overdo it.   Granted, these skates sit in that oven for quite a while, so I'm guessing they can take a little more than the average pair, but I'd still go low and slow. 

[keeperton]

I had a really similar hotspot my first few wears on the skate. I fine tuned the lower buckles to loosen them a little bit, which helped a little but not completely. After about 5 or so more ice times there was no more pinching/discomfort, I assume the skate opened up a little and my adjustments helped.