Which Bauer skates to buy?

[seagoal]

Hey goalies, 

Looking for some advice and input on a skate decision.   Life-long Bauer user, not switching brands, zero interest in Konects.

My LHS has these two skates for the exact same price and wondering what some differences are and what you all recommend for my next set of wheels. These are both in my ~$500 desired range. 

I'm leaving behind my Bauer 3S skates which are VERY well-worn and ready for retirement. 

Thanks everyone. 

 

 

[Candyman]

I made the switch back in December from my R4000 to the Elite and have been very comfortable in them. I was worried about going from 4mm blade to 3mm but have not had any issues with the change. From my understanding, the Elite has a softer boot feel than the Ultra which is a bit stiffer.

[seagoal]

1 hour ago, Candyman said:

I made the switch back in December from my R4000 to the Elite and have been very comfortable in them. I was worried about going from 4mm blade to 3mm but have not had any issues with the change. From my understanding, the Elite has a softer boot feel than the Ultra which is a bit stiffer.

You're talking about the internal ankle padding I assume?

[ZeroGravitas]

You probably know already that Ultrasonic is the pro level version of your skate. You mention you have the 3S. Is that the 3S Pro or just plain 3S? Whatever the case, fit should be similar within that line-up, though Ultrasonic will be much stiffer if you're currently in the regular 3S.

Fit between the Supremes and Elites are a little different as the Supremes are on the old system (D/EE) to the Fit 1/2/3 system. Fit 2 should be closest to a D-width skate from the Ultrasonic/3S family.

The big thing with the Bauer Pro/Elite/GSX line of skates is that they are supposed to be stiffer on the bottom and more flexible up top, while the US should be pretty stiff all around. IIRC, the toe cap is the same.

[seagoal]

4 minutes ago, ZeroGravitas said:

You probably know already that Ultrasonic is the pro level version of your skate. You mention you have the 3S. Is that the 3S Pro or just plain 3S? Whatever the case, fit should be similar within that line-up, though Ultrasonic will be much stiffer if you're currently in the regular 3S.

Fit between the Supremes and Elites are a little different as the Supremes are on the old system (D/EE) to the Fit 1/2/3 system. Fit 2 should be closest to a D-width skate from the Ultrasonic/3S family.

The big thing with the Bauer Pro/Elite/GSX line of skates is that they are supposed to be stiffer on the bottom and more flexible up top, while the US should be pretty stiff all around. IIRC, the toe cap is the same.

Current skates are plain 3S, size 8.5 D.  I plan to go in for some sizing/fit tests this coming Saturday.

I'm having trouble imagining what stiffness means in a skate, can you elaborate?  I get that the internal padding can vary, but I'm struggling to see how flexibility/stiffness is a thing in a skate.

[ZeroGravitas]

9 hours ago, seagoal said:

Current skates are plain 3S, size 8.5 D.  I plan to go in for some sizing/fit tests this coming Saturday.

I'm having trouble imagining what stiffness means in a skate, can you elaborate?  I get that the internal padding can vary, but I'm struggling to see how flexibility/stiffness is a thing in a skate.

Basically, stiffness has to do with the shell of the skate. Give your 3S a squeeze and it's probably not too difficult to make it bend a little. Try that with a stiff skate like the Ultrasonic or some True Customs and you will feel the difference. The idea behind stiff skates is that the stiffness allows you to transfer more power from your movements and pushes through the skate and into the ice. translating to a stronger push/slide/cut. A soft skate would theoretically transfer less power because the energy from your movement is absorbed by the softer/flexible material of the boot.

Skate boots that are stiff are generally made from higher-end composites/fibers that will react more to heat molding, allowing better fit to your foot and also being able to retain its shape longer over time. People who have own Trues, or at least heat molded them have felt how pliable they get when heated up and how they really form to your foot after baking.

Take a look at player skates, where there are more price points. The bottom price point skates are generally made from plastic or even nylon-type materials that won't mold or retain it's shape when heated up, and the top-end are composite/carbon skates that are super stiff. Give 'em a squeeze and you'll see.

With goalie, there are less price points so the differences are not quite as radical.

Edited July 21, 2023 by ZeroGravitas

[seagoal]

1 hour ago, ZeroGravitas said:

The quarter

Basically, stiffness has to do with the shell of the skate. Give your 3S a squeeze and it's probably not too difficult to make it bend a little. Try that with a stiff skate like the Ultrasonic or some True Customs and you will feel the difference. The idea behind stiff skates is that the stiffness allows you to transfer more power from your movements and pushes through the skate and into the ice. translating to a stronger push/slide/cut. A soft skate would theoretically transfer less power because the energy from your movement is absorbed by the softer/flexible material of the boot.

Skate boots that are stiff are generally made from higher-end composites/fibers that will react more to heat molding, allowing better fit to your foot and also being able to retain its shape longer over time. People who have own Trues, or at least heat molded them have felt how pliable they get when heated up and how they really form to your foot after baking.

Take a look at player skates, where there are more price points. The bottom price point skates are generally made from plastic or even nylon-type materials that won't mold or retain it's shape when heated up, and the top-end are composite/carbon skates that are super stiff. Give 'em a squeeze and you'll see.

With goalie, there are less price points so the differences are not quite as radical.

I see, that makes sense.  I can't imagine there is a ton of room there for differences, as there is say in thigh rise stiffness, but I can see what you're saying.  It sounds like a switch to a stiffer skate then will align perfectly with my recent switch from Vaughn to Bauer leg pads...I'm seeing and feeling, and enjoying, the benefits of stiffer gear all around.

The Ultrasonic skates have a slight edge over the Elite skates just because they are in the same generation as my current 3S skates and I can most likely just do a 1:1 swap for size/fit.  I feel sold on those right now.

I really appreciate the input, thanks .

I should add that I did not know that the Ultrasonic --> Elite was a generation jump with different sizing/fit scales so I am glad I asked.

Edited July 20, 2023 by seagoal

[Hockey34]

1 hour ago, seagoal said:

Current skates are plain 3S, size 8.5 D.  I plan to go in for some sizing/fit tests this coming Saturday.

I'm having trouble imagining what stiffness means in a skate, can you elaborate?  I get that the internal padding can vary, but I'm struggling to see how flexibility/stiffness is a thing in a skate.

It’s how much the boot flexes 

[seagoal]

7 minutes ago, Hockey34 said:

It’s how much the boot flexes 

Right.  I guess I can imagine that being relevant if I am holding a skate in my hand and squeezing it together with my hands, but, having way more difficulty imagining how that is relevant with skates on my feet and playing hockey.

Could be just a blind spot for me, but not for one second ever in my life have I felt or thought about a skate flexing, unlike say a thigh rise on a pad or sidewall of a blocker.

Edited July 20, 2023 by seagoal

[Hockey34]

Just now, seagoal said:

Right.  I guess I can imagine that if I am holding a skate in my hand and squeezing it together with my hands, but, having way more difficulty imagining how that is relevant with skates on my feet and playing hockey.

Also to what ZeroGravitas was saying with pushing and stuff like that, is how much support you have in the ankle 

[seagoal]

6 minutes ago, Hockey34 said:

Also to what ZeroGravitas was saying with pushing and stuff like that, is how much support you have in the ankle 

For sure, what made the most sense in his post was the pushing/transfer of power stuff.  It makes sense while also still seeming not a big deal or big difference.  Maybe it's of of those "if I were at a demo day and could toggle back and forth for hours" things. 

Also, for the record, I'm skeptical of companies inventing new problems for us and then solving those problems with product marketing, so that is coming into play here for me with this topic, haha. 

I'm am sold on the Ultrasonic skates just based on sizing, so that is a win here.

Edited July 20, 2023 by seagoal

[Hockey34]

9 minutes ago, seagoal said:

Right.  I guess I can imagine that being relevant if I am holding a skate in my hand and squeezing it together with my hands, but, having way more difficulty imagining how that is relevant with skates on my feet and playing hockey.

Could be just a blind spot for me, but not for one second ever in my life have I felt or thought about a skate flexing, unlike say a thigh rise on a pad or sidewall of a blocker.

I can get my old vapor 2.7 to touch at the top, but my supreme 3s pros I can only get flex about half way.  

[seagoal]

Just now, Hockey34 said:

I can get my old vapor 2.7 to touch at the top, but my supreme 3s pros I can only get flex about half way.  

Right, but you can not do that with your feet inside.

[Hockey34]

Just now, seagoal said:

Right, but you can not do that with your feet inside.

No, but I was just trying to show the flex. But the vapors do have a lot less support then the supremes which is also what I was trying to show. 

[ZeroGravitas]

45 minutes ago, seagoal said:

I'm am sold on the Ultrasonic skates just based on sizing, so that is a win here.

The Ultrasonics might fit slightly differently from 3S based on the stiffness of the boot's materials and the foams/liners used on the inside. Depending on how the skate fits your foot, a stiff skate might not be quite as comfortable out of the box because the additional padding and stiff shell might not be as comfortable on and against your foot.

[seagoal]

1 hour ago, ZeroGravitas said:

The Ultrasonics might fit slightly differently from 3S based on the stiffness of the boot's materials and the foams/liners used on the inside. Depending on how the skate fits your foot, a stiff skate might not be quite as comfortable out of the box because the additional padding and stiff shell might not be as comfortable on and against your foot.

I'll give both the US and Elite skates a try on my feet this weekend.

Question for you: I have 2 sets of steel that I rotate through on my current 3S skates.  Will those sets work on these Elite skates too or just the Ultrasonics?

[Hockey34]

2 minutes ago, seagoal said:

I'll give both the US and Elite skates a try on my feet this weekend.

Question for you: I have 2 sets of steel that I rotate through on my current 3S skates.  Will those sets work on these Elite skates too or just the Ultrasonics?

As long as they are the same size they will work 

[seagoal]

Just now, Hockey34 said:

As long as they are the same size they will work 

Great.  Wasn't sure if they did a prong reconfiguration on the newer ones.

[ZeroGravitas]

5 hours ago, seagoal said:

I'll give both the US and Elite skates a try on my feet this weekend.

Question for you: I have 2 sets of steel that I rotate through on my current 3S skates.  Will those sets work on these Elite skates too or just the Ultrasonics?

If you end up getting a 8.5 Fit 3 Elite, it will have a size 9 holder and will require the size 9 steel, in which case your old steel would not fit. But 8.5 Fit 2 and Fit 1 will have the size 8 holder.

Same goes with the Ultrasonic. If you keep the same length (8.5) but move up to the EE width, you'll now be in a size 9 holder and your old steel will not fit. D width will be compatible with your old steel.

[ser33]

10 hours ago, seagoal said:

Right.  I guess I can imagine that being relevant if I am holding a skate in my hand and squeezing it together with my hands, but, having way more difficulty imagining how that is relevant with skates on my feet and playing hockey.

Could be just a blind spot for me, but not for one second ever in my life have I felt or thought about a skate flexing, unlike say a thigh rise on a pad or sidewall of a blocker.

Before, I also knew about this difference only theoretically. The understanding came after a quick transition from hard composite skates to my old Bauer S29 and back again. The easiest thing to understand is that in hard skates you can fully play hockey with 3 top eyelets unlaced, but not in soft skates.

p.s. please don't check this because on soft skates it can cause injury

[keeperton]

Going to outwardly suggest that the stiffer skate, especially given your recent journey in other gear, will do you a lot of good. I went from old school skates to the 2X Pro (now in Konekts, which I think are technically a little softer) and it was phenomenal.

If you can get the Ultrasonic skates while they're on their way out, and they fit, I'd hop on that immediately.

[chile57]

I'll echo all of what's been said above - the choice basically boils down to comfort (or potentially lack thereof) versus (potential "gains" in) performance. As all of us on here are gear nuts at our core - I've tried to justify buying the fanciest Bauer skates on two cycles at this point but the stiffest/inability to flex my foot/discomfort had me coming back to the mid-level skates both times (did briefly flirt with CCM's pro offering in there somewhere too which... didn't go well for a myriad of reasons). I should note - I have awful feet that give me discomfort just through a days worth of walking. I am also not the biggest guy (+/-150lbs or +/-68 kilos for my non-USA brethren) so premature breakdown of "lesser" skates isn't necessarily a concern either. Really weighed moving to Trues (what was VH at the time) because of this but couldn't decide on the one piece or the two piece (as this was at a time when you couldn't get your hands on things unless you knew somebody that owned a pair).

Hope whatever route you go works out for you @seagoal - keep us in the loop.

[chile57]

... also - @ZeroGravitas knows their shit.

[seagoal]

8 hours ago, keeperton said:

Going to outwardly suggest that the stiffer skate, especially given your recent journey in other gear, will do you a lot of good. I went from old school skates to the 2X Pro (now in Konekts, which I think are technically a little softer) and it was phenomenal.

If you can get the Ultrasonic skates while they're on their way out, and they fit, I'd hop on that immediately.

 

5 hours ago, chile57 said:

I'll echo all of what's been said above - the choice basically boils down to comfort (or potentially lack thereof) versus (potential "gains" in) performance. As all of us on here are gear nuts at our core - I've tried to justify buying the fanciest Bauer skates on two cycles at this point but the stiffest/inability to flex my foot/discomfort had me coming back to the mid-level skates both times (did briefly flirt with CCM's pro offering in there somewhere too which... didn't go well for a myriad of reasons). I should note - I have awful feet that give me discomfort just through a days worth of walking. I am also not the biggest guy (+/-150lbs or +/-68 kilos for my non-USA brethren) so premature breakdown of "lesser" skates isn't necessarily a concern either. Really weighed moving to Trues (what was VH at the time) because of this but couldn't decide on the one piece or the two piece (as this was at a time when you couldn't get your hands on things unless you knew somebody that owned a pair).

Hope whatever route you go works out for you @seagoal - keep us in the loop.

I'm looking forward to the new skates, for sure.  

The most obviously and practical upgrade I'm excited about is the top seam where the external bits meet the internal bits.  On the Ultrasonics and Elites, there's a nice shiny, rubbery feeling piece that covers the seam, kinda like how on nice blockers there is jenpro covering the binding where the stick touches whole playing.

On my outgoing skates there is no rubbery cover, just the seam and as you can see.....

[RichMan]

i've noticed that the newer Bauer skates have a less higher toe box than the original Vapor series. Has anyone else noticed this as well? Those who have switched over to the latest versions, have you noticed a difference in feel?