All hockey players should want the most comfortable hockey Skates possible. Regardless of your level, your feet shouldn’t hurt after practice or a game. But what makes a comfortable skate?
Comfortable Hockey Skates can mean different things to different people.
Whether you are looking for water wicking and venting, or you are wondering what type of fit makes a comfortable skate, there are a few things to take into consideration before choosing the most comfortable skate for you.
You should want your feet to be as comfortable as possible on the ice. This is what you need to know.
Most Comfortable Hockey Skates Features
Proper Skate Size & Width
The most important factor when choosing the most comfortable skate is whether you are getting proper skate size and width. To make sure you have the right size, you should not have any gaps around your heel or the sides of your foot.
It should be a snug fit overall. You should not be able to slide your foot around when the boots are laced up, but your feet should not be so cramped that they ache.
Skate Outsole
Another factor that you should take into consideration is the boot’s outsole. This is the bottom of your skate, where the blade holder is attached.
The outsole needs to be durable for stability’s sake, but when you are looking for a comfortable boot, you should look for venting as well. A vent in the outsole releases any moisture that might be building up within the boot, helping keep your feet cool and blister-free.
Boot
Naturally, the boot itself should be a factor to consider when looking for the most comfortable skates. The boot of your skates needs to fit around your ankle well and will need to have the right amount of stiffness for your skill level.
Newer skaters will need a more flexible boot to help them learn moves. Advanced skaters need a completely stiff boot to provide stability and control. A beginner should never use a stiff boot.
Padding
When you think of comfort, you are sure to think about padding. A quality hockey skate is going to have a great amount of padding in all of the right places. The tongue of the skate needs padding to protect your metatarsal while preventing lace bite.
The ankles will also need to be well-padded to give you quality support. In comfortable skates, there should also be padding in the insole, molding around your feet for the perfect fit.
3 Most Comfortable Hockey Skates 2019
Brand | Skill Level | Weight | Rating | Check Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Bauer Nexus N2900 Editor's Choice | Intermediate/ | 860 grams | 100% | |
2. CCM Super Tacks AS1 High Performance | Advanced | 797 grams | 99% | |
3. Bauer Supreme S27 Budget Friendly | Beginner | 792 grams | 95% |
1. Bauer Nexus N2900 Ice Hockey Skates
Most Comfortable Hockey Skates (Editor's Choice)
Our choice for the most comfortable hockey skates are the Bauer Nexus N2900. These are a great choice for intermediate to advanced skaters and fit well with players with wide feet.
Design
The N2900 is a high-volume skate designed to give you as much power as possible. If you have a wider foot, you are likely to find these a welcome relief from other hockey skates. In addition to wide feet, these work well with a broad forefoot, high arch, or a deep heel.
The design also has the stiffness that you can expect from professional-grade hockey skates, giving you a great amount of power.
The boot is lightweight which makes it easy to move around in and to wear for long periods of time. The outsole of the N2900 has a fiber composite with torsional resistance, so you will have the advantage of out-positioning your opponents. The boot is made up of a 3D injected fiber composite material, giving you an extra element of durability and protection.
Features
The Nexus N2900 come with the Bauer Tuuk LS1 stainless steel runner, which is polished for better performance while keeping you higher up on the ice than other players.
The Tuuk holder has a quick-release system that lets you remove the blades quickly right when you need to, without any type of effort. For a great fit, the boot itself is thermoformable, ensuring that you will get the perfect fit after you bake them.
The tongue is made up of a 48oz, 2-piece black felt piece with an upgraded lace bite guard, protecting one of the most vulnerable areas of your foot. The tongue itself is made out of a high-density foam and polyethylene.
The metatarsal insert will also increase your safety on the ice preventing unneeded injuries. As a plus, the memory foam ankle pads add in an extra element of comfort and protection as well.
2. CCM Super Tacks AS1 Ice Hockey Skates
High Performance
The CCM Super Tacks AS1 skates combine comfort with performance. They are, without a doubt, some of the best performing hockey skates on the market.
Design
The AS1 skates have a MonoFrame 360 one-piece construction with SpeedCore III technology to ensure that the skates are both lightweight and anatomical when it comes to energy transfers. The design is full-carbon, including the SpeedCore III inner core technology.
Other design features include brass eyelets and double stitching throughout the boot. The quarter package height has also been raised with these boots in order to give you a natural feeling when you are wearing them, so they are more comfortable and less clunky than other hockey skates.
The Super Tacks AS1’s runners are designed with a black oxide coating to have a long edge life with a low risk of corrosion. You will also get a SpeedBlade 4.0 edge holder with Speed Rib technology, which also includes a unique geometric design that provides enhanced stiffness as well as the best energy transfer possible.
Features
The AS1 skates come with quick a few features, including the OrthoMove Custom Support footbed. This provides personalized comfort as the footbed begins to mold around your feet, making the skates feel completely customized. The AS1 skates come with both medium and high inserts for the best support level possible for your individual needs as a skater.
Additionally, the venting throughout the boot will release any extra moisture into the bottom of the boot, which is then exhausted through the vent, keeping your feet comfortable and dry.
You also get DuraZone abrasion pads that are built to give you enhanced shin guard abrasion protection as well as the Total-Dri Pro liner, which will give you more durability as well as dry feet. Ultimately, you should not leave the ice with wet feet since one of the best features of these skates is to be worn for long periods without harming your feet.
3. Bauer Supreme S27 Ice Hockey Skates
Budget Friendly
If you are working within a budget, but still want amazingly comfortable hockey skates, we recommend the Bauer Supreme S27 skates. We all know that Bauer makes quality skates, so if you can get them at a great price, you are going well.
Design
The Supreme S27 skates are designed to be lightweight. In fact they are actually lighter than any other mid-level Bauer skate on the market. They do not have enough stability for advanced or pro players, instead having the flexibility needed for players working on technique.
These skates come with thick memory foam pads within the boot as well as a large heel that is designed to lock in your foot and prevent it foot from slipping. This will prevent blisters and make sure that there is no energy loss within the boot as you make your strides.
The footbed is a Form-Fit EVA material, which is a mid-density foam designed to give you the best level of comfort you could hope for.
Features
The Supreme S27 skates have elite-level features, including a TPU outsole to give you enhanced torsional stability, which is a little surprising given their cost. The durability of this skate is excellent, with the skate having a moderate stiffness.
This is what makes them the right choice for skaters who are just working out how they would like to skate and who also need some torsional stability in their skating. These skates are thermoformable, which means that they can be baked in order to give you a faster break in time.
Inside of the boot, you will find a hydrophobic microfiber lining with memory foam ankle padding to give you the driest level of comfort that you will need.
This really boosts the comfort level of the skates. You will also find a flexible tendon guard which will allow for a better stride extension, giving you longer, more powerful strides while still keeping you comfortable.
How To Break Into New Skates
Just like shoes, you will need to break in your skates before you will be comfortable enough to wear them all of the time. This is part of why trying on skates is tricky, knowing that they will not be the same after you have broken them in.
The first hurdle in breaking in skates is the stiffness of the boot. Stiff boots are going to take a lot longer to break into than softer skates will, so you will need to be patient if you plan on breaking them in naturally.
Otherwise, you should see if your skates are thermoformable. Skates that have thermoformability can be baked in an oven, which will soften up the boot to allow it to mold properly around your foot, leaving you with the perfect fit. Baking can be done at home or at a pro shop, but you will still need to be careful while doing that.
If your skates are not able to be baked, you will just have to wait it out and break them in gradually. Do not stay too long on new skates, or there is a very good chance that you will wind up with blisters. Also, just like shoes, the more you wear your skates, the faster they will break in.
Final Words
Without a doubt, the most comfortable hockey skates on the market are the Bauer Nexus N2900 ice hockey skates. These skates are made with the extra level of comfort in mind, including providing extra space in the toebox to prevent the toes becoming squished, especially since feet are likely to swell under pressure.
They are also stiff enough for intermediate and advanced skaters alike, allowing them to cross the bridge between those who are working on technique and those who have mastered it.
The other comfortable skates that we have reviewed are also good quality choices. While the N2900s certainly win for all-around comfort, some players might prefer the AS1 to the N2900 in order to get better performance.
Likewise, if budget is an issue, you will still find comfort in the S27s. As long as you get the right skates for your feet, you are likely to get the most comfortable pair.
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