The right hockey skates are one of the main keys to success in the game. These elements of sports equipment allow you to move quickly and efficiently on the ice field, provide an excellent opportunity to perform maneuvers, become a reliable protection against injury.
Construction of hockey skates
Hockey skates consist of shoes, blades and hockey jars (blade holders).
The cups and blades of all manufacturing companies have the same construction, but may differ in design. Their main task: to help the athlete glide on the ice as quickly as possible.
BAUER uses different models of blades and tuuk glasses;
EASTON completes skates tumblers and blades Razor;
GRAF gives preference to cups and blades Cobra;
CCM and REEBOK prefer Pro glasses and Proformance blades.
The design of the tumbler-blade set can be either collapsible or non collapsible. The first option is used for semi-professional and professional skates, the second – for inexpensive amateur skates. The longevity of the set depends on the height of the blade.
For the manufacture of hockey skate boots use lightweight and wear-resistant synthetic materials that can provide your foot reliable protection from the blows of the stick and puck. Inside the boots have a foam padding that increases their degree of protection, and a soft lining, giving products a special comfort.
Hockey skates can be:
amateur;
semi-professional;
professional.
Features
hockey skates
The cost of branded hockey skates is quite high. This is explained by the special materials and technologies, without which it is simply impossible to create such sports equipment.
Rigidity of a shoe. Depends on its degree depends on the strength of fixation of the ankle joint, which can protect hockey players from injury. For the manufacture of boots with high rigidity uses nylon with the addition of foam and plastic elements. By the tongue hockey boots also have special requirements: it must be soft, but durable.
Air chamber with pumping (originally this invention of Reebok was intended for sneakers). The essence is simple: there is a chamber inside the shoe, which encircles the ankle joint slightly above the bone. A pump pumps air into the chamber, consequently, the ankle is fixed stronger and more secure.
Thermal molding. When creating hockey boots use special materials – plastic or foam. Thanks to them, the boots become softer when heated. They adapt to the anatomical features of the athlete’s feet, take the desired shape and hold it even in a cool environment. Of course, it is impossible to adjust any skate to any foot with the help of thermoforming. But it certainly helps to get used to a new hockey shoe.
Lace fixer. Is a special loop between the boot’s instep and the upper lacing area. Thanks to it you can lace up the upper and the lower part of the boot separately, fix your shin and feel more confident on the ice. With cheap boots it will not be possible: you will have to lace up all of them.
Experts strongly advise against buying children and teenagers hockey skates “outgrowth”. Because of the uncomfortable shoes wrong size child will lose the desire to play hockey. In addition, he can be seriously injured on the ice during skate training.
Rules of fitting and choosing
hockey skates
Choose professional hockey skates start by determining the size of your foot. Not only the length of the foot is important here, but also its width (fullness or thickness). Feet come in long and narrow, short and wide. The letter decributions offered by manufacturers are as follows:
Narrow leg C/N = Narrow Fit;
Standard Foot D/R = Regular Fit;
Wide Foot E/W = Wide Fit;
Very Wide Foot EE = Extra Wide Fit.
For hockey skates there was even developed a special size grid (also in Russian). The marking (designation) D and EE means that skates are intended for standard or very wide feet, C, D, EE – narrow, standard or very wide.
Goalie skates (Edea, Supreme, Wifa, Jackson, Vapor, Risport) have quite a lot of weight, a flat blade and high-strength padding. The main requirement for these hockey paraphernalia is reliability. Goaltender’s skates should provide increased protection for his feet, because during the game the puck hits them more often than other players’ feet.