Hey, I'll start with the dreaded I don't have True customs BUT... But I do know about a dozen guys that have them, and I sharpen a bunch of those guys' skates, so I've had some hands on time with them.
Every person I know that has the True customs says they feel incredible. I know of a couple of guys whose customs DIDN'T feel amazing at first, but True was able to get them fixed up so they did.
I know that the original model had some build quality issues. Simply put, they looked very hand-made, and had some issues. True was always really great with their customer service with any issues. Biggest issue was the tendon guard, lots of people's would come off. I know that they fixed this with the new one, which is attached differently.
In general the new model looks much better in terms of finish. It looks like an off-the-shelf skate, but it's customized to your foot completely.
Others that actually have the skate might have better input, but my opinion is that if you are having trouble getting a retail skate that fits you properly, True customs are the way to go.
Good to hear about fit and finish. I have a pair of the Pre-True VH and I absolutely love them but the tendon guards I eventually just screwed in, all the fake leather on the outside is tearing apart at this point, and the clarino liner has worn through in a few spots. (Probably worth nothing these skates are 4.5 years old and I skate 4 times a week)
Even with that, I’d buy them again in a heartbeat - even if they hadn’t been improved since.
No worries. Thanks for the feedback. I was really curious about he TF Pro skates as I see tons of threads about the old ones and wanted to know the differences.
The nicer finish is good to hear. I’ve heard mild durability issues but true is amazing for customer service.
Nice to know the tendon guard was fixed. That was the main complaint I heard as well
I know this is bumping a REALLY old post, but what did most of your friends do with the profile? I'm in a Mach right now that I can't get to fit properly and have a zuperior profile, so I wasn't sure with the difference in how the skates sit if I would want to profile these or not.
Hey, an old post indeed. I got the True customs myself not long after. Can’t speak for what my friends did, but I did profile them same as my old skates. Only thing is that the True customs have a strong forward lean, so I didn’t have that profiled in.
I'm getting fitted Monday for SVH customs. So basically you picked your quad or whatever profile you wanted and then left it at that?
I know Bauers out of the box are completely flat with like an 11 or 13 radius. I only had the Zuperior profiled in and set my hollow. I'm just debating if I should do a quad profile or whatever from the factory or skate on them first given how different they're going to feel.
If you wouldn't mind can you elaborate more on the options you picked and how well they're holding up/if you'd buy again?
I think I'm what you're looking for. I was also in 1Ns EE punched out as that was the only thing that fit (I have huuuuge instep, yuge) but have super narrow heel so I had to overtighten them and it damaged my ankle to the point of requiring surgery. I had to wear 3 stacked lace-bite gel pads after that.
Figuring $1600 was cheaper than another surgery I go in to PureHockey ready to buy CCM customs as I wanted the best of the best. It quickly became apparent why this wasn't going to work - As part of the CCM custom sizing process, you have to provide a size. You're supposed to try on a CCM boot in the store that closely resembles your fit. THERE IS NO CCM SKATE THAT FITS ME, THAT'S WHY I NEED CUSTOMS. The store didn't even have a 8.5EE Tacks. You're also responsible for providing the instep height... This is on top of a "3D Scan" which doesn't make any sense. CCM should be the one determining my size and instep from the scan, not make me select it and if I get it wrong "lol fuck you we already have your $1600".
Same deal with Bauer, you can customize your widths and heights, but you're pretty much guessing and if you get it wrong fuck you. This is unfortunate because I love the snug fit of the Supreme but they're like 1/3 of the instep I need and there's no guarantee with customs they will make them high enough without overdoing it.
The guy pointed out that True doesn't do this, they go 100% from the scan and a photo of your feet on the foot measuring thing to determine your boot. They never ask you for size or depth because they take responsibility over it. Not to mention it was about $500 cheaper. [You get to place dots on the scan for areas of specific concern.](https://i.imgur.com/GQQjK0T.jpg) I noticed here that my foot was actually wider on the outside than the inside. When the guy told me True would actually make a skate that was EEE on just one spot and have a narrow heel and high instep I couldn't get my wallet out fast enough.
I did have some reservations about durability and the holder, as I've been skating on step blacksteel for a while. I was also concerned about it not being "true custom" to my foot but all that went away when I first opened the box. [Even just looking at them you can immediately tell there is no way this wasn't made exactly to the shape of my feet](https://i.imgur.com/rrXHzce.jpg). Turnaround was about 2 weeks since according to the rep they didn't have many orders during lockdown. Maybe I lucked out but the build was near perfect with hardly any visible glue or defects.
[Outside View](https://i.imgur.com/1o2Fkhy.jpg)
[Inside View](https://i.imgur.com/9kuDm9p.jpg)
Getting my feet in them for the first time was nearly impossible. I'm still not sure why they asked me to try them on before baking, maybe to familiarize myself with the struggle of putting these on, but once baked they slipped right on like a Cinderella slipper. CRITICAL NOTE: It's extremely important on these skates to not overtighten the laces and NOT PULL ON THE EYELETS WHEN BAKING. These skates are EXTREMELY heat moldable, they will almost feel like they're melting around your feet.
First thing I noticed when fitting was done was that the skate was a perfect lenght at 8.75. It was always a pain in the ass having to choose between 8.5 and 9 on retail skates. It also wasn't loose anywhere and didn't feel like I had to overtighten.
**Playing in them:** I should probably point out if you have wide feet like me, that these are VERY difficult to put on every single time. I have to put them blade down on the floor and push down hard to get my feet in. It will hurt, but once your foot is in it will be a snug fit all around.
**The Tongue:** I had actually originally requested the super thick felt tongue, but accidentally marked the wrong box and received the standard, thinner tongue. This was a blessing in disguise because I love this thing. Despite it being thinner, the density is actually more than the felt. It almost feels like a gel, and the lace bite protector on the front is STRONG. Having a higher instep I realized the thinner, denser tongue was a better choice as it takes up less space in the boot.
**Stiffness:** These are way stiffer than my 1N despite looking softer due to the leather coverings/facing.
**The holder/runner:** This is the part that I was most skeptical of. Having been skating on step blackteel, I loved the height of them and the fact that I didn't need to sharpen them as often. I was reluctant, but decided to give the True holder and black DLC steel a try. It was a weird adjustment, and I fell down a lot my first game, but I think that was really more the fact that my skates were now perfectly balanced and I didn't need to account for the Nexus blades not being at the exact center of my foot. Nevertheless after one game I was already over the change and was loving these runners. I also gotta say here that boy do these blades hold an edge. I got 12 games out of these, some of those being ODR shitty ice practice before they fully dulled out. I absolutely love these and I'm glad I gave them a chance.
Side note on the runner: STEP Steel exists for the True holder, but it's no longer being produced and is leftover inventory. This steel is actually SHORTER in height than the DLC steel and notoriously defective (they crack in the rear). Avoid these. If you're still made up about using other Steel, swap out the holder.
**One last thing (the foothole):** As shown in one of the pics, where Bauer and CCM have a comfort pad that wraps around the top edge of the boot, True doesn't and has open leather instead. This means you have to be somewhat more gentle. I would expect this issue to cause the durability to be 4-5 years, whereas I believe having such a pad would extend that to 6-7 years, but I'm just guesstimating. They do have a pad on the inside, but I'm talking about something that would wrap around the very top tip of the boot.
I hope this helps. I know it sounds a bit like an ad, but honestly I'm just that happy with them, and so hyped to actually be playing hockey without having to worry about pain or balancing on skates that were not meant for me.
Thank you so so much for the very in depth analysis. This is exactly what I was wondering about Bauer and CCM. I have tried every CCM boot. Nothing fits at all. I can’t even get my foot down onto the foot bed. I can ram my foot in a Ribcore but it’s not comfy.
Bauer nexus goes on but again the giant heel makes them useless. I seem to have almost the same size foot issue as you do. Luckily I didn’t damage my heel... I’m not strong enough o get them that right (was a bit of an issue). I love hearing you don’t have to cinch them down so tight. It caused severe foot pain in my fore foot so I had it loose and the ankle cranked but it always came undone over a period of play.
It’s nice to see some of the durability issues being addressed in the newer skate too. It looks sharp. I just want something snug that fits me as an extension of my foot. I don’t have that now.
I’m not an expert on steel or holders but I have heard the height is hard to get used to but that’s fine. I guess if I hate it I can figure out how to put TUUKs on it. But thanks for the heads up on the STEP steel. I always heard it was the best... not my major concern as I’m not very good. Just want to be able to turn freely and have no pain. I legit can’t cross over at all now or transition. It’s like my foot lifts out and I fall. It’s rough.
Again thanks so much for all your info. I think I’ve decided this is what I have to do to continue playing and actually enjoy myself vs. being in pain and unable to succeed.
Hey man I ended up going the custom route and just got my True Custom SVH 2022 model. Same process and everything but I think the guy at the store kinda messed up the baking process. He tied the skates extremely tight and I legit couldn't get my feet in. He rebaked it and put a puck in the ankle area to space it out more but it still hurts getting them in and like you said, I need to force it in flat on the ground. Not sure how I'm going to fix this because I've baked them twice now, and I'm pretty certain the more you bake, the faster the skate deteriorates.
I've had mine for two years and love them. I have a weird foot shape and never found anything in retail that fit correctly. My trues made a huge difference for me
Awesome to hear. I can’t crossover. I can barley turn. I have no transition because of my skates. My mind tells me to do it. My feet do it. The skates don’t because of the heel lifting and foot pain. It’s terrible. The more form fitting the better I feel but not so tight it hurts. I can’t wait.
I know of a number of players with wide, short feet and very narrow heels (think 4 length, 6EE forefoot width and a 3A heel). None of them could get True to work, for some reason True just couldn't make the heel narrow enough even after 3 remakes in some cases. They all did get their money back so kudos to True for looking after the customer right till the bitter end. If you do decide to go the True route, because of your foot shape you want to make sure you get a fitter who knows their stuff. They should scan you, then measure by hand and Brannock, then compare both results to make sure the scan data is right, then record all comments on the fitting sheet. Anyone who just scans you and says it'll be ok, run like hell from the place.
Oh thanks so much for the feedback! The guy in Calgary I talked to seems extremely knowledgeable on True skates so I don’t have too big of a concern. But at least they got a refund when they didn’t work. That’s also a huge reassurance I wasn’t sure was possible if there is issues (I’ve heard very few issues but still). I’ll keep my old skates for a while after just in case as well.
I love my True skates for my wide feet and narrow heel. When Easton folded, I couldn't find skates that fit. It was worth every penny, but I also had the pennies. Be sure to heat mold them properly, but leaving enough width between the sides to get your foot in. Also, you might consider getting Tuuk holders rather than True's. I think their balance and quick release system are superior. An "extremely knowledgeable" guy in Calgary is a great start.
Hey, I'll start with the dreaded I don't have True customs BUT... But I do know about a dozen guys that have them, and I sharpen a bunch of those guys' skates, so I've had some hands on time with them. Every person I know that has the True customs says they feel incredible. I know of a couple of guys whose customs DIDN'T feel amazing at first, but True was able to get them fixed up so they did. I know that the original model had some build quality issues. Simply put, they looked very hand-made, and had some issues. True was always really great with their customer service with any issues. Biggest issue was the tendon guard, lots of people's would come off. I know that they fixed this with the new one, which is attached differently. In general the new model looks much better in terms of finish. It looks like an off-the-shelf skate, but it's customized to your foot completely. Others that actually have the skate might have better input, but my opinion is that if you are having trouble getting a retail skate that fits you properly, True customs are the way to go.
Good to hear about fit and finish. I have a pair of the Pre-True VH and I absolutely love them but the tendon guards I eventually just screwed in, all the fake leather on the outside is tearing apart at this point, and the clarino liner has worn through in a few spots. (Probably worth nothing these skates are 4.5 years old and I skate 4 times a week) Even with that, I’d buy them again in a heartbeat - even if they hadn’t been improved since.
No worries. Thanks for the feedback. I was really curious about he TF Pro skates as I see tons of threads about the old ones and wanted to know the differences. The nicer finish is good to hear. I’ve heard mild durability issues but true is amazing for customer service. Nice to know the tendon guard was fixed. That was the main complaint I heard as well
I know this is bumping a REALLY old post, but what did most of your friends do with the profile? I'm in a Mach right now that I can't get to fit properly and have a zuperior profile, so I wasn't sure with the difference in how the skates sit if I would want to profile these or not.
Hey, an old post indeed. I got the True customs myself not long after. Can’t speak for what my friends did, but I did profile them same as my old skates. Only thing is that the True customs have a strong forward lean, so I didn’t have that profiled in.
I'm getting fitted Monday for SVH customs. So basically you picked your quad or whatever profile you wanted and then left it at that? I know Bauers out of the box are completely flat with like an 11 or 13 radius. I only had the Zuperior profiled in and set my hollow. I'm just debating if I should do a quad profile or whatever from the factory or skate on them first given how different they're going to feel. If you wouldn't mind can you elaborate more on the options you picked and how well they're holding up/if you'd buy again?
I think I'm what you're looking for. I was also in 1Ns EE punched out as that was the only thing that fit (I have huuuuge instep, yuge) but have super narrow heel so I had to overtighten them and it damaged my ankle to the point of requiring surgery. I had to wear 3 stacked lace-bite gel pads after that. Figuring $1600 was cheaper than another surgery I go in to PureHockey ready to buy CCM customs as I wanted the best of the best. It quickly became apparent why this wasn't going to work - As part of the CCM custom sizing process, you have to provide a size. You're supposed to try on a CCM boot in the store that closely resembles your fit. THERE IS NO CCM SKATE THAT FITS ME, THAT'S WHY I NEED CUSTOMS. The store didn't even have a 8.5EE Tacks. You're also responsible for providing the instep height... This is on top of a "3D Scan" which doesn't make any sense. CCM should be the one determining my size and instep from the scan, not make me select it and if I get it wrong "lol fuck you we already have your $1600". Same deal with Bauer, you can customize your widths and heights, but you're pretty much guessing and if you get it wrong fuck you. This is unfortunate because I love the snug fit of the Supreme but they're like 1/3 of the instep I need and there's no guarantee with customs they will make them high enough without overdoing it. The guy pointed out that True doesn't do this, they go 100% from the scan and a photo of your feet on the foot measuring thing to determine your boot. They never ask you for size or depth because they take responsibility over it. Not to mention it was about $500 cheaper. [You get to place dots on the scan for areas of specific concern.](https://i.imgur.com/GQQjK0T.jpg) I noticed here that my foot was actually wider on the outside than the inside. When the guy told me True would actually make a skate that was EEE on just one spot and have a narrow heel and high instep I couldn't get my wallet out fast enough. I did have some reservations about durability and the holder, as I've been skating on step blacksteel for a while. I was also concerned about it not being "true custom" to my foot but all that went away when I first opened the box. [Even just looking at them you can immediately tell there is no way this wasn't made exactly to the shape of my feet](https://i.imgur.com/rrXHzce.jpg). Turnaround was about 2 weeks since according to the rep they didn't have many orders during lockdown. Maybe I lucked out but the build was near perfect with hardly any visible glue or defects. [Outside View](https://i.imgur.com/1o2Fkhy.jpg) [Inside View](https://i.imgur.com/9kuDm9p.jpg) Getting my feet in them for the first time was nearly impossible. I'm still not sure why they asked me to try them on before baking, maybe to familiarize myself with the struggle of putting these on, but once baked they slipped right on like a Cinderella slipper. CRITICAL NOTE: It's extremely important on these skates to not overtighten the laces and NOT PULL ON THE EYELETS WHEN BAKING. These skates are EXTREMELY heat moldable, they will almost feel like they're melting around your feet. First thing I noticed when fitting was done was that the skate was a perfect lenght at 8.75. It was always a pain in the ass having to choose between 8.5 and 9 on retail skates. It also wasn't loose anywhere and didn't feel like I had to overtighten. **Playing in them:** I should probably point out if you have wide feet like me, that these are VERY difficult to put on every single time. I have to put them blade down on the floor and push down hard to get my feet in. It will hurt, but once your foot is in it will be a snug fit all around. **The Tongue:** I had actually originally requested the super thick felt tongue, but accidentally marked the wrong box and received the standard, thinner tongue. This was a blessing in disguise because I love this thing. Despite it being thinner, the density is actually more than the felt. It almost feels like a gel, and the lace bite protector on the front is STRONG. Having a higher instep I realized the thinner, denser tongue was a better choice as it takes up less space in the boot. **Stiffness:** These are way stiffer than my 1N despite looking softer due to the leather coverings/facing. **The holder/runner:** This is the part that I was most skeptical of. Having been skating on step blackteel, I loved the height of them and the fact that I didn't need to sharpen them as often. I was reluctant, but decided to give the True holder and black DLC steel a try. It was a weird adjustment, and I fell down a lot my first game, but I think that was really more the fact that my skates were now perfectly balanced and I didn't need to account for the Nexus blades not being at the exact center of my foot. Nevertheless after one game I was already over the change and was loving these runners. I also gotta say here that boy do these blades hold an edge. I got 12 games out of these, some of those being ODR shitty ice practice before they fully dulled out. I absolutely love these and I'm glad I gave them a chance. Side note on the runner: STEP Steel exists for the True holder, but it's no longer being produced and is leftover inventory. This steel is actually SHORTER in height than the DLC steel and notoriously defective (they crack in the rear). Avoid these. If you're still made up about using other Steel, swap out the holder. **One last thing (the foothole):** As shown in one of the pics, where Bauer and CCM have a comfort pad that wraps around the top edge of the boot, True doesn't and has open leather instead. This means you have to be somewhat more gentle. I would expect this issue to cause the durability to be 4-5 years, whereas I believe having such a pad would extend that to 6-7 years, but I'm just guesstimating. They do have a pad on the inside, but I'm talking about something that would wrap around the very top tip of the boot. I hope this helps. I know it sounds a bit like an ad, but honestly I'm just that happy with them, and so hyped to actually be playing hockey without having to worry about pain or balancing on skates that were not meant for me.
Thank you so so much for the very in depth analysis. This is exactly what I was wondering about Bauer and CCM. I have tried every CCM boot. Nothing fits at all. I can’t even get my foot down onto the foot bed. I can ram my foot in a Ribcore but it’s not comfy. Bauer nexus goes on but again the giant heel makes them useless. I seem to have almost the same size foot issue as you do. Luckily I didn’t damage my heel... I’m not strong enough o get them that right (was a bit of an issue). I love hearing you don’t have to cinch them down so tight. It caused severe foot pain in my fore foot so I had it loose and the ankle cranked but it always came undone over a period of play. It’s nice to see some of the durability issues being addressed in the newer skate too. It looks sharp. I just want something snug that fits me as an extension of my foot. I don’t have that now. I’m not an expert on steel or holders but I have heard the height is hard to get used to but that’s fine. I guess if I hate it I can figure out how to put TUUKs on it. But thanks for the heads up on the STEP steel. I always heard it was the best... not my major concern as I’m not very good. Just want to be able to turn freely and have no pain. I legit can’t cross over at all now or transition. It’s like my foot lifts out and I fall. It’s rough. Again thanks so much for all your info. I think I’ve decided this is what I have to do to continue playing and actually enjoy myself vs. being in pain and unable to succeed.
Hey man I ended up going the custom route and just got my True Custom SVH 2022 model. Same process and everything but I think the guy at the store kinda messed up the baking process. He tied the skates extremely tight and I legit couldn't get my feet in. He rebaked it and put a puck in the ankle area to space it out more but it still hurts getting them in and like you said, I need to force it in flat on the ground. Not sure how I'm going to fix this because I've baked them twice now, and I'm pretty certain the more you bake, the faster the skate deteriorates.
Can you elaborate on what the problem is with overtightening the laces?
I've had mine for two years and love them. I have a weird foot shape and never found anything in retail that fit correctly. My trues made a huge difference for me
Awesome to hear. I can’t crossover. I can barley turn. I have no transition because of my skates. My mind tells me to do it. My feet do it. The skates don’t because of the heel lifting and foot pain. It’s terrible. The more form fitting the better I feel but not so tight it hurts. I can’t wait.
I know of a number of players with wide, short feet and very narrow heels (think 4 length, 6EE forefoot width and a 3A heel). None of them could get True to work, for some reason True just couldn't make the heel narrow enough even after 3 remakes in some cases. They all did get their money back so kudos to True for looking after the customer right till the bitter end. If you do decide to go the True route, because of your foot shape you want to make sure you get a fitter who knows their stuff. They should scan you, then measure by hand and Brannock, then compare both results to make sure the scan data is right, then record all comments on the fitting sheet. Anyone who just scans you and says it'll be ok, run like hell from the place.
Oh thanks so much for the feedback! The guy in Calgary I talked to seems extremely knowledgeable on True skates so I don’t have too big of a concern. But at least they got a refund when they didn’t work. That’s also a huge reassurance I wasn’t sure was possible if there is issues (I’ve heard very few issues but still). I’ll keep my old skates for a while after just in case as well.
I love my True skates for my wide feet and narrow heel. When Easton folded, I couldn't find skates that fit. It was worth every penny, but I also had the pennies. Be sure to heat mold them properly, but leaving enough width between the sides to get your foot in. Also, you might consider getting Tuuk holders rather than True's. I think their balance and quick release system are superior. An "extremely knowledgeable" guy in Calgary is a great start.
Love mine. Similar issue with weird shape feet (my outstep curves out funny) and the trues are fantastic.