If your child is a hockey player, you will naturally want only the best junior hockey skates possible.
But, what does that mean? Hockey skates are not something that can just be tried on and decided on quickly. The right research must be conducted first.
What do you look for to find the best junior hockey skates? You will need to look at the brand, how the skates will fit, and whether the skates will work with your child.
There are many choices out there, which can make it overwhelming, but can also mean that you will get only the best for your child
Getting the right fit of skates can make or break a player. You should make sure that the junior skates will fit not just your child’s feet, but also your child’s playing style. Don’t worry; we are here to help you find the perfect pair to meet the needs of the hockey player in your life.
Junior Hockey Skates Sizing
Getting the sizing right on hockey skates can be the difference between winning and losing a game. Skaters need to have good control over their feet, which means the skates need to be sized correctly.
Junior skates are made to fit children between the ages of 7 and 13 years old. This means the players will naturally have feet that will still be growing. You do not want to buy oversized hockey skates, however, as they can cause young players more harm than good.
A pair of skates that fits well will not allow the feet to slide around within the skates. The heel needs to be in place and while some room in the toe box is a must, you do not want to have too much.
To figure out if your kid has the right size, you can have your child stand on a piece of paper, barefoot, and trace around the foot. Then you can measure the tracing and compare it to the size chart for the skates you are considering.
Normally, hockey skates are one to two sizes down from standard street shoes, but this can really vary depending on the brand of skates.
5 Best Junior Hockey Skates 2019
Brand | Skill Level | Weight | Rating | Check Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Bauer Supreme 2S Editor's Choice | Intermediate/ | 625 grams | 100% | |
2. Bauer Vapor 2X High Performance | Advanced | 638 grams | 99% | |
3. CCM Tacks 9080 Budget Friendly | Intermediate/ | 675 grams | 96% | |
4. Bauer Nexus N2900 For Wide Feet | Intermediate/ | 682 grams | 97% | |
5. CCM JetSpeed FT2 | Advanced | 627 grams | 98% |
1. Bauer Supreme 2S Ice Hockey Skates
Best Junior Hockey Skates (Editor's Choice)
Our choice for the best junior ice hockey skates is the Bauer Supreme 2S. These skates are perfect for younger players who play all year long. They are made for players who are more advanced and competitive, and not a good choice for the less experienced.
Design
The Supreme 2S skates are made with a 3D Curvcomposite boot that makes them lightweight and comfortable to wear. They are a more traditional design, but that does not mean that they have any less of the modern tech you would hope to get from new skates.
The skates are also thermoformable, so they can be baked to get a more customized fit, instead of waiting to break them in the more traditional method. They have a sleek, black exterior and do not come up too high on the leg.
Features
The features of the 2S skates include the Tuuk Lightspeed Edge holder that will allow for trigger-quick blade replacement. The Tuuk stainless steel runners are extremely durable and give off a great bite into the ice.
The material of the lining includes Lock-Fit technology. This will help the durability, comfort, and the grip of the liner as well as the footbed. The footbed has a stable fit, which is needed for skaters who are more aggressive and play harder.
2. Bauer Vapor 2X Pro Junior Hockey Skates
High Performance
If you are looking for a higher performance skate, the best junior skates are the Bauer Vapor 2X Pro. These skates are really only for the most competitive and elite players out there; skaters will be on the ice at least 4 to 5 times a week.
Design
The design of the Vapor 2X Pro includes a low profile, which will help give players a more enhanced fit. The design is stiff when compared to other junior skates, which is really why they only work for skaters who already have a strong sense of their form.
Otherwise, the design looks pretty cool, with an exterior boot that is black, silver, and red.
Features
One of the best features that is included with the Vapor 2X Pro is the DYNAFLEX system. This is a boot system that is exclusive to Bauer skates and is used in order to provide the best level of performance possible. Part of this is from the asymmetrical toe cap, reducing the overall volume of the skate. Often, junior skates have too much volume, so this makes for a better fit.
Additionally, these skates have Aero Foam Pro padding, which is a type of memory foam that wraps around the foot and ankle to give a personalized fit.
3. CCM Tacks 9080 Junior Hockey Skates
Budget Friendly
If you are more in the market for a budget friendly pair of junior hockey skates, we suggest the CCM Tacks 9080. These are skates that still offer the Bauer level of quality while not costing an arm and a leg.
Design
The CCM Tacks 9080 skates are a comfortable pair of skates, mostly due to the contour pads and the anatomical response footbed. These help keep feet comfortable, by reducing the amount of excess space that is within the boot, preventing blisters and giving more support.
The design also includes SpeedRib technology, which is unique to CCM. This includes triangular shapes that help you move, while still providing you with stiffness and stability, helping to increase the amount of power a skater can get from them on the ice.
Features
The features of the Tacks 9080 include the Total-Dri dual-zone liner. This is in place in order to keep feet as dry as possible by wicking the water away. The tongue on the boot is a 10mm double-stitched felt tongue, protecting against lace bite.
Finally, one of the best features of the Tack 9080 skates is that they are thermoformable. This means they can be baked in order to give a completely custom fit and eliminating breaking in time. You might find that the young skater in your life is appreciative of this perk.
4. Bauer Nexus N2900 Junior Hockey Skates
For Wide Feet
Just like with adults, some junior skaters naturally have wider feet, which will be squished by most skates out there. If you are looking for a pair that will work with wide feet, we recommend the Bauer Nexus N2900.
Design
The design of the N2900 is pretty standard. They are all-black skates with a low profile. The design also includes a 48 oz, 2-piece black felt tongue. This will add an extra element of protection against lace bite.
The design also includes a wider toe box, which gives extra room for wider feet, helping prevent toes from being squished at the end of the boot. They are high volume as well, which works not just for those with broad feet, but also those with a high arch or a deep heel.
Features
The N2900 features the Tuuk Lightspeed Edge holder which has a quick release trigger. It also comes with the Tuuk LS1 stainless steel runner, which help to increase the height of the skater while offering a high level of durability.
These skates also are rigid and include a high level of torsional resistance, making them a great choice for intermediate or advanced skaters. They have an excellent level of power that can really be used for more competitive skaters.
5. CCM Jetspeed FT2 Junior Skates
The last pair of junior hockey skates that we will take a look at is the CCM Jetspeed FT2. These are a great choice for highly competitive players who skate at least 4 times a week if not more often.
Design
The design on these skates includes a spring-lock system that is a mechanism that will secure the blade tightly to the holder, but also allows to a quick release. This is through the Speedblade system that is offered by CCM.
The design of these skates also means that there is a 12% increase in height when compared to other hockey skates out there. This can give skaters just enough of an edge to outskate the competition.
Features
The Jetspeed FT2 skates have a lot of comfortable features to make skating easier on younger skaters. These features include a TotalDri Pro+ linter, which is in place to wick any moisture away from the foot, keeping them as dry as possible. There is also an OrthoMove footbed which will increase not the just the comfort of the boots, but also increases the amount of support that they provide.
The tongue of the skates is metatomic, which includes molded lace bite protection while still giving an asymmetrical flex point for an overall better wrap.
Final Words
When it comes down to it, the best junior hockey skates that you can get are the Bauer Supreme 2S. We like these skates because they have enough stiffness to work well with the more elite skaters, but are not so stiff that the players would not be able to master new skills that might be given to them. T
he Supreme 2S skates also have the Tuuk system in place, which makes for an easy release on the blades as well as giving an added layer of strength to the player.
Otherwise, if you are looking for more competitive junior skates, you cannot do better than the high performance Bauer Vapor 2X skates. These are made for the skaters that are on the ice nearly every day, mastering form and technique.
Ultimately, you will need to make sure that the skates not only fit well, but have the right features to meet the needs of the individual skater.