Mission Ice and Roller Hockey Skates
Mission is a manufacturer of hockey equipment for both ice hockey and roller hockey equipment, including a variety of ice and roller hockey skates. Their products are built to withstand the rigors and torque of ice hockey, and the equipment is known for its durability and reliability. Their skates vary in material, padding levels, boot type and design.
What are the different parts of hockey skates?Hockey skates are constructed with three main components. The style, construction, and materials used for these components vary among the different manufacturers. The three components are the following:
- Boot: This piece has evolved with technology and materials to increase flexibility and decrease weight while maintaining padding and rigidity for protection. The different parts of this component include the quarter package, ankle padding, heel support, tongue, outsole, footbed, and liner.
- Holder: This piece, constructed of plastic, holds the runner.
- Runner: Made of steel, the runner is the blade on which you ice skate. Beginner models often have an all-in-one runner and holder combination construction, while competitive models have two-piece runner and holder construction to allow for replacement of a worn down or a broken runner.
To ensure a secure and comfortable fit for your Mission hockey skates, measure the width of your feet at the heel, instep, and toe box. A standard width size in hockey skates is labeled as a D or an R width. Wider width sizes are labeled E, EE, or W. Both the standard size widths and the wide width size labels are used interchangeably. There is also a narrow width boot size, noted by the letter C. Once you have determined the proper width for your hockey skates, use your shoe size in tennis shoes as a starting point for determining the proper sizing. Hockey skates and roller skates both use street shoe sizing. Hockey skates should generally fit slightly tighter than street shoes might.
Is there a difference between competitive and recreational hockey skates?Competitive ice and inline hockey players require ice skates or inline skates that meet the demands of their sport, and as such, competitive hockey skates differ from recreational skates in several key ways.
- Materials: To create lightweight ice skates that offer the necessary flexibility and speed, composites are used in the quarter package and outsole of competitive ice skates.
- Padding: Given the higher rate of collision and risk of injury, competitive ice skates offer greater ankle padding that can be customized to the user. These products also can include certain functionalities, such as an inflatable boot, to provide extra comfort and stability.
Mission hockey skates that offer a removable holder can be converted to inline skates. Once the holder is removed and the boot is detached from the rest of the skate, a chassis for inline wheels can be attached in place of the holder. Inline wheels can then be installed on the chassis.