I received my VH skates with CXN holders and ES4 steel Monday afternoon, I wasn't able to get my foot in them until after baking. I raced over to the rink, and had them baked and sharpened. I skated a pickup that evening. Even with the CXN holders and same steel, they don't feel like Mako I at all. I felt awkward at first, and my stride is definitely different in these. But they are so impossibly comfortable. Just, wow, amazing comfort. My left inside ankle is almost twice the size as the one on my right foot (took a bad slap shot off it 3 or 4 months ago), and it always bothered me in the Mako I. Since the injury I could never tighten my left skate too tight or it was murder, but with these skates, I can see where Scott pushed it out a little, they just feel like pillows on my ankle. The foam padding inside these is just so much better than the Mako I, and not as stiff as the CCM U+12 which actually hurt me a little. Putting these skates on is a little difficult, but not much, just a little pinch or scrape in the mid foot, but once your foot is in they're golden. I had zero pain after the first pickup. Tuesday night i played in them in another pickup, we only had a couple subs on the bench, so it was a lot of skating, and again NO discomfort whatsoever. I'm also starting to adapt to them, turning is fine, i feel more agile on them, but my stride just feels a little off rushing up the ice. I'm so excited about them I'm playing a 4th night in a row tomorrow (3rd skate on these) The flexible tendon guards are a little stiff like has already been mentioned, and the insoles are a little spongy. But I'm leaving them for now until i've skated on these a little longer. I'm also sticking with the regular laces, I usually instantly switch out to wax, but with these skates it doesn't feel necessary yet. Overall i'm thrilled with these skates so far. The current slight dip in speed is made up for in the comfort level, and I'm def. gonna start playing the back to back pickups on Mondays and Fridays again like I used to. I stopped doing that after I hurt my ankle because it would be too painful halfway through the second game.