Mission Axiom T8

[voxyledbetter 9]

Mission Axiom T8

8.5 D

Background - 5'10", 150lbs, Skating one to two nights a week for 6 months now of use in adult leagues. Skate as a D man. Previously I have always skated in ice to inline conversions. My last set up was a set of Bauer Vapor 10 boots put on the TUUK rocker chassis. They worked well until I developed a bunion on my left and was in pain every time I had the skates on. Usually wear a size 10 to 10.5 shoe depending on manufacture.

Fit - This was my biggest issue when looking for new skates. I wanted something a little wider at the forefoot without losing the heel lock that was used to in more narrow boots. I selected these because Missions are now supposed to be true to the Bauer Supreme fit. My heels lock in well, and there is enough room in the forefoot to keep me pain free while skating. These skates are a higher volume skate .... which has been an issue for me. They have a thick felt tongue but I have had pain at the edge of my ankles where I tie the laces. I have put in superfeet yellow and G Form lace bite gel pads, and have tried tying my skates different ways to find a comfortable solution which has now helped a lot. (7/10)

Chassis/ Wheels/ Bearings - These are my first set of Hi Lo skates. The chassis took a little bit of skating to get used to and the only issued I experience was crossing over forwards to backwards. Turning and stopping have been good.

The rink rat wheels have been nice and grippy and have held up good.

I replaced the bearings with Bones Swiss that I already owned, so I cant comment on the Mission Swiss. (9/10)

Weight/ Protection - These skates feel fairly light and on par with other skates in the market place that I was looking at.

As far as protection goes theses skates are really stiff but I have still felt a number of slap shots through them. I block shots on a regular basis and I took one off the heel that left me bruised and walking with a limp. (7/10)

Durability- The boots still look brand new and seem like they will hold up for a long time. The sublimated logos and designs hold up to abuse. On the other hand the chassis are already showing some serious signs of wear. There are spots that look like they were shaved off. But since I play D and take some shots off of them, they take some abuse. (8/10)

Intangibles - I think theses skates look great. The tongues are long so you can flop if you like that look. The logos offer some flash without having to wear white skates. And the yellow trim adds a nice touch. (10/10)

Conclusion - I like these skates a lot, but ultimately I don't think they are the right fit for my foot. The are very good skate package for the money. The next set I look at will probably be Alkali or back to a Bauer Vapor since the toe caps are wider then the originals. Overall (8/10)

Edited March 1, 2012 by voxyledbetter