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sourfe

Easton Mako vs Eq4

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I had a pair of EQ4 a few years back after my really old ones broke down and I was blown away
with the perfomance, so stiff and responsive. I had no clue about what do buy and I ended
up in a 8D wich is to narrow for me and together with my inner ankle bones the skates
was hurting as hell. I'm now in a mid range Nexus 7E which is painfree but a bit lose in
the heel and really sloppy to skate in. 

Now I have the opportunity to buy a barely used (3 times) Mako 1 8EE for less than $200 but
I'm not able to try them before I buy and I'am a bit concerned about the fit even if I 
have read that it could match my foot, (very wide midfoot, normal to narrow heel and normal
arch). My ankle bones also are also prodtruding more than average I think, and one of the 
ankle bones was touching an eyelet in the EQ4. I really like the extended inner side of the Vapor 1x
 but they are to narrow for me.

I think the higher heel in the CXN holder fit me very well due to my lower legs are shorter
than normal relative to my upper legs which bring my knee very far forward when squatting
and skating. 

True or similar custom skates would of course be nice. I'am not an active player anymore and this would
probably be last skates I will buy.

Will my feet fit in the Mako?

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Howdy,

I can't tell you if your feet will fit in a Mako, but I can tell you that I currently skate in Mako M8 7.5D's and that my foot, according to the Bauer scanner, wants a 7.5EE Supreme.  I think, kinda like you say, that I have a relatively wide forefoot with a normal-ish heel.

A fail the pencil test in the Mako, but the comfort has always been there.  I think the extreme heat moldability plus the metatarsal guard on the tongue have kept my feet fairly happy in them.

YMMV.

Mark 

Edited by marka

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No way to know. The Mako is also completely different from the EQ series. Not even close to the same fit. That said, if they fit you in length you might be okay because of how moldable Makos are. For $200 I'd go for it. If they don't work you can get most of your money back selling here or on eBay. 

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I have a very wide forefoot and an average heel and the 8EE Mako skates fit me very well. In a Nexus, a 7.5D is right for the length and the width is OK for my forefoot, but I have heel lift (just based on trying them on and walking around a bit). If you're a 7 in a Nexus then I think a 7.5EE would be better for you lengthwise than an 8. Easton also changed their sizing after the EQ line; most people had to drop down a half size from the EQ to the RS or Mako line. So this would again suggest you would probably be best with a 7.5EE Mako.

The Makos are hard to get your foot in before baking when you have the proper size. They're VERY responsive to heat though. As someone who owns the original Makos, Mako II's and M7's I'd say that the OG's are the least durable. The padding can compress and I had one pair where they split where the composite lower meets the upper (just above the plastic line) - this was after 2 years of heavy and hard use, but I wouldn't count on original Makos being your last pair of skates. My Mako II's have held up much better (jury is out on the M7 as I just converted them to roller and have only worn them once). So in an ideal world I'd recommend grabbing the Mako II, M8 or M7 instead of the original Mako.

With that said, it's hard to find Makos in new or like new condition in common sizes now. Just be aware that the 8EE may be a half size too long for you and the OG Makos are unlikely to be your last skates unless you're very easy on your skates or skate very infrequently. 

Edited by althoma1

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Honestly if they are like new you could buy them, try them on and if you think they’ll work, bake um. If they don’t fit resell them on sideline swap for the same price or even more. I know I’d buy them if I wore size 8.

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1 hour ago, Novotnoa said:

Honestly if they are like new you could buy them, try them on and if you think they’ll work, bake um. If they don’t fit resell them on sideline swap for the same price or even more. I know I’d buy them if I wore size 8.

Well, you have to bake them to know if they’ll work. But otherwise I agree.

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I wouldn't touch OG Makos for anything >$100.  Every single person I know that wore them had the boot shred in the heel area.  One of those people is a 120 lb. female beer leaguer.  They all loved the fit and performance, but durability sucked.  I do know one person wearing Mako II that loves them and said they have held up very well.  That guy is +200 lbs.

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I'm 200lbs + and have had three pairs of OG Makos. The first roller conversion is completely soft in the upper portion and the padding is compressed - although that was after wearing them for at least 2 years of year round reffing and playing inline hockey. The second roller conversion just seperated above the black plastic piece where the texalium portion meets the moldable upper - that pair saw about a year and a half of year round playing and reffing. The third pair is still very useable after about 3 years of playing once a week and one season of reffing - it's a little softer, but still has support and there's no cracking or splitting yet - there was one liner hole I had to patch though. So yes, I'd say there are definite durability issues, but you can get a year or two out of the OG Makos; I'd prefer to pay under $100 as well for the originals, but under $150 is worth consideration considering it's really hard to find the Mako II, M8 or M7 in new or like new condition in common sizes now.

The Mako II's do seem more durable. I used a pair of those to ref year round for 2 full seasons and the padding didn't compress and they stayed stiff. There was a bit of liner wear though. It seems like roller puts more stress on the Makos than ice, but also that the OG is the least durable of all the Mako models. I'd look for a pair of Mako II's, then M8 then M7. I'd settle for an OG Mako only if they were cheap and I'd continue looking for the other models in my size as I wouldn't count on the originals lasting more than 2 or 3 years. 

Edited by althoma1

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I've never tried the EQ line, but I'm pretty sure those and Makos are fundamentally different skates.  I don't know anyone who described Makos as "stiff," which is one of the adjectives you used to praise the EQ4s. Makos are certainly stiff in some areas, but noticably softer in others. They had an absolutely different fit and feel than other retail skates.

If you want to try them, go for it. Like others have said, you can probably sell them for what you paid. But, don't use "I liked X Easton skates so I'll like Y Easton skates." Any of the more "traditional" skates from Bauer or CCM are probably going to fit and feel more like your EQ4s. 

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Thanks for all replies and advice!!

I ended up buying the skates. Despite not being used much the right skate have a crack in the outsole around the little toe.

The skate fit me really well without baking so I decided to keep them, maybe a bit roomy in the heel but that should be fixable. I talked to the seller and he was not aware about the damage. His brother which play in SHL had used them a few years back. He transfered back most of the money while on the phone and I ended up paying around $50 which should cover the holder, steel and laces:).

If I like the feel on the ice I will try to repair them before anymore damage is done. I know I guy that is really good with fiber composites and if possible add a thin layer of carbon on  the outsole and up on the quarter package, that should not add to much weight. The Texalium part is not very well done I think.

Is this common areas where they usually fell apart?

This has suddenly became a hobby project!!

mako.jpg

Edited by sourfe
Image

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$50 is reasonable for the holder and steel. The crack certainly looks like the first sign of death of those skates - I would've suggested 2 part epoxy and some fiber glass mix (or maybe some epoxy over some fiber glass drywall tape?) to try to get some more life out of them, but if you know a guy who is really good with fiber composites then taking them to him is a good idea.

The most common problem I saw online with the OG Makos was the silver heel cracking/splitting. My issue has been the upper splitting from the lower near the back (just above the black plastic strip). I have seen a few pictures of your issue though; so it's one of the areas people had issues.

Does the 8EE fit so your toes brush the caps when they're fully laced up or is there a little room at the end? Based on the size of your other skates, I would think there'd be a bit of room in the 8EE and you'd ideally want 7.5EE in the Mako line.

With that said, the Makos fit close to your foot and with a good bake you should be able to get them to wrap well enough that they won't feel too sloppy in a half size bigger. Although, I'd take note of just how much room you have in them  (unlace them, push your foot all the way forward and then put a standard pen behind your heel. If the pen doesn't want to go down then the length is great, if it does down easily then you might be a half size bigger than ideal and if you can move it back and forth then they're at least a size long) and if you know you have a bit of room you can note that and keep an eye out for some 7.5EE's. If they fit perfectly then you can look for 8EE in one of the more durable models (Mako II, M8 or M7) - neither will be easy to find now, but having one pair will help you confirm sizing. 

You should be able to tighten the heels a bit when baking (I did this with mine; you can use C-clamps if necessary, but sometimes just pinching with your fingers is all you need). 

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On 9/6/2018 at 12:01 PM, althoma1 said:

$50 is reasonable for the holder and steel. The crack certainly looks like the first sign of death of those skates - I would've suggested 2 part epoxy and some fiber glass mix (or maybe some epoxy over some fiber glass drywall tape?) to try to get some more life out of them, but if you know a guy who is really good with fiber composites then taking them to him is a good idea.

The most common problem I saw online with the OG Makos was the silver heel cracking/splitting. My issue has been the upper splitting from the lower near the back (just above the black plastic strip). I have seen a few pictures of your issue though; so it's one of the areas people had issues.

Does the 8EE fit so your toes brush the caps when they're fully laced up or is there a little room at the end? Based on the size of your other skates, I would think there'd be a bit of room in the 8EE and you'd ideally want 7.5EE in the Mako line.

With that said, the Makos fit close to your foot and with a good bake you should be able to get them to wrap well enough that they won't feel too sloppy in a half size bigger. Although, I'd take note of just how much room you have in them  (unlace them, push your foot all the way forward and then put a standard pen behind your heel. If the pen doesn't want to go down then the length is great, if it does down easily then you might be a half size bigger than ideal and if you can move it back and forth then they're at least a size long) and if you know you have a bit of room you can note that and keep an eye out for some 7.5EE's. If they fit perfectly then you can look for 8EE in one of the more durable models (Mako II, M8 or M7) - neither will be easy to find now, but having one pair will help you confirm sizing. 

You should be able to tighten the heels a bit when baking (I did this with mine; you can use C-clamps if necessary, but sometimes just pinching with your fingers is all you need). 

My thoughts as well, along with the comment that they fit without baking.  The first couple pairs of Makos I had I couldn't get my foot into them without baking.  Granted, if they had already been baked and worn by somebody else, that might be a different story.  That being said, because the Makos are so malleable, with a bit of elbow grease, he can probably get them to fit well.  I believe the original MLXs only came in full sizes and for half size customers, they would just send the insert that would fill the toe. 

Anyway, even if they don't last very long, it was $50 and he'll probably have the most comfortable skates he's ever worn for as long as they hold up. 

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