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In December (2014), after much deliberation, i bought some Alkali RPD Shift +. In the end I was very glad i held out for the 2014/2015 "plus" range of Alkalis. This is just a little review for you guys. History: Previously I was using some Mission Assassins in a size which was probably half a size too long, and too wide. I think I had been previously fobbed off as being a double E width when i was actually a D. These obviously felt great in the shop, but i found in time that the skates were to wide, and I would end up with rubbish heel lock. The other thing is disliked was that in my smaller size, the wheelbase of the hilo chassis seemed a touch too long, and the positioning felt like i had too much wheel poking out from the front. Ive been back playing hockey for a year now, and in that time just gotten used to being in my skates again, so I quickly got up to speed and learnt what i disliked about the missions I had. Getting older and wiser, I knew the right fit was the main goal for me. Having gotten back into hockey after 4-5 years off, I did my research. Alkali was a new company to me, but i quickly realized the Alkali boys were definitely not new to the roller hockey scene, seeing as many had been the original mission guys. The reviews I read across all ranges on this particular thread all echoed the same thing.. how the fit and heel lock were amazing. At this point, the RPD + range had been teased in early May/June last year so I decided to hold off buying. The wait was long, in this time i tried on other skates to get a feel for what "felt right". In the end i liked the bauer vapors and the alkali rpd range. The Vapors would have caused chronic lace bite on my instep though as my feet failed the pencil test...alkalis were the clear winners. The positioning of the chassis and the all 76mm wheel choice for my size (6.5) just felt "right" compared to the hilos. So i decided to wait for the "+" range. They arrived in December just before xmas. Great timing! The skates: When i got them I gave them a bake. My friend (the owner of the shop i bought them from), did his homework, and read up on the baking process, and watched the youtube video loads. I think he was just as excited to see how it all turned out, as these were the first alkalis he was selling. The skates came out in a shockingly malleable state. So we were quite careful (especially putting them on). He tightened them (probably could have gone tighter) and i stood there remaining as still as possible as these things cooled around my feet. During my first couple of skates I found that the skates were much stiffer then I was used to. I also found I was getting cramps and my feet were getting numb. Oh Dear! If you all remember what I said earlier...my Missions were sized wrong, and were too wide. Like an idiot I had been using the same lacing method as i had on my missions on my new alkalis (crank them as hard as i could)... I quickly realized that the alkalis fit me so well, that i didnt have to crank the laces like a gorilla! With the zero wasted space inside the boot, they are awesome to tie up quickly. I adjusted my lacing pattern and BOOM no issues!! I also found after a few skates, that they really "break in" nicely. Your feet just seemed to get sucked into the boot, and give you some of the best heel lock ever! After the break in, the skate gives a lot of lateral support from the stiffness. The tongue also feels much comfier, and you have a decent range of motion. Now that they have broken in and I am 100% comfortable in them, they feel amazing. Provided you get the right length, theres no wasted space in the boot, and they feel much lighter on your feet then they do in your hands. I know some people have a big hang up on having really light skates, but I will admit that these feel light and well balance on your feet because of the way they fit. The chassis and wheels (with the all 76mm in my size) feel great. I feel like im over the front wheels rather then behind them. I also feel i'm no longer "on stilts" and my centre of gravity feels a touch lower. I find with the forward pitch, standing starts pretty much require less effort to get started and up to speed. Its hard to quantify, but i feel like i'm a stride ahead of where i would be in my old missions. Skating backwards feels good. Especially from standing starts in a backward direction. Now, the wheels that come on the skates are pretty soft so there is plenty of mechanical grip available. But the one thing i wanted to note out to you guys is during turns, the forward pitch, makes the skate feel really balanced during turns. You feel really over your wheels-centrally rather then on your heels. Theres a good balance between agility and stability. Both being helped by the stiffness in the boot. The best compliment I can make is that they have added a new confidence in my skating. Its too early to talk about durability, but I would say for now they feel like they will hold up well. The new quarter package material on these skates feels solid and "up market"...time will tell. The chassis also feels solid. Its noticeably got a meaty thickness to it. Being an engineer, Id rather have a good wall thickness for a durable chassis, rather then a flimsy one to save weight (which is never as much of a saving as you think it will be ;) ) Ive not taken any real shots to the foot. Someone half assed a shot at me in training, hit back heel part of my right skate and i didnt feel a thing. Lastly looks... best looking skate out there in the line up. Personally I think its the best looking skate in the 2014/15 market. I am biased on that though Overall I'd be happy to recommend these to anyone. The Shift+ is a really good price point for the package you get. Its basically 95% of a "topend" skate for much less the price. A friend of mine bought some too, he loves his, and didnt even bother to bake, choosing to break them in "the old fashioned way". His favorite thing on the skates is the heel lock and the comfort edge padding. I hope this review has helped anyone sitting on the fence about getting some Alkalis. Thanks: Im also happy with the customer service i got from Justin. I emailed him a few times to confirm a few sizing queries and always got a helpful reply. JoshV on here also helped me out quite a bit with advice!

Great Review! Very detailed. I am extremely happy you are happy with your skates. Welcome to the family!

How can you not offer lifts on a "custom" skate?

I had the same issue with my Step runners. Way too much steel in the heels. I had to get the heels shaved down to make comfortable heel turns.

Don't focus on the number of goals, focus on the number of stops. Use the goals allowed to learn what you could have done better, and focus on growth. Trust me, there's at least one ice time a month where I start to contemplate how much I could get for selling my equipment.

Not nearly as serious as most posts on here... so my defense!