Choppy

Follow up on the Bauer XXX skates review I have been using them for about half a year now about 2-3 times a week for adult league games. The sides look a bit dirty and the stiches are fraying. Cosmetically the gray side areas do not look so well. These blemishes do not effect the performance of the skate at all. They still perform extremely well and have held up quite well. I would recommend them to anyone. Kudos to Bauer for finally making a skate that gives top notch performance without making me scream in pain. Once Bauer replaces the sides with better material they will have a perfect skate (though I have not used a Vector Pro yet and I heard those are pretty good).

Bauer Vapor XXX Size: 7.0 D Height: 5"11 Weight: 200 lbs Feet: Flat and wide, narrow heel, put orthotics in skate Stance: Bowlegged, very pronated Introduction: I have used CCMs, Bauer Supremes and Mission skates. I was planning on buying Graf G3's but saw the Vapor XXXs that just came in that day, tried them on, and knew I had to buy them. I have been using them since December and I have had no complaints since then. Fit: After a very short bake time the skates were heat molded to my foot and fit very well. Unlike my old Bauer Supremes 7000s ('02 model) which destroyed my feet for a month these fit quite well from the start. The liner is excellent and fits your foot comfortably and securely. (8/10) Blades and Holder: The Tuuk Lightspeed 2's are the finest blades and chassis I have ever skated on. The quality of the steel is excellent, it keeps its edge very long, and is extremely responsive. I noticed an instant improvement in my stopping, transitions, and turning. However, sometimes when I am turning hard or stopping suddenly I can almost feel the blade warping a little. I am guessing it is because of the perforated steel. (8/10) Weight: This skate weighs almost as much as a sneaker. You can barely feel them on. (10/10) Protection: I block a lot of shots with my feet and I am pretty hard on my skates. First game I wore the XXX's the defensemen on the other team decided to hack my feet with their sticks. I did not feel anything. (9/10) Durability: This was the Achille's heel of the Vapor XX. So far my Vapor XXX's have held up well and it has been obviously reinforced in key areas. The only area of concern are the sides of the skate, the grey areas. A few stitches are coming off in those areas and puck marks are clearly visible. The blemishes are purely cosmetic and have not affected the skates' performance in any way. Despite initial concerns these skates have held up quite well. I skate 4 times a week for 2 hours at a time. (8/10) Conlusion: These are undoubtedly the best performing skates I have ever worn. I noted immediate improvements in acceleration, turning, and responsiveness. The infamous epinions review was obviously way off the mark and that guy has no clue what he is talking about. From what I hear the only skate in the same league as the XXX are the Vector Pro and Supreme 8090. Overall: (9/10)