Thanks, BSB. I ultimately went back to the RBKs.. Bought a 12K instead of going with the Makos. I think for me, my feet, and sans-marketing & hype, staying with the similar model RBK made the most sense.. The 2 biggest reasons I wanted to try the Mako was the "fits like a shoe/almost no break-in" marketing, but I picked up a 12K for $200, and even though I'll likely have to bake them 2-3 times and be irritated with the stiffness until they loosen up, at least I know the pitch & eventual feel will not require a transition. I know me, and I'd probably have skated warmups in the Makos and went right back to my old ones, tossing them in my garage with my other "doesn't feel right" stuff and wasting another chunk of cash. *grin*