chrisg19

I have a EEE foot, and wear the Mako 2's comfortably. Supreme EE's work for me, and so do the Nexxus, but neither is near as comfortable as my Mako's. There are going to be some on here who say no way the Mako is going to fit, but I can tell you the skate can really accommodate a lot of foot sizes. Definitely try the EE, and make sure you heat the skate properly before you make any decisions. I can't even get my foot in the boot prior to heating, but afterwards it is like they were custom made for them. I know Hockey Monkey allows a 15 day return, and Mako is still advertising their 30 day trial period, but who knows with the recent Bauer buyout.

Don't know much about the M7, but owned 2 pairs of the original Makos, and there were durability issues for me. Neither held up all that well. The Mako 2's have been rock solid for me and I've had them since the first day they went on sale. Hopefully the same can be said for the M7's regarding durability, but I'm a little hesitant to just say get the original Mako skate

Iskander you truly have no idea how much baking the skates will change their fit. It's pretty disappointing that the sales person could have you try on an unbaked pair of Makos. These skates mold like none other when heated properly. I could not even come close to putting a pair of unbaked Makos on my feet, yet properly baked, they fit better, and are more comfortable than any other skate I have ever used. You absolutely must heat them before making a judgement call on how they fit. The fact that you could even get it on your foot is a good sign. I would say as long as the length was right, you would have no trouble once the skate was properly baked.

I believe it is the end of the Mako name. If I'm correct, the mako skate will carry on albeit with a different name.

I had the same problem, and thought the same as you, that it was the carbon fiber that needed molding, when it wasn't. I spot heated the moldable area where the arch is, just as it showed in the video, even though I thought it was a waste of time, and it completely alleviated my arch pains. Watch the video do it just as they show. Worked for me.

It's not the Carbon fiber outsole that is the area that needs to be heated, but the heat moldable Quarters where the arch meets the skate. See the link to the video below at the 1:14 mark, it deals with pain in the arch. That's exactly how I did mine, and they went from excruciating to very comfy. Carbon Fibre itself does not move much, if at all when heated. http://eastonhockey.com/videos/mako-skate-fitting/

RonickFan, I am a big proponent of the Makos, but don't sweat it, you got a heck of a skate in the MX3...

As Optimus said you can spot heat that area, and eliminate any arch pain. I know, because I had to do it on my Mako 2's. Skate felt comfortable everywhere else, but the arches killed me.Couldn't skate more than 15-20 minutes without being in agony. Broke out the heat gun, and pain is now completely gone.

The only issue I have had is they added a liner to the inside of the toe cap that just made the 7.5's a little uncomfortable for my foot. The 7.5 makos were the perfect length with no liner on the cap. My Mako 2 liners were snug, but the motion of my toes and skating, pulled the liner away, and balled up certain areas in front of my toes. I plan to cut that area out to address it.

The skates do mold realy well, and I am sure you can acheive good heel lock after heat molding. Check out the video below. Watch until the end (1:27), and Easton addresses your very question. Good Luck http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRdaS3-5eMw

I love my Easton Mako skates. Honestly the best skates I have ever worn, and I can't even think of what I would do if I was forced to switch brands. With that being said, what happened to Haggertys skates happened to my first pair, almost identically. Mine were purchased on release day, and the carbon fiber of the silver heel failed just like his within the first month of use. I had them warrantied out, and at the time Easton indicated that this was a known issue with the early run of skates. My replacement pair has been rock solid, so I really didn't think much of it, until seeing this post. I would definitely follow up with Easton Warranty even if it falls outside their prescribed warranty period, I mean it can't hurt. Bummed for you, and I hope Easton makes it right. An 800 pro level skate should not break down this quickly. I will be watching mine closely going forward. Edited to add: My skates failure was not the result of a blocked shot, it just appeared one day, and I can not think of anything out of the ordinary that would have caused such a failure.

Before I write this review, you should know my journey to the Mako skates. I play C level adult league hockey, and play year round on three teams at once. I wore the Bauer One95 skates for a full year, and absolutely loved them. They were stiffer than the skates I had come from, and they just seemed like the perfect skate at the time. I tore a tendon in my ankle that was not hockey related, and after that surgery, I could no longer get the Bauers to feel comfortable. Thus began a journey of different skates that led me to the Reebok 11ks. I found the 11ks to be a great next step for me because the pump allowed me to adjust my ankle not to hurt, while the skate was not nearly as stiff as the one95, and I really enjoyed the additional range of motion the 11k seemed to provide. The 11k did not hold up for me, and I ended up splitting the quarters within a year of owning them. I had no idea where to go next. I have a wide forefoot, and high instep which limited my options, and I seriously considered dropping a few levels of skates just to get the freedom from the ultra-stiff skates that seemed to be trending at the time. On a whim I tried the MLX skates that were just released at the time, and was able to use an internet coupon that allowed me to get them for half off. At first glance I said these will never fit, and contemplated sending them back. Since you could heat them up, and still send them back I figured what the heck, and gave it a go. Boy am I glad I did, as those skates were my trusty companion for nearly three years. They gave me an unbelievably comfortable fit, with the flexibility, and range of motion I was looking for. These were the best skates I had ever owned, and I was more than a little bit nervous when it was announced that Easton had purchased the company. Was that it? Had I finally found my ultimate pair of skates only to be thwarted by a corporate takeover? When the Mako was announced, I was a preorder, and got my pair on release day. My review is below Fit/Break-in - If you have done any research on these skates, you will know that one of their main attributes is the mold-ability, and comfort that can be achieved by baking them. I have a pretty wide forefoot, a high instep, and an average to narrow ankle. The shape of the Mako skate really doesnt seem like it would fit my foot type. With the unmatched mold-ability of the Mako skate however, the skate fits very comfortably. The skate is still shallow across the instep, but the comfort of the skate is still top notch. The tongue of the skate is a fairly thick felt/composite combo, with a nice lace bite gaurd, so the depth hasn't really been an issue in terms of comfort. I would like to see a little more depth added to future skates however.. A good bake and these skates are good to go, for me there was no additional break-in. The top edge of the skate has comfort foam, but that did not stop me from getting open sores above my ankles, where the outer edge of the skates rubbed my skin raw. Some additional heating with a heat gun, and some hand shaping alleviated that problem. This is something Easton is aware of, and I am sure it will be addressed in future skates. One last item is that I went down a half size from my normal skate size for these. They fit a teeny bit more snugly than I am used to, but I like the change. As for the actual skate baking, I did that at home in my oven just as I did with the MLX before them. I followed the same instructions, and have had no adverse effects. This is not to say that you should not bake them at a shop, that should always be your first choice, however if a shop is not available to you, you might want to consider doing them yourself as I did. 9/10 ( this was a tough score to give, because they are an 11 on the comfort scale, but I had to knock a point off for the sores the top of the skate initially caused me) Performance - The idea behind these skates is a sound one in that Easton is trying to give you a skate that allows more range of motion for more explosive starts, and more maneuverability. The skates have very good lateral stiffness, and the flexible tendon guard really allows you to keep the skate flat while you lean back for turns, or point the toe for that last flick of the toe in your forward stride. This was a major part of the MLX skate design, and Easton has only furthered its effectiveness here. Having worn the gamut of the stiff, cast like boots that are so prevalent these days, this range of freedom is downright liberating. While I would never consider myself a top level technical skater, my stride, and all around skating has improved immensely from the MLX through the Mako skate. I have read those that have not tried it, call the tendon guard, and range of motion a gimmick, but it is most certainly not a gimmick, but rather an evolution of the hockey skate that every other company will most certainly copy, and call their own. As an aside, I recently borrowed a friends CCM U+ CLs for a goof around free skate, and I could not believe how restricting those skates felt coming from the Makos. When I was done with the CCM's, I mentioned to my friend that you may not notice the flexible tendon guard when wearing the Makos, but I definitely notice its absence when I go to a stiffer boot like the CCM. 10/10 Blade/Holder - Easton redesigned their holder to have a more aggressive stance, and while it is more aggressive than the MLX it was not hard to get used to. I would liken it to a CCM/Reebok pitch, maybe a hair more. They also raised the skate off the ice by an extra couple of millimeters in order to allow you to cut harder without the boot hitting the ice surface. People seem to have strong opinions regarding holders, but this one seems fine to me. Once you get used to the more aggressive stance theres not much more to say. The steel holds an edge really well, and I find myself having to sharpen them less than with other steel. 10/10 Weight- The mako is probably not the lightest skate on the market, but it is by no means heavy. Coming from the MLX it feels way lighter, but that was a pretty heavy skate. So for me I find this skate really light, but I am sure there are lighter skates out there. 9/10 Protection - I have already taken a fair number of pucks to the skates, as I have a propensity to try and step in front of shots. Truth be told I have felt quite a few of them. Just a quick little stinger with no damage to boot or body. The skate is pretty thin though so I really was not expecting much. 8.5/10 Durability - This is the great unknown with these skates. I have heard tale of Eason skates going through rivets like water, so I remove the footbeds, and hang the skates to dry every time. So far no rust evident, but I will keep an eye on it. These skates dry really quickly by the way. As I have said, I took quite a few pucks off the skates, and holders, and so far they are holding up great. I will update this down the road, but for now I am very satisfied with their durability. UPDATE - 11/11/13 Although I remove the footbeds, and hang the skates to dry after every single skate, I needed to replace a total of 7 rivets on the front towers of my Makos. (Right skate 4, Left skate 3). I check my skates after every skate, and noticed the loose ones by tapping on them with a finger. Not a huge deal, and the skates are holding up very well considering I am on the ice 4-5 times a week. Just keep an eye on those rivets. 9/10 Conclusion - What can I say I am a huge supporter of what Dave Cruickshank has done with these skates, and could not imagine having to go back to a regular skate for whatever reason. From personal experience I know I am a better skater because of these skates, and that is enough to make me a very big fan. It seems that people dont always adapt to change easily, and the hockey community seems to be even more stubborn than most in my opinion. It may take some time, but I believe these skates will convert a lot of players over into the Easton camp, and that other companies will be modifying their lines to adapt the best parts of the Easton skates. Obviously this is just my opinion, but I have not found many who gave the skate a true test, and did not walk away very impressed. Easton if you are listening, fix the top of the skates to alleviate the ankle sores (I am not the only one), and add some depth to the skate. They fit awesome now, but I have to believe the shallow look scares some off, and many people fail the pencil test miserably with the current cut.

Yes you need to heat, and roll the upper edges outward. I had the same exact problem. Until my sores healed, I purchased the bunga pads for the ankle, and wore them. Worked like a charm. Good luck...

Thanks a lot for the replies to adjust that hot spot. I really appreciate the imput and will give it a try.

Has anyone been able to solve this? I am getting it in both ankles, and it is the only drawback I have with the skate. If you were able to solve it, can you please explain how, as I am not having success. Did you heat it, and just roll that whole area outward or what? Thanks for any help

There seems to be some confusion with the baking in this thread, namely when it comes to "each side". When the MLX skates came out there were instructions posted on you tube how to properly bake them in a home oven. In that video, users were instructed to bake both skates for 8 minutes, then flip each skate over ( hence the each side comment), and then bake for an additional 8 minutes. So when Krev says 8 minutes each side, he is not referring to right or left skate, but rather both sides of a single skate. Now whether the optimal is 10 or 16 minutes, I am not sure, but I baked mine just as I did my MLX before, in a home oven at 200 degrees, 8 minutes each side. The molding went flawlessly. For those of you interested in the Mako skates, you should really check out MLX's YouTube page. Many of the Makos skates attributes are extremely similar to the MLX, and there is good info, just sitting there. Besides the heating question I addressed in this page, there was a section on properly tieing these skates, and the fact that you don't need to crank them down like traditional skates. There is also a good video that shows you how to spot heat an area of the skate, etc. lots of good info there.

I have been a user of the MLX skates for a number of years, which were the predecessor of the Makos. One thing I have learned, is that because these skates mold so well to your foot, you do not need to crank them down like other skates. They should be snug, but you do not have to crank down on them. Tell your son to try skating with them snuggged down, but not over tightened. I would do the same as him in the past, and then once I learned that you just had to snug them down, all was right with them. Give that a shot before changing insoles or anything else. I too have volume issues with the skate, but have never experienced lace bite. Good luck

Not what I meant. In comparison to the MLX skates these appear less protective to me. The MLX skates were like tanks, and I took many hard shots off of them, and did not feel a thing. For those who have worn the MLX skates, they know that one of the benefits, whether intended or not was "protection" for those times you take one off the skates. So in comparison to those skates, they appear less protective. In comparison to what I have seen of the other brands skates, they seem about the same. My comparison was to the MLX skates only.

The Mako is definitely a step forward from the MLX. It is an evolution of the MLX skate and you can clearly see its design heritage in the Mako. The mako skate is a more refined, and more finished product. It is however, clearly the next step in the MLX skate design. If you liked the MLX, you will love the Mako.

Got the Makos yesterday. Baked them in the home oven, just as I did with MLX's, and they formed perfectly. As everyone has said they are super comfortable once baked, and it amazes me how much they adjust to your foot shape when heated. Coming from MLX skates, I already knew they were going to be comfortable, but they don't seem as solid as the MLX's were. They appear to have more give, and less "thickness" in the sidewall of the Quarters. Less material makes for lighter weight, but I wonder about protection, and longevity. Time will tell. The skates are so much "cleaner" than the MLX's were. They just have a much more finished look about them. I have to believe this is where Crucshank (sp?) always wanted the skate to be, and the merger with Easton allowed him to get there. The skate looks much better in person than in photos. Overall very excited, now to get them sharpened and onto the ice....

Not sure if this was the case for you, or others, but I read this on the MLX site... How do I get the best fit after baking the skates? When putting your MLX Skates on, because the skate will mold in the ankle area better than any other skate, there is no need to “bang” the heel of the skate down to lock the heel/ankle into place. Doing so may result in premature breakdown of the carbon fiber in the ankle area

I'm sure you're right JR. Just wonder how similar the two really are.

Zach, I strongly suspect these can be baked in your home oven just the way the MLX's could. There is a video on YouTube that shows how to bake those. You could look it up it is something like " how to bake MLX skates". I wish someone from Easton would comment, but the video method worked great with the MLX's. You could even skate on them within an hour.

From all looks of these skates, they are upgraded MLX's. With that being said, you had to bake those skates to get a "proper" fit. That was kind of the point, heat them for 8 minutes a side (16 minutes total) and they would mold unlike any other hockey skate made. I guess they could "fit" out of the box, but the whole benefit was to heat them, and mold them like speed skaters do. I was surprised to see in that video posted by the english kid, that he was not going to bake them. That kind of defeats the whole purpose.Easton is doing itself a disservice if they don't stress the need to heat these. (this of course assumes they share the same MLX heritage of moldability) When I first got my MLX's, they fit horribly out of the box. Not a chance I could skate more than a few minutes on them the way they were. Way too tight for that. Heated one time, and they were the best fitting skates I have ever owned. I'm not going to imbed the videos here, but check out the videos of the old MLX skates on youtube. These things are meant to be heated.

I am not trying to further any hype, I will just give you my experience with my MLX's. With those, you heated them in a standard oven for 16 minutes. They came out soft, and pliable. Not like a CCM, or Bauer skate that moves a little when heated, but really soft and flexible.You put them on, and when they cool they are identical to your foot shape.Every imperfection in your foot is molded into the skate. As such I don't think there is a set "type" the boot is made for, since the molding will accomodate a lot of shapes. Where they may have a problem is depth, and instep height. The one common theme with MLX users was "it was the most comfortable skate", or "they felt like slippers". I think that is because it conforms to your foot, not your foot conforming to the boot. I am not sure everyone will love the skate, but for me the MLX was the best skate I ever owned, by a long ways...