BadgerBruce

Both fit perfectly.

I ordered skates from the Facebook ad and the skates were delivered to my door in less than 24 hours. The gentleman selling is based in Montreal and was both honest and easy to deal with. In terms of sizing, here’s what I know: my teenager wears size 11 or 11.5 (D/standard width) Nike basketball shoes but an 8.5D Mako skate. We were fortunate in that he already had a pair of M8s that simply wore out, so sizing wasn’t an issue at all — we bought the exact same size. But in a general sense, I can’t imagine buying any new skates (Bauer, CCM, etc) without a proper fitting. For instance, prior to lucking out on the new Makos, the boy briefly wore a pair of Supreme 1S skates and they were size 7.5D. Sizing can be all over the map. Hope this helps.

I have to agree. If the youngster is still in the junior size 3-4 range, try to avoid going down the Mako road.

This is a sincere thank you to all of the posters in this thread who provided advice, leads, and admirably selfless help in aid of my quest to find a pair of Makos. Mission accomplished — the skates are being shipped right now. I’ve been involved in this great game for — gulp! — over 50 years now, and the one constant for that half century is how hockey people without fail help other hockey people when they need a hand. That’s priceless. Believe me, I will keep my eyes open for any new Mako leads ... paying it forward is a good way to live.

Oh my God! I don’t have Fscebook but my son does, so we just sent a message ..... seems they have my kid’s size in the Mako II ! If this works out, I owe you big time, Althoma1 !!

Thank you. I sent an email to the Pro Shop Manager just now. I’m also considering the CCM 70K if I can’t find Makos ....so thanks also to Stick9.

Trues are available from my local hockey shop and are certainly a consideration if I can’t find a Mako 2s or M8s. Truth be told, I’ve got a pair of super expensive Bauer 1S skates, the ones with all the bells and whistles, that the boy’s grandfather bought him. Had them profiled with a forward pitch, the kid tried them in 6 practices and despised them. “Bricks,” he called them. Anyone looking for a hot deal on a barely used pair in size 7.5 ....lol! I’m not in any way a gear head and do hate to impose here, but does anyone know if the True skates come with holders similar to the CXN on Makos? Are the built with the same assymetrical design?

My son has worn the Mako IIs for multiple seasons but last season moved to the M8s because that’s all we could find. Those M8s have taken a real beating — close to 100 Rep-level games and another 100+ practices — but they have held up remarkably well. I did change the blades to Step a few months ago (the original steel was getting low from all the sharpening) but to me that’s like putting new tires on a car. But there are a few problems. First, the one that bugs my son the most is that the rim of padding around the very top of the boot is pretty much shot — the fabric cover is worn through and the foam is cooked. Causes some uncomfortable rubbing. I’ve looked at it and can’t see how it could be viably repaired. Second, the toe caps are scuffed up pretty good from normal wear and tear but I’ve also noticed some hairline fractures that are bound to get worse. In terms of fit and performance, the kid says the M8s are the same as the IIs. He’s old enough to head down to our local hockey shop on his own and he has gone for a few re-bakes, usually just to deal with a hot spot that’s developed. Loves how easy it is to make fit adjustments. They really are extraordinarily pliable skates that respond so well to heat. My guess is that at some point very soon he will need to move into something else. But boy, where to find such an amazing fit and a nearly perfectly pitched CXN holder ......just so much intelligence went into the Makos. Everything else seems like his grandpa’s Oldsmobile.

These skates are unbelievably hard to find now in common sizes. I’ve been looking for a pair of M8s or Mako II in 8.5D for months, with no luck. If anyone comes across a viable lead, please let me know. I’m in the Niagara region of Ontario but am not opposed to buying internationally. My kid is a fairly high level midget player who has used the M8s or the Mako II for years now, but his last pair are pretty much on life support now ..... no idea what to try.

I'm not so sure it's a lack of "cool factor" with the kids so much as unbelievable difficulty for parents to even find the skates. True story: I live in the Niagara region (Canadian side) and purchased a pair of Mako IIs for my 12 year old at the most prominent LHS in the area last March. Kid fell in love with the skates and I got lucky at a 40% off "end of season sale." Flash forward to late November (black Friday) and the boy said those words we all hate: "I think my skates are too small." 12 year olds grow fast ... I started shopping for new Mako IIs. None to be found. Not even a display skate. Not at Front Row Sports, not at any Source for Sports, not at Sport Chek. I went on the Easton website and looked under the "dealer finder" and called 17 shops. Not only did they not have the skates but they had no intention of carrying them. I wrote Easton directly and the reply I got simply provided a list of dealers, the same list I'd already used to make all of those calls. Finally, I got the kid sized for mon-Mako skates at a LHS and took a flyer with online dealer Hockey Supremacy, hoping I'd gone with the right size. It all worked out -- they arrived and I took the kid to the LHS to have the skates baked/aligned/contoured. He's the only peewee kid I have EVER seen in the Niagara region who has Makos. As mentioned, he totally loves them and can't imagine wearing anything else. But they were absolute Hell to find and I totally understand why nobody else wears them.