shoe2010

Have you tried Machs in Fit 1? I hear that Shadows have a different fit, so I can't speak to those. I've always struggled with heel lock, and the boots that came closest to providing it caused pain elsewhere. I skated Mako/Mako II for many years. They mangled my big toes, but at least they kept my heel in place. Every year, I'd try another retail skate or two, but they either didn't support my foot or crushed my arch or toes. Even True botched customs for me in 2015 and 2021. This year, I tried Hyperlite 2s Fit 1, but the arch pain was excruciating. On a whim, I bought a pair of demo'ed Machs in Fit 1. I didn't bother baking them before I skated, just put in some Powerfoot inserts I had laying around and the Speedplate 2s from my Makos. Against all odds, they felt great and supported every part of my foot. I'm not going to bake them or even rebake the Speedplates. I've skated in them for maybe 20 hours at this point, and no issues. If I really crank the laces over the arch, it hurts, but I don't need to tie them very tightly. Hope you can one day find something that works. It's not a fun journey.

Same. I've had them for 5(?) years and they've reduced my foot impact injuries from "frequent" to "never". The fenders aren't directly attached, so they don't affect the skate's flex characteristics, and I honestly never even notice they're on my feet. I also skate in Makos (M8s), so I definitely have felt OP's pain.

@SolarWind - Purely out of curiously, could you please post a photo of the wrap you're experiencing? Did you follow the heating instructions exactly? My main skates are M8s, which are ludicrously malleable, so I'm interested to see how malleable a CCM can be. @PBH - Is there anything one should be aware of when using the plastic wrap technique with non-True skates? For instance, is it a risk to over-condense the ankle padding if one wraps too tightly, resulting in too much space when the shell opens up a touch after cooling? Anything else to be aware of? I went straight from Grafs to Makos, with a pit stop in Trues, so my understanding of what baking does to modern, mass-market skates is limited. Thanks for any insight. I have some 100Ks coming and am hopeful I can get a normal retail skate to fit and flex to match my skating style. My experience with custom wasn't great, nor were some trials in Vapors, so I'm hopeful the approach that CCM is taking with Ribcor will be an option going forward. These M8s are near death.