skates73

Anyone try the new Hyperlite 2s yet? How do they compare with the originals? Significant improvement?

I've been a Supreme guy for a long time (I really liked the MX3s and 1S skates). I've skated on the Machs for some time (not ultrasonics but I assume they're similar) and went to Hyperlites. The fit is definitely different. I feel the supremes conform more to my feet but the Hyperlites were decently tight around the heel. I've discovered that the Hyperlite tongues need to get "broken in" in order to give a nice tight stable fit for me. In the beginning the tongue was pretty stiff and did not "press down" firmly enough on the top of my feet to really lock the foot in the boot. After some time thought it soften and moulded better to the foot and locked me in decently well. They always talk about how Vapors have a "shallower" heel pocket and it definitely took me some time to realize that was one of the differences I was feeling. Imo, I think the shallower heel pocket gives a bit less stability and control compared to Supremes. Putting in superfeet makes the heel pocket too shallow for me so I use stock insoles for the Hyperlites. I do like the outsole for the Hyperlites. It's definitely softer and more forgiving than the Machs. I can definitely feel the outsole heel flex of the Hyperlites and it does give better edging/grip and in turn edge work and some agility. It does help accelerate/ snap you out of tight turns well. I think the Hyperlites might take a bit longer to break in than Machs/Ultrasonics. It's stiffer in the upper part of the boot so the forward flex of the ankle will take longer to "break in". At first I did not like the weird stiff tongue of the Hyperlites but after a while I've decided they're not bad after some breaking in. They're ok but still doesn't feel as natural to me as Supreme skates and I'm guessing it has to do with heel pocket depth and maybe the angle of the eyelets.

Looks like he has the unibody powerwrap outsole instead of the old regular composite outsole in the 2S Pro. In my opinion it's a big difference. That unibody power wrap outsole is way stiffer.

I've also been on a skate journey for the last few months and I also loved the MX3s. They were extremely light, great heel lock, had nice boot stiffness and decent outsole stiffness and I loved the injection lacing eyelets. It was literally like wearing a pair of sneakers on the ice they were so light, sleek and unbulky. They only thing was they were not too durable as far as holding it's boot and outsole stiffness. In the last while I've tried the Supreme Machs, Vapor 3X Pros and Hyperlites. The Machs didn't quite fit the same for me in either fit 1 or 2 and I have a feeling the traditional eyelets they went back to made the skate snug up (or lack thereof) differently and less locked in for the duration of a skate/game. They were super easy to skate on right off the bat though. It felt like the supreme boot for the most part other than nagging lack of great snugness of fit. I was able to be 90% right away with them and maybe even felt faster with the incredibly stiff uniwrap outsole. However that same outsole felt a bit too stiff for ease of smaller area skating, agility, quickness. That and the fit was a deal breaker for me so I got rid of them. Some of my joints were a bit achy, the outsole was that stiff. The rest of the boot on the other hand was a bit softer than I'd like The 3X pros fit very sloppy for me even in fit 1 and felt cheaply constructed like they would not last very long. The boot had nice stiffness and the outsole was a bit soft. The Hyperlites fit a bit too voluminous as well, moreso in the depth though. It feel noticeably deeper than the MX3s and thus not as snug and secure a fit. The boot is quite stiff but the outsole is pretty decent. The front of it feels like a normal stiff outsole and the back half is softer and gives a bit. For me, it really does give me that extra boost coming out of tight turns or quick lateral movements. Edges feel quite good in these boots because of the boot stiffness and it's fairly light but kind of bulky relative to MX3. I like some things about it but again i need to figure out the volume issue and it definitely feels different than a supreme. I can't exactly pin point what I don't like that's different but I feel a bit different maybe as far as balance or pitch or something that makes me think about the boot a bit while I'm using them. All the supremes, for some reason just feel natural to me. So as far as feel I think the top end supremes would definitely be most similar to MX3. I think the outsole of the M5 Pros may be similar to MX3s. The Machs are way stiffer in the outsole. The boot, i think had gotten less stiff but probably not to soft. The Machs were WAY heavier than MX3 but felt pretty durable. I think the Vapor boots are most similar in stiffness to MX3 though and has the injection eyelets. And again, for me, I did not like the traditional eyelets of the Supremes now. It was a noticeable and nagging difference and definitely one reason I got rid of them.

Anyone try switching for Supremes to Vapors or vice versa? Trying to go from top end Supremes to Hyperlites, I'm noticing some differences. While I'm skating fine in them at a stick and puck, I find myself concentrating on the subtle differences. I'm in the midst of trying to pinpoint what they may be exactly (outside of the fit). I think I like the outsole in the Hyperlites better than the Machs. But I have a feeling the Hyperlite boot sets my feet and ankle differently than the Supremes did and I catch myself thinking about it and the boot while skating. Even with brand new Supremes (ie Machs, 1S etc) I could go full out from the get go (speed/edge work, pivots/transitions etc) without thinking about the skate but not quite so for Hyperlites. Some nagging discrepancies.

Ya, you use to know what you'll get year to year from Bauer but it's been seeming a bit like a crap shoot now in fit etc. It's definitely not you imagining things. The change is pretty obvious in many ways in my opinion. Some things are subtle but subtleties makes a world of difference in fit and performance of a skate. I wish they would also offer the classic fits from before as well (Supreme Ds or Vapor Ds etc) aside from the Fit 1,2 3.

I think I might have an idea on why the Vapor may fit more loose or "less snug" than the Supreme. I was just comparing the Hyperlites with my old 1S skate and I noticed with my feet in the boots and the skates completely untied, the Hyperlites felt like it fit better/more snug, especially at the heel. The huge difference came when I tied them up. The Vapors then had way less of an anchored heel lock vs the Supremes (great heel lock with Supremes). I noticed the sensation was due to the pressure or force from the tongue/laces pushing and anchoring my foot back down into the boot harder and more securely in the 1S than the Hyperlites. I then took a look at the two boots and noticed that the eyelets (especially around the 3-5 from the top) in the Hyperlites were WAY further forward/away from the bottom back of the heel of the boot than my Supremes. Without doubt, the eyelets of the Hyperlites were a greater distance away from the back of the boot or heel vs the 1S skates. Meaning more heel depth or greater boot volume in Hyperlites? Which again is odd because Vapors are suppose to be a lower volume boot... especially in a Fit 1.

I've always wondered if they could actually check to see what profile your steel is, especially with the Quad profiles. I've taken steel into big box hockey stores to profile my runners and I'm rather skeptical whether they actually put the quad profile I wanted on it. The shape is pretty exact same as other sets of completely new steel I have. They keep saying the change is imperceivable to the eye. Lol, ok.

Ya, I never thought I'd consider any skate other than Bauer but all these changes and discrepancies in fit etc has opened the door in me considering other brands. I almost wish we could order their classic boot lasts/moulds if we don't like the Fit 1, 2 ,3.

Most hockey shops will have extra pairs of stock insoles and other knickknacks kicking around. It wouldn't hurt to call around and ask if they have any laying around.

I definitely noticed this. I feel like the overall fit of the Fit 1 in Supremes are snugger and tighter than the Vapors. Odd because I'd figure it would be the other way around. The Vapors felt more roomy in the mid to forefoot. There's no consistency within line either. The M5 Pros felt a bit more snug and slightly shorter than the Mach in the same size/fit, whereas the 3X Pros felt noticeably more voluminous overall than the Hyperlites in the same size/fit. For some reason the Vapors feel just millimeters longer than the Supremes in the same size/fit. Also, tried on the Vapor 2X Pros in the old D width and its MUCH tighter and snugger than Fit 1 Vapors. It's nowhere near the same fit as it was. Even my narrow feet did not feel comfortable in the old D width Vapor.

It's weird, I always thought the Vapors were supposed to be narrower (especially at the heel), but I haven't noticed this to be true since I started trying on Vapors with the new fit system. I feel like the Supremes are actually the snugger overall fit. To me, if the size (ie size 8) is the equal, the Vapors for sure feel, like a millimeter or 2 longer than the Supremes for some reason as well. I can feel my toes barely feather the toe cap end in a supreme but I'm like millimeter(s) away from the end with Vapors (at least with the 3X Pro). I might have to try a different brand of skate. So many changes with Bauer. New holders for the Vapors next year which may not fit current steel. Also I don't like that they're not continuing to offer regular stainless steel blades for the Tuuk Edge holder anymore (ie LS4). I know I'm probably in the minority but I just really don't like the feel of the Pulse or Pulse Ti, which are seemingly the only options for steel for Bauer skates.

You could be right. It's been a whiles since I tried on the Hyperlites but I do think the padding was thicker than the 3X pros. Relatively speaking, the 3x Pros just felt cheaply made and fit loosey goosey.

Anyone notice Bauer's new fit system feel noticeably different than what they use to have? Ie. Fit 2 in a Vapor now feels significantly more voluminous than an old regular D Supreme (ie 1S). Even a Fit 2 in Supreme feels a bit bigger than the old D size Supremes. And I've notice the second level skate (ie M5 Pro or 3X Pros) in a specific fit (ie Fit 1) feels different and more roomier than the top tier skates in the same fit (ie Machs or Hyperlites). I would figure it should fit the same but maybe the slightly lower quality of the second tier boot doesn't quite fit as well. I know the new fit system is supposed to accommodate more people to try the two lines (Vapor/Supreme) but it's tougher to find a good fit for me now ironically. Nothing really feels like the old Supreme Ds anymore.

Wow, I forgot about those plastic white outsoles! It's hard to know what the pros actually use nowadays. I was looking at a bunch of pics of current NHLers wearing the Hyperlites and it looks like the outsoles they use aren't the new yellow rubbery Hyperflex outsole they come in sold to the general public. It looks like they might just have regular composite outsoles in their custom "hyperlites".