Radien55

It's a special edition model, only select stores have it. They take a lower price point and upgrade it with some features from the top models. The FT690 is a mix of the FT680 and the FT6 models: The boot and holder is FT680, the liner and steel is from the FT6, and the tongue from the FT6 Pro. Seems like a great value skate, did you buy it already?

I normally skate in Vapor 3X. I recently found a pair of Tacks AS-V on sale and had to try. The fit is perfect, they are wide-ish in the forefoot despite being the regular size. I also tried Jetspeed FT670 in 9R and they fit very good too. It seems CCM is more consistent with sizing across the models than Bauer, because I could not fit in the 9 fit 2, M5 Pro (it was short and narrow), while the X5 Pro fit much better. Both my Vapors and Tacks AS-V have 280mm runners (LS3 and Step Steel) with a 10' profile, sharpened to 7/8". To the test Tacks are usually describes as stiff, maybe rigid is a better word. There is nothing to dampen the impacts, it's hard vs hard and they translate everything you do directly into the ice. This was a wow sensation from the first steps on the ice, immediately noticeable. The feeling is a bit harsh, you can tell they are performance focused over comfort, which is great if you have a serious NHL (read: Sunday night beer league) game coming up, maybe not if you are looking for max comfort. Skating wise I struggled though. These put you in a very lazy stance, upright and on the heels. You can't fix that by going into a good forward lean because it creates an awkward angle between your foot, ankle and shin. I like the single 10' profile on my Vapors, but on the Tacks it felt like there is too much steel in the toe, it feels like going up a hill when you rocker through the toe. I think it is because I'm so much on my heels, it felt like I was digging out of a hole. Between that and the lack of pitch, creating an awkward angle from foot to shin, I felt like the wrong part of the blade was in contact with the ice throughout the movement. It just felt a little bit "off" the whole time and this gave me less confidence in my edges. They also felt reluctant to turn. When doing crossovers, I couldn't get the same aggressive angle on the outside edge to the ice, it was more upright than intended. It was as if they didn't like edge work. Is this a thing, does the stiffness cause this, or is it just because I'm not used to them and my mechanics are all off? When I skated in Supremes (S27), there was a difference, but not this extreme. I could still skate pretty well in them, compared to the Tacks. The positive side is that the fit is amazing, there is no negative space in them and they are wide enough in front, while still providing incredible heel lock. It's one of the best fitting skates I've tried on, which is why I bought them. I'm debating if I should keep these or change for the same tier of Vapor, or maybe Jetspeed. Q1: Are FT6s equally on the heels or are they more pitched forward? Q2: If I am going to continue with these. I definitely need to profile some pitch into them. Does anyone know what amount of pitch or what profile would get them close to the Vapors? Q3: Would it be worth it to try to fix these with profiling or would it be better to change them for Vapors or Jetspeeds?