Search the Community

hehe.. saw this on a goalie board.. thought I'd start one to show off me

Hey guys, Was hoping I could seek some insight on proper skate fit. I recently started playing competitively & recreationally again after a 10 year hiatus, played high level through my younger years and high school but never went past that as it was time to get into the work force. Long story short at the beginning of this year I noticed I definitely needed new skates (10 year old Bauer one.8's, that were bought too big as my parents always had the "buy one size bigger" mentality so I would "grow" into them, turns out that set I never did, lol). They were a size 8.5D, my shoe size is approx 9/9.5. Not knowing anything about getting skates properly fitted I came across a set of True TF9's 7.5R that were being sold secondhand but were new (didnt fit the guy properly), $350CAD w/ Tuuk holders & steel. Did lots of reading on here and it seemed like that would be the right size, so went to Sportchek tried them on in a 7.5R and they felt pretty tight but from what I read thats the way they should feel before a bake so I went ahead and picked the used set up. Got them baked and everything felt awesome initially. Fast forward 6 months later I have a ton of my pain on my outside of my forefoot and the outside of my ankle bone always has been an issue with the Trues, have had them punched a couple times. Tried the TFPRO tongues as the stock TF9 tongues would dig into the outside of my ankle, alleviated some pain, but still present. So I figured Id go to my LHS and get scanned and fitted for some Bauers. Initially thought Id go with some Hyperlites but was open to the Mach's as well, just whatever fit best. Scan came to a 7.5 FIT3. To my surprise I actually had wide feet which I never knew. Explained my pain in the Trues. So tried on some 7.5 FIT3 Hyperlites, too long. They didnt have FIT3's in Size 7. So tried in the 3X Pro in 7 FIT3, felt comfortable but not super 'tight' if that makes sense, through the whole skate just kinda felt like there was too much volume? Tried the 7 FIT3's in the Machs and they felt the best, im not sure if it was because I was able to get them tighter with the traditional eyelets, but they almost felt maybe they were a touch too long? I also came across a set of new Hyperlites size 7 FIT3 for a good price on marketplace, but not sure I want to go down that road again lol. Now im wondering if I should go back and try a 6.5 FIT3 (bonus as theyre cheap due to the int sizing) in both models, and maybe a 7 FIT2 in the Vapor line. How should the skates feel before being baked? As far as width tight but not uncomfortable? Toes touching the toe box? I know the Trues changed drastically after being baked, so im afraid of buying skates that fit good out of the box but over time break in to be too big, if that makes sense. Especially at the $1k price point. My LHS has been awesome with helping me and are very knowledgable but I know theres a ton of people on here that are experts on this stuff, so just wanted to reach out. Sorry if this thread is in this wrong section.

I realize that Grafs have largely fallen by the wayside, but I'm contemplating snagging a pair of G755s on a pretty attractive sale. I'm curious about thoughts on sizing, though. I haven't worn Grafs for many years. I used to wear an 8.5 in Graf, but I also used to wear an 8.5 in Bauers. I'm currently wearing an 8 Ribcor. (I did both Bauer and CCM scans when I bought my current skates, and they both recommended an 8.) Of course I realize that there's no substitute for actually trying on the skates, but does anyone have any experience with relative sizing of Grafs v. Bauer/CCMs these days? Any thoughts would be appreciated greatly.

Hello everyone! Been thinking about replacing my Jetspeed skates, which were purchased over 5 years ago. I really like CCM skates, but want to have a similar fitting skate. Do the one piece boots fit dramatically different, or would moving on to a FT4 Pro/FT4 be fine? And if I wanted to stay with a 2 piece boot, should I look at the 90Ks or look to move on to Bauer? Just a note, wearing 8.5 skates makes it almost impossible to find top of the line skates on clearance.

Hello everyone. I'll preface this by saying I'm 6' 1" and 325lbs with short wide feet. The only pair of skates I've ever owned are an old hand me down pair of Bauer Supreme 7000's I got from my uncle in size 10. They've always been way too big but I've made them work in the past. I decided the other day that I'm going to get into playing in adult leagues to lose weight and for an overall love of the game. I went to my local hockey store and they put me on the Bauer 3D scanner. It said I should be in a pair of Bauer Nexus size 6.5D. I tried them on and they were too small. So the guys manually measured my feet and said I should be in a 7.0EE. So they have me a pair of CCM Jetspeed FT460's to try. They felt okay sitting at the store so I picked them up. I couldn't even walk in these things the next day. The toe box crushes my toes on the sides and cuts into the top of my foot when I'm standing. Also my ankles buckle from side to side while trying to walk or stand on them but I've read that it's probably my weight and I need a higher price point skate with more stiffness. I was thinking that maybe the scanner was right about the Bauer Nexus because of the higher volume in the skate but they only come in a D. Any advice that you all could give me would be much appreciated. This is the first pair of skates I've ever bought. Thank you!

Hi Guys! I had a question for you guys. I just bought a new pair of Bauer Vapor X800 skates, in size 12EE. I wear a wide size 14 shoe. The skates fit pretty well, with some tightness along the sides of my foot. I previously had Nexus 1N skates, that I didn’t like because they had too much volume (my feet are flat) After getting them baked, I skated on them the other day and I noticed a crease on the inside of the Left skate, between the 6th and 7th eyelet. It was only an open skate, so I wasn’t going too nuts. . Is this any cause for concern? Any potential breakdown issues with this worsening? Thanks!!

Hi everyone! I'm back to skating after A LOT of years. I bought myself some Bauer Vapor 2.7 in Sweden (I'm from Patagonia Argentina). I have two rinks in the small town I live, but no hockey shop. Thing is, in Sweden they offered to bake them; but after doing an awful service on sharpening (I had them sharpened twice, they mauled my blades and couldn't do a hollow either), I had them reserviced in Frankfurt with no problems. Skates feel comfortable enough without baking them (and I've only used them twice), but I do notice that the skate in itself seems to really need baking (mostly for tying the upper eyelets). HERE'S MY BIG QUESTION: (and I could really appreciate advice from people who's had or knows someone with the same exact model). I've watched several videos on how to bake at home. But the thing is, the boot having many cosmetic details on shiny plastified black 'leather' and the parts that are 'chrome' coloured. Am I gonna mess those up? I would bake them on a towel or a tea towel, so they don't come in contact with any metal part of the oven, but my fear is that, softening the boot in order to be moulded, these cosmetic parts become damaged or changed in any way. Mostly because since I live 15000kms away from any hockey store, I have to take a 13 hour flight to Germany or Sweden to buy my skates. Imagine I would like these skates to last as much as possible, and also to stay as pretty as they are already! Thanks for any input!

Who has done the Custom Goalie skate route with CCM? How did it go for you? What are the options that I have to choose from? What sort of options did you go with?

I'm back....Looking forward to bring you guys some new and amazing Roller Specific Product: http://www.inlinehockeyworld.com/armada-is-getting-armed/

For those of you who have done experimenting using different hollows without much change in body weight: how much of an impact have you found in the relationship between your body weight and the hollow selected? There is the oft-heard axiom that the heavier players should consider a shallower hollow, but I wonder to what extent. Is a solid skater at 165lbs really going to be floundering around if a 3/4" or 1" hollow is used instead of a 1/2"? Thank you, Seth

https://youtu.be/1gJo9S7L1-M Skates coming this summer. Finally, the pump is no more.

Long time reader first time poster. I am a researcher/analysis kinda guy --- I am a systems thinker... so sometimes I OVER THINK, but in reality I enjoy the cerebral exercise of decision making and trying to make a good decision when purchasing things ... sooooo .... Did I make the right a good and well reasoned/researched decision on the skate I purchased for my 8u Mite --- (it's easy to sit and dispense advice to parents on the team and to folks on the internet but when it's your kid, how the doubt and over-thinking flood in!) New Skate: Bauer Supreme s25 Junior (sz 1) -- [**Would you make any modifications? (New tongue? Replace cheap etc...)] My planned upgrades: Superfeet Insert (the stock Bauer one is ... a piece of cloth?) Profile the blades ... not a direct mod per se, but when compared to a 2S with some yahoo on the grind wheel... 🙂 Might throw them in an old skate convection oven after the first couple of skates just after a skate to keep them breaking in quickly. Could be convinced: New Tongue --- honestly I dont think this adds to the performance much ... so probably not since this one isnt HORRIBLE unless lace bite pops up. New Runners --- This is addressed in my concern. Since the holder is not an edge, doing this would be ... EXPENSIVE, and might blow the S25 experiment out of the water. Skater profile: 7yo, 45lbs, above average skater, has most of his edges, constantly moving -- lots of starts and stops. Previous skate: Bauer Supreme 140 Why the s25: Went with the s25 after reading lots of posts here and my personal philosophy of skating for kids. The purchase was about finding a skate he said felt good, that the fitter and myself agreed fit well, and that was a good skate for a kid, i.e. somewhat flexible and lower volume padding. Had him try everything and even the s27 seemed way to stiff for him. I believe that many kids are pushed into skates that are WAY too stiff for them and that the flagship models in the lines (e.g. the Bauer 2s) are just too bulky for kids --- this is a minor point compared to the flex. I do have a little bit of "dad remorse" because as I am buying these entry level skates BECAUSE I believe I am smarter than the sales folks and the skate company ... I see tons of other parents not blinking and buying their 7yos s29s, 2Ss, [insert top model line skates here]. So while I trust my instinct ... I still have a few doubts. Ultimately, I didn't want him to go from a SQUISHY 140, to a super stiff s29 or even s27. I also won't belabor this but, I don't think kids under about 100lbs and 11/12 years should ever be in a flagship model. Note on the tongue: I am actually surprised at the construction. Foam is thick, 30z, two piece, and has a metatarsal pad and lace bite feature. My biggest doubts/concerns are: The runners that come in an entry level skate are... well ... a concern. This kid likes his skates as sharp as possible. I could probably do them every 2 skates and he'd love it. He is fairly careful but he chewed up his last blades on the 140. Luckily I don't have to pay for EVERY sharpen as I can do them at the rink with his coach. To me, I would want a better steel to keep an edge better (not necessarily longer, although those are essentially the same thing) ... perform a bit better (HE IS 7 ... so there is a limited return here). The issue is there is no cheap or easy way to alleviate this problem so I dont think fixing this is WORTH it in any sense of the word. While he said he liked this skate feel the best of anything he tried on ... he liked the s27 second. The 27 was quite a bit stiffer but probably is a better constructed boot overall... so should I have sacrificed a bit of flex for cushioning/interior, a better tongue, and the LS Edge holder with quick release and answer both these concerns? A final note: MY KID is 7. Seven. He is still afraid of the basement. So I know that this detailed of a post is CRAZY TOWN, but it's fun for me, and my wife is sick of me gaming this out with her because HE IS 7 🙂 So I know that this is overkill decision making for a 7 year old ... but again this is for SCIENCE and so I can tell the rest of the parents on my team who will come to me asking if they should drop $179 - $399 on skates. So let's have it ... indulge me with your skate knowledge geekiness and love of this sort of mental exercise. [NB: I do have a thought at the end of all of this, which is sort of my punch line, but I want to see where folks come in on this.]

Hey Guys, Tried on the new 2X skates today(non-pro), and they are very comfortable, have a nice stiff quarter, good heel lock, etc. The only thing holding me back from grabbing them, is the 'Pro tpu Outsole", as apposed to the full carbon. I am coming from the apx2 skates, and before that, the ccm u+cl, so i have been using full carbon boots for some time. Anybody have any insight into the tpu outsoles? I know its basically just a plastic, but its definitely some sort of injected plastic, and is still relatively stiff. Any insight would be great, would be awesome if anybody has skated in the skates, and could leave some feedback, but they're obviously brand new, so might be a long shot. Any info would be great!

Looking to replace the blades in my old Bauer Supreme 8000 skates but the Tuuk lightspeed holders won't accept any of the new blades available so looking at costly replacement of holders, unless I can find some old stock that will fit the original holders - Tuuk lightspeed '1'. Do blades for LS2 holders fit?

Hey all. New to this place...hope I'm doing this correctly! Okay, background...playing for 45 years...college...adult leagues elite-level, coaching...the works. All of that led to my hips degenerating and the loss of...well...everything (other than 24/7 pain). One miracle later...two new hips as of last June, and I can do everything again...including returning to the game I love! It's unreal...I wake up every and I'm thankful. Onward...enough sappy stuff. I have been away for 10 years, and the technology is now another universe to me. Yesterday, I went to the only place in the region that has pro-level gear. The Bauer computer says I'm in a Vapor, the S2Pro felt much better out of the box. The CCM computer says Jetspeed, but the SuperTacks AS1 felt better out of the box. They also said that the Ribcor would be closest in feel to my last skates...Supreme 5000's (yeah...that long ago). Here's my question...Should those Vapor and Jetspeeds feel uncomfortably snug in the instep and forefoot UNTIL they are baked, at which time they will feel good. Conversely, will those Supremes and AS1's that feel good be too loose after baking? Thanks for bearing with the long post and my newly acquired ignorance! Oh and...glad I went in to try them on, I measured my feet and followed all online recommendations...they put me in 8.5's. Well...in a "pro fit" w/o socks (my style), I'm actually a 7 left, and 8 right. Will go with 7.5's unless I find my mirror image out there who wants to swap one skate!

Somehow the steel on the skate is bent (front to back). Just slightly. You can barely see it with your eye. I was only able to confirm this was the case when I put a straight edge against the side of the blade. The inside edge towards the middle was gone and I just assumed he stepped on something. So we had them sharpened again...same thing...sharpen...same thing. Now I know something is odd. That's when I figured out it was bent. This is on my son's skates, CCM size 4.5. He plays PWAA so he is a competitive skater, but doesn't have the weight and impact of an adult player. Any idea how something like this happens? Sure it could have happened during a game, but I would have thought for him to have hit something hard enough you would see some sort of evidence. Puck mark on the blade holder, chip in the blade, etc. Someone suggested heat from being left in the trunk of the car, but that seems like a stretch.

Now that the preview video from Chase is out, what are everyone’s thoughts? I for one am interested in learning more about this custom boot program from CCM. Though this is for a team account, it says they’ll send a rep out with a 3D scanner. Does this mean the boot will fit your foot better now?

Hi Guys, I'm currently working overseas and there are no hockey shops available to try on skates. I'm 5' 10'', 200 lbs, have Flat and Wide feet. I recently got back into Ice Hockey, had my Graf Supra 705 skates shipped from New York. I'm size 9 wide on Graf 705. After 2 skates, I have intense Lace Burn on my left foot, after some research I realized I failed the pencil test on my Graf skates by a small amount. My feet measures about 27 CM length and 10.5 CM width at the widest point. There are no stores around me to try skates on. I can only order online. I have no budget. I just want to get back into ice hockey for the exercise and fun. After some preliminary research, I've realized most great brands like Graf and Easton are out of business. I was considering very seriously the Bauer Nexus 1N skates from Bauer - Size 8.5 EE? Or CCM Super Tacks EE or Ribcore EE. I would appreciate it if anyone had any advice for which Brand - Line of skates I should order and what size. I cant believe my old glory Grafs gave me lace burn to the point I had to get off the ice after 1 hour of skating. Thank you for reading this. Will *edited - I wear a size 10D in Nike running sneakers

Has anyone delt with Salessportinggoods.com? Trying to fight out if it's a good site. Thanks

Hey Guys, I recently got back into hockey after about 15 years off the ice. I'm 5'10, 200lbs, have flat feet and wide feet. I wear a size 10 D in Nike sneakers, my feet measures approx. 27 CM Length and 10.5 CM Width (Widest point). Arch? (where your front tendon meets the skate tongue) here's the tricky part. I recently had my Graf Ultra 705s (Size 9 wide) shipped from the States, there are no hockey stores around to try skates. I used to play in these back in Varsity and had no problems. But this time, I had intense lace burn after my second skate and had to get off the ice after 1 hour. My question is, and after doing some through research. 1. Buy Bauer Nexus 1N 8.5 D or EE. 2. Very open to hearing some thoughts about the CCM Super / Ultra Tacks, I'm just concerned about the volume of the boot. I didn't pass the pencil test for my Graf Ultra 705s, but by a small amount. Does anyone have any experience with CCM Super / Ultra tacks line? Would I get lace burn in those because of my instep? Will a 8.5 EE be sufficient for my 10.5 CM wide feet and flat feet? Thank you for reading, appreciate any insight.

Skate: Bauer Supreme one.8 Size: 8.5D Foot Type: Normal arch. Narrow heel with wider forefoot. Ht./Wt.: 6'0 175 lbs. Play Level: A level adult league. Play both Defense and Forward Previous skates worn: Nike Bauer Supreme one90; size 8.5D Purchased: December 2013 For my 18th birthday, my parents bought me the NBH Supreme one90. Had the skates baked and they fit perfectly from the start. Since this was my first experience using a skate with the hard shell, the top of the skates would dig into my upper ankle area since there wasn't much padding there. Once I got used to the skates though, my ankles did a better job of holding steady. Aside from that, I had no problems with the one90's for about 6 years. Up until recently, started developing lace bite on one foot likely due to the deterioration of the tongue. The tongue on the one90's is very thin, and I'm honestly surprised it hasn't given me problems until now. With the skates being relatively beat up from high school and rec hockey early on while playing non-checking adult league since then, it was time for new skates. Decided to go with a skate that would last long without going over the top in terms of price. I especially appreciate the tongue on this skate. Going back to the traditional style of tongue has allowed for my lace bite to recede. Blade/Holder (10/10) With the TUUK Lightspeed 2 holders and TUUK LS 2.1 steel, I'm glad I took a step down for these. I'm not a huge fan of the fusion steel. I never had to experience this, but I've seen too many times, where friends have had the fusion steel break catching passes in their skates. Also, I had to have my previous holders in the one90's shimmed to prevent the clicking noise that commonly occurred with the holders. Couldn't be happier with my current holders and steel. Weight (10/10) These are to date the lightest skate I've ever worn. A tad lighter that NBH Supreme one90's, but not by much, at least, it's not noticeable when skating. Protection (9/10) I have blocked multiple shots with these on and I've had no problem (granted I play in a adult league with no slap shots). I will say that with the hard shell skates, it still remains that if someone whacks me in the skate with their stick, the force seems to carry through the skate, but not a major issue. Durability (9.5/10) Have a few nicks and scuffs on the boot. Also, have a few chips in the holder. But, since I'm playing on three teams at the moment, the amount of wear and tear seems to be per usual. I'm just hoping the boot stays as stiff as my Supreme one90's did. Performance (10/10) Due to the increase in lateral stiffness of the boot (upgrading from my old skates), I am able to push through turns and accelerate with more control and force than before. I am not the greatest skater, but I like to move quick. So, upgrading to newer skates definitely improves things by a slight margin. These skates have the same feel as any other Bauer Supreme skate I've worn. Overall Assessment (97%) Overall, I'm happy with the purchase I made on these skates. Unfortunately, the local shops in my area were out of stock, so had to order them in my size, but I couldn't be happier. They are working out great. BOTTOM LINE - Solid skate. For the price range, you get a top notch skate without missing out on too many bells and whistles.

Foot spec - Wide forefoot, wide heel, small arch Last skate worn - Bauer Supreme TotalONE NXG Size - 10.5D Length of review - since August 2012 The Bauer Nexus line debuted in 2012, replacing the Flexlite (as a third skate for Bauer) line. The direction of the line was to offer a skate that would be more traditional in terms of technology, as well as an emphasis on comfort. The Nexus 1000 line is a standalone fit; the 800 on down fit more like the Flexlite did. Fit/Break-in - The Nexus 1000 is built on an oversize last; a D will actually be a true-to-last EE. The boot is pretty much straight-walled; the forefoot tends to be similar to a Vapor EE (albeit with a roomier toecap) however, the boot has a deeper fit and a relaxed lacing pattern, which ends to a wider heel. The skate fit me decently in this aspect; just a tad bit wider than what I've been using in the past few years. The instep was a little bit higher as well. Skate feels extremely supple inside; harkens back to how mid-90s Supreme skates used to feel, with the tan Clarino and plush padding. I baked them once; had a little bit of issues with the right skate, which was because I was overtightening them while lacing. Once I figured out the optimal lacing, my problems were minimal. The only glaring issue I had (and when I write these things, I try to put it in a global context; what may not work for me may work for you) was the tongue. It's a 52oz felt with a lace-bite guard. It had been years since I skated with a felt tongue, and quite frankly, I prefer a molded one nowadays. There were times in which I was fighting it; they would twist on me while I skated. I went ahead and flopped them, but since I was lacing them up fully, the break was before the metatarsal guard. I got to use them about 5 times after I did, and while it improved it slightly, it wasn't something I was fully able to solve. Break-in process went extremely well; it has been one, if not the quickest skates for me to break-in. 8.5/10 (deducted 1 point due to tongue) Performance - As I stated earlier; the line was geared towards those who prefer a traditional boot and put an emphasis on comfort over performance. You don't get the added perks that the Supreme and Vapor offer in terms of their quarter packages, however, you're not exactly getting a circa 1994 boot here. Not once did I feel limited by the skate in any way. One of my main concerns going in was the stiffness - I had said that in the Initial Thoughts thread as well as the LTR - but that thought was eviscerated once I hit the ice. It was plenty supportive on the foot, as well as giving me a bit of forgiveness in the ankle area, which is always a good thing. Don't get it twisted - this is a pro-level boot. 8.75/10 Blade/Holder - The skate comes with a LS2 holder and LS Fusion steel. Halfway throughout the review, I picked up a Step BlackSteel project to review, which has no bearing on this review, so I'll use my standard LS2 score from previous reviews. 9/10 Weight- The skate was not designed to be the skate for the gram-counters out there, however, it is surprisingly light; much lighter than skates in its class/spec. 8.5/10 Protection - When I do reviews for helmets, I mention I'm not a crash-test dummy. The same concept applies for my skate protection; if I'm by my defensive zone hash mark and it's not because I'm lining up for a faceoff, something wrong has happened. I don't get in front of shots. However, the Nexus 1000 does have a bit of padding to it; the internals consist of high-density foam with additional reinforcements. The outer quarter package is Tech Mesh, which was used on top-end non-Curv Vapors (X 7.0, X:60, XXXX, XXX, XX) so it should stand up to rigorous play. 9/10 Durability - I haven't had any issues with anything on the skate; the boots are well-made, no stitching issues, no major gouges, and the wear properties of the Clarino liner have always been strong. 10/10 Conclusion - All in all, it was a pleasant experience reviewing these skates. They've visually appealing, they perform well, and they fill a void in Bauer's lineup. You still see those guys out there with their older Supremes, Tacks or Grafs, and simply refuse to adapt to the technology-driven boots of today. With these, they can be with the times however still maintain the comfort level they are used to. While I like to be on the bleeding-edge of technology personally, these skates certainly didn't hold me back, and should meet your needs for a workhorse skate. Overall - 53.75/60 = 89% Shout-Outs - Once again, must thank Keith Duffy, who is the Sr. Skate Product Manager at Bauer Hockey, for supplying me with a pair. As with every manufacturer, I've always had an excellent rapport with Bauer and our discussions and feedback I have provided to them has been warmly received. Please address any questions you may have in my Initial Thoughts thread. Also, if you want to track the progress here is the Long-Term Review on the skate. It will still be updated to reflect any change on the product.

Foot spec - Wide forefoot, wide heel, small arch Last skate worn - Bauer Supreme TotalONE Size - 10.5D I have tested Supreme skates for Bauer since 2004 - from 8090 to ONE90 to ONE95 to TotalONE to T1 NXG Length of review - since March 2012 Now to the details - Fit - The TotalONE NXG's pattern is identical to the TotalONE. We will address the changes between the two skates, but certainly won't be in this section. The skates felt very good out of the box; I had started out with the Stiff inserts and did not experience any of the initial problems that I did when I had TotalONE. I swapped the stock insoles out for my custom Superfeet that were in my previous skates. What is different this time around is that I a) did not have to do a rebake, which I normally did with every skate I've had, and b) I never had that "take these things off of my feet" feeling that I normally get with skates. Absolutely zero heel slip, which was something I marked the TotalONE down for in the last review. 9.75/10 Performance - When I reviewed TotalONE, I stressed how important it is to figuring out your optimal stiffness for the inserts. However, this time, I already knew what worked so once I got my XS inserts there wasn't a learning curve. HOWEVER - the biggest difference between that skate and this one is the tendon guard. The area around the tendon guard has been notched, and the tendon guard itself has been re-engineered. The difference is 5°, however, that equates to 15% more range of motion...and yes, it is noticeable. I had that "oh, damn" moment on my fifth time on the skates - started to realize how much more I was getting out of my stride; enough to go back to the TotalONE to see if it was there all along; it wasn't. Starts were very good, as well as cornering. At that point, it was fun to push the limits. 10/10 Blade/Holder - The skate comes with a LS2 holder and LS Fusion steel. Initially, I went ahead and put my old Fusion on there, but decided to take them off once I skated; they felt too low. Instead of putting the new Fusion steel back on, I had found a set of regular LS2 steel in my garage that was never sharpened, however cross-ground. I went ahead and just put that on instead; no knock against Fusion; cross-ground steel is exposed to the elements so just wanted to sharpen them before they rusted. The LS2 is a good holder; not my favorite, but it works. 9/10 Weight- On par with TotalONE, which I called "best in class" in my review two years ago. It still applies. 10/10 Protection - When I do reviews for helmets, I mention I'm not a crash-test dummy. The same concept applies for my skate protection; if I'm by my defensive zone hash mark and it's not because I'm lining up for a faceoff, something wrong has happened. I don't get in front of shots. The skates do feel solid though, they have since ONE95 and the introduction of ALIVE/Curv. One thing to note though, the 3Flex Inserts now have extended material - think Always maxi-pads with "wings." What is good about that is that it does offer more protection across the top of the foot against skate cuts and the like. 9.5/10 (.5 more from TotalONE due to the new inserts) Durability - My pair seems to be well-made. Stitching is spot-on, mount is spot-on, nothing alarming. The liner has not shown any issues of wear around the top eyelets (which was an issue due to the tongue construction of the TotalONE. The NXG tongue was changed with that in mind.) 10/10 Conclusion - I really enjoyed the previous iteration of this skate; they really worked well for me. The thought that the skate could be improved wasn't one that I really had - I expected a possible graphics package change but didn't expect that much more of an improvement when the NXG came around. Simply not true - I believe that the tweaks made do make it a better skate. Overall - 58.25/60 = 9.7/10 Shout-Outs - Once again, must thank Keith Duffy, who is the Sr. Skate Product Manager at Bauer Hockey, for supplying me with a pair. As with every manufacturer, I've always had an excellent rapport with Bauer and our discussions and feedback I have provided to them has been warmly received. Please address any questions you may have in my Initial Thoughts thread. Also, if you want to track the progress (the past month hadn't been reported, lots of work on MSH) here is the Long-Term Review on the skate. It will still be updated to reflect any change on the product.