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My Stats ​6 feet tall. Between 210 and 190 pounds during the use of the skates. Intermediate skater, not incredibly powerful. Like a stiff skate to make up for inadequacies in my skating. Past skate models. In order of use: Easton RS size 9 Easton Stealth S17 size 9 (1 year) Supreme One95’s size 9.5D (1.5 years) Vapor X30 size 10 (lasted about 4 months) Fit The Easton Stealth line was my ideal fit after getting serious heel lift in my Supreme’s. This was a result of both having a skate that was a half size too big, and weight loss. The RS continued down the line of previous Stealth skates--in my opinion--on the heel width. I have never had any problems with my heels lifting at all. The forefoot was also wide enough to accommodate my forefoot. The shape of my foot is similar to that of a duck--skinny nearly the ankle and heel, and widens at the forefoot. Easton is the closest thing to an ideal fit I've been able to find, and the RS continued the tradition. Where the fit of the RS differs from the Easton S17 is inside the skate. Just looking at the skate, you can tell that it has a bulkier, boxier look than the S17. The skate has increased padding inside the skate, making the overall fit a bit soft around the foot. This does not affect the performance at all, just makes it feel a bit different that the all carbon S17. 9/10 Average depth, wide forefoot, average ankle. Would have preferred thinner ankle Performance It took a little time for my to adjust to the RS from the S17. I had been in the old Stealth's long enough to break them in significantly--so stepping out on the ice in the fresh out of the box RS, I was taken off guard a bit. They were very stiff, just as the S17s were the first time I wore them. Within a few laps around the zone, I was perfectly fine. There were only a few noticeable changes between the two models. You can see on the outside of the skate a sort of “fan” like design. I believe this is to allow for more forward flex. That is the only real difference between the two Stealth models that affected the performance for me. I lace the RS skates all the way to the top, while I skipped the top eyelet on the S17s--to achieve more forward flex. I’ve had this issue with all skates, so I wouldn’t really call it a knock on the RS’s, but during all of my skates the tongue manages to torque and move to the outside of the skate. I spend a lot of time on my inside edges, obviously, but it is a bit more concerning with this skate because of the effects it’s having on the liner of the boot. More on that in the durability section. 8/10 Plenty stiff, exactly what I expected coming from the S17 boots. Holder Same holder as the S17s, I have been on the stock Easton steel since day one of the S17s as well--something many recommended to replace with solid steel as opposed to the parabolic steel on there by default. No real changes. 8/10 I’m used to the RBII’s at this point. Also what I expected when changing models. Weight These are slightly heavier than my S17s--judging by holding them in my hands. On the ice I did not notice any sort of difference. It’s most likely a result of the extra padding on the RS skates. 8/10 Average weight. Nothing to write home about. Protection I have only blocked one shot in these skates, on the inside of the arch. Everyone knows those hurt (why did I turn my foot that way!?) and it was no different in these skates. Average protection, you will still feel stingers in these. 7/10 Average again. Knocked down a point because of the extra padding not providing any protection. Durability I purchased these skates by means of eBay. As a result, I did not receive any warranty receipt. I have two distinct issues with the durability involving this skate. First, the system that holds the steel to the holder (with the bolts) had a stripped bolt on the outside of the front right skate. If torqued the bolt would start free spinning.I decided that it would hold (as it was still holding as long as I didn’t twist it anymore) long enough for me to get some replacements. I skated on them twice, after a bake, and the bolt came out. I was able to steal a bolt from my S17s to fix the issue (still need to get a replacement one for those skates). I have not had an issue with the holder since then. The other issue is on the inside of the skate. The tongues on this skate, as I mentioned earlier, turn outwards when I skate. This is causing the liner of both boots on the inside quarter to tear and fray. This was the same issue that user JSK81 reported on his skates that Easton warrantied for. It’s not affecting performance at this time, but is a bit concerning. I believe this is a result of the tongues turning in combination of the hard plastic edges on the tongue itself. 7/10 Durability issues noted. Not affecting performance yet, but could in the future. Aesthetics In my opinion, the aesthetics is the biggest knock on this skate. The gray is a sort of dingy-green-brown-grey that really looks horrible in person. The black and yellow accents are fantastic, and a great look to go for (read: RS Stick) but for some reason they went a different direction with the skate. If you have a look at the 85S skates that just recently came out, you’ll be able to see what could have been. The Razor Bladez holders have always been a weak point of the Easton skates, in the looks department. They’ve improved the holder situation with the release of the Mako skate and the new CXN holder. 4/10 Nothing good looking about this skate save for the tendon guard. Conclusion Overwhelming Average in most aspects. This is not a far departure from the Stealth S17s. A bit more padding for comfort while skating (and not protection), a lower cut boot, beefed up tongue for lace bit, and a changeup of aesthetics is about the gist of the changes. I have appreciated using them, though I am not stocking up on pairs for the future. I even considered going back to my S17’s because the performance was so similar and I much preferred the look of my old skates. Not a real game changer in the skate market, but if the Stealth line is your preferred fit, then they will work just fine. And they should be seeing a price drop soon. 7.2/10