CCM Vector Pro

[JR Boucicaut 3795]

Open to review...

[EricG. 0]

CCM VectorPros

background - 5'9 170, flat arch, wide foot.

Fit- The boot has a narrow heel, and wide forefoot. This was exactly was I was looking for in a skate. The boot is also very stiff compared to my 703s, which is also what I was looking for. Ankle support is great, which doesn't give me the pain in my arch which I got from every other skate. The inner liner is pretty soft, and the tongue is very nice to. I do not need to use the blue medical foam for my lace bite. The only problem I have with the skate, is the pain I get just below my ankle. It's on and off however. I think it's because the inside of the skate hardens when it's cold, and it presses against that area of my foot until it softens out again. 9.5/10

Blade/Holder- The stock holder is the new E-Blade, with perf. runners. I found that they were pretty stiff compared to tuuk. They didn't have the "give" I was looking for in a holder. They also gave an odd vibration. I ended up taking them off for tuuks and couldn't be happier. 7/10

Weight- This is the lightest skate I have ever worn. Weight however is not an issue for me. This was just an added bonus. 9.5/10

Protection- I have been hit in the foot by pucks a couple times, and by various other things like sticks, and the sticks of goalies. I hardly felt a thing when being hit. It all felt like a soft tap. 9.5/10

Durability- One of my main concerns was how these skates would hold up. I have to say they have exceeded my expectations. I have been using the skates for about 4 months, and they could pass for being less then a month old. Aside from some minor scratches the skate is perfect. The stitching has only been minorly coming off in one or two spots. They have barely lost stiffness as well. 9.5/10

Intangibles- The stiffness of the boot, and shape of the inside are what are keeping me in this skate. I get blisters from tying skates and the lace lock feature is a great bonus. 9/10

Conclusion- In conclusion I feel that this is a GREAT performing skate. Very durable, and light. Well worth the price. I give this skate a 9/10.

[Vapor 0]

Fit- I can honestly say that these skates fit like a glove. The inside of the boot conforms to your foot, and is very soft. The heel fits me perfectly, I have a rather large heel. I usualy worry about width when buying skates, especially in the toebox area. These skates fit me prefect since day one. I got them baked and put them in the fit system. Every now and then I get a little pain, but I do with all skates. 9/10

Blade/Holder- I was skating on 1152s with tblades prior to these. I tried going back to conventional holders, but just couldnt, so I swaped the holders for tblades, so this section is N/A

Weight- Currently, I can boast to having the lightest skates on the market. Lighter than the XX's stock, plus I put on T'blades. They are light as a feather. I put on my 1152s for pond hockey, they feel like bricks. 10/10

Protection- I was very surprised by the protection these skates offered. With all the sob stories surrounding the XX's and how if you got tapped, you got hurt, I was hoping I would not get injured. I have had the skates for 5 months, and have yet to get hit int he skate and have it hurt. 9/10

Durability- Another thing I was afraid of, durability. The XX's were falling apart in a month or two (in some cases). The craftsmanship on these skates arte second to none. The skates still HONESTLY feel like they just came out of the box 5+ months later. 10/10

Intangibles- I just love this skate. It is like they made it for me. The tounge is great, it fits liek a glove, its lite. And one of the BEST features is the lace lock feature. It makes tying my skates a breaze, these skates are great 9.5/10

Conclusion- These skates are a great top of the line skate. They are stiff enough to give me the support I need, but not too stiff to where I cant roll my ankles enough. I love these skates 9.5/10

[ktang 34]

Reviewer's Specs

Born 1967 in Montreal, lived in Canada all my life. 5'8" tall, 160 lbs. Have also played on the larger surfaces in Switzerland, Germany, and France. Strictly a hacker and minor hockey coach. In terms of consumer behaviour, I am the opposite of an early adapter.

Previous skates were Swiss Graf 703s with the suede quarter panels, RMS screws for the blade holder, and Tuuk Custom+ blades.

I skate with an above-average knee bend (maybe too much?) and like to use my ankles a lot.

I have had these skates for almost 1 year (1 spring season + 1 winter season) at the time of this review.

Fit

I have skated since I was 3 yrs old, and these were the first skates that I had gotten new (I was 37). The sales rep did a good job trying out different skates for me, and these fit the best. He heat-fitted them with my shins set at a slight forward lean.

The ankle pockets are in just the right place for my ankle knobs. These skates have a wider forefoot that fit my foot shape the best. I tried Bauer Vapor XXs and Easton Z-Airs, but they didn't fit as well.

There is a pair of lace locking hinges in place of the eyelets closest to the heel. This is useful because I can tighten the lower part of the skate and leave the last 3 eyelets loose. Others might do the opposite.

The top eyelet is a little high for me, so I leave it unused or I have the last 3 eyelets loose because I like to use my ankles more.

Because of the good choice of skate and the heat fitting I did not experience any break-in pain, even from the first skate. During the past year the boot has become very slightly softer. As it became softer I got a little bit of lace bite after 1 month, but it went away after the boot fully softened up after 3 months to where it is today. I was playing 2 games and running 1 practice per week during this time.

10/10

Blade/Holder

The E-RPL holder and perforated blades were pretty good for me. The radius felt larger (10- or 11-foot radius?) than the Tuuk Custom+ blades that I had on my previous skates, and the "flat" of the blade was further forward and had a slightly more forward pitch.

The E-RPL holder is also perforated (to reduce weight?), but it is noticeably stiffer than Tuuk Custom+ holders and much stiffer than Pro Lite 3 holders in tight turns. They were properly aligned and mounted on my pair of skates. Holders are riveted.

It was easy to remove the blades to clean off surface rust once in a while because the blade attachment bolts are on the outside, just above the blades, at the toe and the heel.

I took a lot of pucks and skate cuts off the blade holder over the past year, and it has held up pretty well.

I took a lot of pucks off the blades over the past year and they haven't broken.

10/10

Weight/Protection

This is an extraordinarily light skate. I don't know if I am going faster, but I feel like I am accelerating better.

I have taken some hard shots off the toes and heels with no ill effects. The only shots that hurt were the ones off the tongue and off the outside mid foot. Shots off the inside mid foot don't hurt.

The ankle pockets are a solid material on the outside, so whacks on the ankles from goal sticks don't hurt as much.

The achilles protector is flexible and very notched, so it doesn't protect as much.

The balance between lightness and protection is pretty good for my level of hockey. A thicker tongue would help, but then lightness would be sacrificed.

Weight: 10/10

Protection: 7/10

Durability

My skates have held up pretty well. At first I was not undoing the lace locks properly, so I bent the hinges accidentally. However, I was able to re-shape them with pliers.

Most of the thread holding in the "external skeleton" plastic pieces have worn off, but the glue or epoxy holding in these pieces are still holding the pieces on. I suppose I can re-epoxy them back in place if they eventually fall off.

The toe cap is OK.

The inside liner is OK.

The blade holder is full of skate cuts but is holding up.

The blades took a lot of shots and didn't break.

The material around the tongues' felt has worn down a bit.

The quarter panels have taken a lot of skate kicks and don't show any cut marks.

The outsole (woven composite material) has not chipped yet.

The brads under the insole seemed to rust prematurely compared to other skates.

I have seen other Vector Pros whose top eyelets have ripped off. Mine haven't, probably because I don't use them most of the time and because I lace the last 3 eyelets loosely. I am also only 160 lbs.

Overall, I thought these skates were pretty durable considering that they are a light skate.

8/10

Intangibles

This is a pretty stiff skate; if you want to use your ankles more you will need to leave the top eyelet undone or lace the last 3 eyelets loosely.

Some players don't like the silvery colour / orange highlights. Kids on my son's team like the "Spider-Man" stitching ("Spider-Man 2" was in theatres in 2004).

The brads on the sole weren't tacked down properly, so I did this myself. They also seemed to rust more quickly than on other skates, so I coated them. Other than this, the skate seems to have been well-manufactured.

I got a free Vector V120C stick as part of CCM's bonus-pack coupon promo in the summer of 2004. CCM's customer service was responsive to my queries about the stick.

8/10

Conclusion

Comfortable skate for my foot shape with a lot of features. Very light and very stiff for good responsiveness. Good durability. There have been some complaints about the craftsmanship on these skates, but not as bad as some others.

Overall: 9/10