Kor Shift 1

[Chadd 916]

Open for review

[tyler9 0]

Kor Shift 1

Background - 5'9 152

Introduction - I had skated in the Bauer Vapor xx's for around a year before switchin over to the Kors. They should fit most foot types considering they are almost full heat moldable.

Fit - These fit amazingly better than than the Vapor XX's. They are almost fully heat moldable which allows the boot to form to your foot very nicely. Another added on feature is the neoprene liner in the toe cap which feels extremely nice on your foot. 10/10

Blade/Holder - The Kors come with the Mission Pitch 3 holder. This is definetly one of the best holder on the market. Coming from the Lightspeeds i didn't notice much of a difference. One of the nice thing is that the missions have very good steel and hold an edge for a long time. 10/10

Weight - I honestly did not notice a difference between these and the Vapor XX's. There a relatively light skate and even if they were mor eon the heavy side the fit would definetly make up for it. 9/10

Protection - As a result of the carbon fibre boot these skates arre extremely protective. I have taken quite a few shot off the boot and barely felt a thing. They are alot more protective than the vapor XX's. 10/10

Durability - I have been using these skates for about 4 months now and notice no breaking down of the boot. They still look almost brand new and i can't see they breaking down anytime in the near future. My vapors broke down in around 3 months and in my opinion these thing will be stiff as the day i bought them long after i have passed away of old age. 10/10

Conclusion - After 4 months of using thse skates I am convinced there isn't a better skate on the market. You can turn on a dime in them at very high speeds and there by far the most comfortable skate I have ever worn. I usually get a new pair of skates every yar but i see no need to switch out of thse for a long time. I recommend anyone who has the chance to try these on give them a chance. Once there on your foot and baked i'm sure you'll fall in love with them.

Overall 10/10

Edited December 29, 2005 by tyler9

[gavin 0]

Kor Shift 1

Background - 6' 190

Introduction - I have skated on European Grafs or Tacks all growing up, then I had a pair of CCM Vector Pros for a year, then I pair of CCM ZG130's. It's hard to find skates that I'm totally comfortable with: the Kors will fit any foot :D

Fit - You go faster because these things fit better than any other skate I have tried (and I'm a fit freak). The toe liner does feel really nice on your foot, holds it snug but keeps the toesies nice and comfy as well. 10/10

Blade/Holder - Good steel, skate feels VERY solid when cornering, crossovers, skating backwards. I am used to a forward lean, but with the Pitch3 holder I have experimented with a neutral lean, I have liked it and I will probably be skating with a neutral lean this season. 10/10

Weight - Ok they are a little heavier than the CCM ZG130s, if you could tell the difference while you're skating. It doesn't matter because you skate FASTER with the Kors anyways. 9/10

Protection - I've only been hit really bad in the ankle with these skates once. I didn't feel anything. 10/10

Durability - \While I haven't done a full season with these yet, I'd have to say they are the most durable skate I have seen. I can be hard on my skates (It's hockey eh?) 10/10

Conclusion - Best skate money can buy. I wouldn't wear anything else if I had the choice. Once again, because the boot is built better, you can skate faster in these things.

Overall 10/10 :)

[jcp2 2]

Kor Shift 1

Background - 5'8 155

Introduction - My prior skate are Graf 705's, which were the most comfortable skates I've ever had, until I got the Kors.

Fit - After molding them (thanks, JR), these skates fit really well. No break in time, no blisters, no foot pain. I could keep them on all day if I had to. Once they were molded, I didn't need to really tighten up the skate in the forefoot and instep area to get really good heel lock. In fact, they are so stiff that when I first tied them, I did them up too tight in the ankle area and ended up feeling like I was wearing a ski boot. The only tricky part was figuring out the right amount of tightness (or looseness) in the ankle area so I could get good flex in my stride. Switching to waxed laces really helped in this regard. 9/10 because of this tricky part, otherwise 10/10.

Blade/Holder - The Pitch 3 holder is really nice. Because the blade is so long and flat, I had the tips trimmed away to get a decent length for the working radius. Currently at an 11' radius, and planning to go to 9' if it doesn't work out. I've tried the neutral pitch and the +1, and the +1 works out best for me. I'm a bit hesitant to try the -1 pitch, but someday I will. 10/10

Weight - These are the lightest skates I've ever owned, but I know my other skates are not considered light. I liked the feel of them when I first tried them out, but now that I'm used to them, the novelty has worn off. I am skating better, but I'm not sure it's because of the weight or the fit. 9/10 because others have said there are lighter skates out there, 10/10 for me.

Protection - Really stiff boot. I've taken quite a few shots off of them and haven't really felt anything besides the initial thud. 10/10

Durability - The boots look great. There are a few puck and skate marks on the holder, but the composite and uppers still look new. 10/10

Conclusion - I got my skates off eBay brand new because the prior owners bought the wrong size, but I was willing to pay full price if I had to. The boots fit great after molding and the holders are versatile even after having the blade profiled. I would recommend switching to wax laces and experimenting a few times with lace tightness so that you can achieve good ankle lock, while still maintaining ankle flex.

Overall 10/10 once those kinks were worked out.

Update 12/20/2009:

The skates still fit and feel great. On close examination, there is significant cosmetic asymmetry between the right and left skates where the uppers join the lower outsole. It was probably always there, but I really noticed it when I had to make repairs (see below). Both tendon guards are starting to flop at their base. I've also had one of the bolts on the toe of the holder loosen up; it turns out that it rusted out at the T-nut. I replaced it with a longer bolt but I can feel the replacement with my toe in the footbed if I try. No issues skating. The main structural problem that has occurred is cracking of the composite lower outsole where it joins with the toecap at the front of the skate. Little bits come off slowly, much like the toe of a composite stick blade. I've made a temporary patch with epoxy, but don't have high hopes. I've also taken to leaving the top eyelet undone, with no issues with support. I was lucky enough to find another new pair in my size and purchased those. After a couple of skate bakes, they feel just as good. I'm looking forward to another couple of years in this new pair.

Updated verdict: 10/10 for fit, performance, and protection, 7/10 for durability. I only play one or two times a week in a lower level non-contact league and didn't expect the composite outsole to start eroding away within 2 years (1 and a little bit, technically, as the problems started in late spring/early summer).

Edited December 22, 2009 by jcp2

[Done like dinner 0]

Warning: I'm long-winded.

I'm a 6" 170lb forward with a left ankle held together with metal plates and screws and playing with Multiple Sclerosis (prone to numbness and pain in my feet and shins esp. with poor fitting skates). I play (and been playing 3 mos.) drop-in avg. 4.5 times/week after having not played for 15 years.

I was using my circa. 1990 graf supra 701's (with gold titanium blades haha) but a blade holder broke and I thought about maybe a whole scale replacement. After reading positive reviews here about Kors I sprung for a pair of Shift 1's, size 10D.

I'll get into this more later but here's the synopsis: Kor sent me a new pair when, after only 4 ice sessions, there was some serious deconstruction issues with the outer protective shell on the inside toe-wear area on each skate. My Mission pitch 3 holders also broke at this time from being over tightened (not by me, must have been orig. assemblers). But, stay tuned b/c there's a very happy ending to the story.

My feet are pretty slim, highish arch, and my skating is getting back to where it was at midget minor travel team level when I last played. Prev. injured ankle has screws kind of bulging out and skates rubbing against them is pretty painful even in my "well broken-in" ;/ grafs.

Fit: After 1st bake (took to LHS and handed them Kor instruction sheet) they felt pretty good. Forward flex was not as great as I wanted after skating once so I got them rebaked and did a little more leaning forward while they were hot. This did the trick so be sure to stand up and do some flexing in your Kors (other thermomoldable skates tell you to stay seated).

Having been out of the game and unfamiliar with new tech. I was pretty shocked that with my tender tootsies new skates could feel so good. Heel lock is positive and always there. The skates did loosen up and "get longer" when baked so my toes no longer brushed the end and I like that so they felt a little long but it didn't cause slippage. Still, half a size too big and that's a bummer (but read on b/c Kor customer service is ridiculously good and this problem "went away").

These are low cut skates and I believe that this, combined with the rigid one piece near perfectly fit boot, allows be to perform tighter turns more quickly. Less effort is required to make slight adjustments while skating, much like a sports car reacts quickly and positively to driver input. Pretty impressive. They aren't so twitchy that I can't skate in 'em however. I am excited about becoming a better skater with these and taking advantage of their potential.

Only negative about fit is the chafing I feel from tendon guard when wearing "vapour" thin (long) socks. Underarmour soccer socks fix the prob but I like the super thin socks so I'm putting up with the chafe until it gets bad and then I switch.

Lining is pretty quick drying (considering my last skates had actual leather) but feel wetter than the leather when really wet. Whatever; don't care but it's weird. Might be my new socks.

"Toe sock", a proprietary feature of Kor's, I believe, is actually pretty nice. It's a neoprene sock-end atached inside the toebox that snugs around your toes. I like to wear tight hiking boots, skates, running shoes; I like to feel my toes up against the boot as it gives me confidence in my grip. Of course the compromise is getting calloused hammer-toes. The Kor toe sock gives me some feel (esp. since I received a new, smaller pair from Kor - more on that soon) without my toes being rammed into a plastic toe-box. A decent compromise esp. considering my numbness/pain issues.

I feel less numbness than with my wonderfully broke-in grafs, and my bolted-together ankle feels comfy when skates tied right and well-protected (more on this later).

Blade/Holder: Mission pitches. These are cool. As mentioned my original ones broke. they were obviously over-tightened by someone as the plastic was bulging out around the bolts. A shame. Anyway, I have the new ones adjusted to the forward lean position and they feel pretty neutral compared to my old grafs but those skates had lifts. I'm adjusted to this and I find that my calf muscles feel a lot better in this less forward position. The holders are holding up to slappers, the blade doesn't wobble but I am concerned about the possibility of stripping the blade bolts so I'm careful not to over tighten. The steel is holding an edge really, really well. This is nice steel. 'Course, my last steal was gold coloured.... and 1990 tuuks were bombproof (until 2007 anyway)

Weight/Protection: Hey, my last skates were leather, so these are light. I know that the less weight I carry around all game the more energy I'll have in the last 5mins. and that gives me an edge. I'll take what I can get eh. Protection however is paramount. I wear 17 inch shin pads over my skate tongue with a sock stuffed in between to keep my ankle(s) protected. I can't imagine the mess a break on that repaired ankle would present. Anyway, I've taken a couple of real good shots on the sides of these skates and wow. It's like having microns on or something. I hope the composite weave can take the punishment and so far so good. I don't play pro hockey and don;t want to buy skates every year so I'm hoping that while light these babies will hold up. I'll tell you about my durability issues next... suffice to say that protection is impressive in my opinion, esp. considering weight.

DurabilitySo, as mentioned after 4 sessions my skates started coming apart. The inside of each toe, where the outer layer is attached with a black adhesive to the composite boot, separated pretty badly. It just let go. I was disappointed, esp. when I realized that my holders were broken also from over tightening to the boot. But, MSH posts talked about great Kor service so I emailed them. A senior engineer who has posted on this site responded within 1.5 hours late in the afternoon. By 8pm that night we had emailed back and forth a few times and the next day I sent pics. Wham bam the senior engineer for Kor informed me that I should keep skating on my skates so I didn't miss any hockey and that they were going to fedex me a hand assembled, well-inspected new pair. I didn't have to send them a receipt, whine, beg, anything. I was straight up with him and he was straight up with me. I even mentioned that my skates turned out to be a half a size to big and it was no prob, they'll send me a 9.5. I'm still shocked to be honest with you. Here's a quote from one email:

"No problem, we just look forward to keeping you in the ice, and furthermore happy while on it."

and another:

"If we can't figure out a proper fix we will gladly replaced them, as

well please let us know your size if case this is necessary.

I'll get back to you via phone call after we come to conclusions on Monday,

again we appreciate you taking the time to contact us, and we'll do

everything possible to improve your skating experience."

Well I received my new pair, shipping and duties paid, less than a week later.

I'm still waiting for them to give me the address for sending the old pair back but they said they'd pay for that too.

I seriously wish that the company didn't need to go to the trouble because their product is fantastic and I am the last guy to want to cut into their profit margin. I get the feeling that Kor is really up aginast it with the big delay for the Shift 2's and lawsuits with Torspo. I'm a real Kor booster after my experience so I hope they can become a player. I belive that they have the original and best thermoformable composite boot.

That said, paying for top end skates is a big deal for me and I still beleive that companies should back up their products with a code of honour instead of a calculation based on how many skates have "gone bad" already and other unrelated company profit/loss scenarios.

Intangibles: These babies are fugly. Good thing I pull my socks and extra long shin pads over them. Honestly, I thought Porsche 928's were ugly too until I drove one. Now I drool when one goes by...

Conclusion: I have had the best customer service experience of my life and have skates that do the job better than custom made 1990 graf supra 701's (when graf were really something actually). Considering the problems I have with my feet and ankle this really is saying something. Hang in there Kor.

My replacement Shift 1's are doing great. They are holding up much better and I've begun to feel confident that I will get good wear from these skates.

[althoma1 574]

Kor Shift 1 - size 8.5D

Time used: 4+ years (2 pairs - one for just over 2 years and one for 2 years)

Reviewer: 6'2" 210lbs, beer league forward

Fit

They felt tight in the forefoot area before baking, but fit perfectly after baking. With my first pair I felt I wasn't getting enough forward flex after the first bake so I rebaked them and leaned forward more when standing and squatting (as part of the process outlined in the KOR thread) and that worked like a charm. I have never experienced any pain or discomfort in the Shift 1's after baking. They fit so well that if they come untied during a game I usually don't notice until someone else points it out - that definitely wasn't the case in previous skates. Due to the great fit with zero negative space, I believe the perform better for me than traditional skates and are at the same time very comfortable. 10/10

Blade/Holder - The ability to experiment with the pitch is a great bonus. The steel is also hard and keeps an edge well. I've used the Pitch 3 holders on all my ice skates in the past 4 years and the only drawback has been on a couple of them it's been difficult to adjust the pitch (the screws dont' want to pop all the way back into place on some settings) and a breeze with others. I've also experienced burnt heels a few times when sharpeners haven't been patient enough to take their time with the harder Mission steel, but that isn't the blade's fault. 9/10

Weight - These aren't the lightest skates out there, but they aren't the heaviest either. At approximately 800 grams I'm happy with the weight especially when combined with the great fit 8/10

Protection - I've taken a few shots off the skate and most of the time I don't feel it, but I did feel a sting a few times and was left with a bit of soreness and bruising once. I haven't broken any bones in my feet while wearing these or missed any time due to foot injuries. The same can't be said of team mates who were hit with similar shots and were wearing other skates. 9.5/10

Durability - The first pair I had were used exclusively for over 2 years. After about a year in the first pair the tendon guards started to seperate from the boot and they had also lost all their stiffness. I managed to fix the small tears in the tendon guards with crazy glue a couple times - I'm sure a cobbler would've done a better job, but my crazy glue fix did last a few months each time and the tear didn't get any bigger. In the same time, the skate did get quite a few cuts in the shiney silver area and also started to chip where the toe cap meets the carbon sole. After close to two years the carbon and toe cap were really seperating - I could tug on the toe cap and a good 3mm of space would be apparent. The carbon part of the boot was still stiff, but the uppers were pretty soft and the skates were looking pretty beat up. At this point I retired the original Shift 1's and moved on to my second pair. Shortly after moving to my second pair I picked up a pair for Shift 2's and have been alternating between those two so the second pair hasn't seen as much use as the first. However, even though the second pair isn't as well used the seperation at the toe cap has already started and the tendon guards, while still attached, have lost all their stiffness. 7/10

Intangibles: I really like the built in fully moldable insoles - it makes the possibility of replacing the holders slim, but I have no need or intention of doing that (I'm stocked up on Pitch 3 holders and blades in my size).

Conclusion - These fit great, perform well for me, and were a great bargain (especially the additional pairs I picked up after the first one). I obviously like them or I wouldn't have bought multiple pears of Shift 1's as well as Shift 2's. I'd recommend them if you can still find a pair in your size, but you may have to have the tendon guards repaired or reinforced at some point and it's likely the toe cap will seperate eventually. The toe cap seperation did take about 2 years of skating 2 or 3 times a week to happen for me so for the price you may be able to find these for it's still a great deal if you can get a couple years out of them.

Overall 8.5/10

[Neal 41]

Kor Shift 1 - size 11D

Time used: 3+ years (2 pair, 1 for about 1 month and another for the remainder)

Reviewer: 6'3" 250lbs, beer league defense

Fit

Out of the box, these skates felt too narrow in the forefoot area and the insole felt very flat. After heating the skates, standing in them and shaping them with my hands, the fit is very good. These are the most comfortable skates I've worn in 10 or more years. I never have issues with pain or discomfort. I do have to keep them tied tightly to feel like the support is where I need it. 10/10

Blade/Holder - I've only rarely changed from the neutral setting on the Pitch holder. After a couple early attempts at both +1 and -1, I realized I really like the neutral setting and haven't varied. The holder is plenty strong for my size and leg power. I never feel it flex noticeably, something I can't say for my Razor Bladz and E-Pros on previous skates. The holders have taken several hard shots without anything beyond cosmetic damage. I've never had to replace a holder.

The steel is holds an edge very well. Durability has been good. I had to replace one blade on my first pair as it broke in the area where the front bolt goes through. I also had to shim the bolt on the front of one pair as the hole in the holder was too large. 7/10

Weight - These skates are heavier by about 20 grams than my previous Easton's according to a scale. On my feet I don't notice a difference. 9/10

Protection - I'm quite happy about the protection from these skates. I've taken several hard shots without any negative impact beyond some pain. I can't scientifically state they have kept from being injured. That said, I find myself using my foot to knock down passes and dump ins that are headed towards my feet and with a foot off the ice. I never would have done that with any of my previous skates. 9.5/10

Durability - My first pair failed quite quickly. Within 2 weeks of purchasing them, the graphite weave on the right skate cracked right inline with the back bolt on the inside of the holder. The crack was narrow but about 1.5" long. My second pair lasted nearly 3 years and then cracked in the same area. It doesn't seem to impact skating, but you can push in on the cracked area slightly.

Beyond the cracks, my skates' exterior have held up very well, with little wear after nearly 3 years of use. You won't mistake them for new skates, but I felt they had at least another year to 2 years in them.

As well, the liner and tongue appear nearly new. 7.5/10

Conclusion - The Shift 1s are the skates that fit my feet the best. I have a higher arch than most and these are the only skates I've worn that didn't require padding in that area for comfort. After the first pair, durability has been above average compared to my previous 4 pair of skates (Easton CompAir, CCM Externo E60, CCM Pro Tacks, Micron Air90). The only real negative is the cracking. At their original price, I could not recommend them. 2 pair to make it through 3 years (and one in 30 days) isn't good durability. At the price I paid for them, they are an excellent bargain.

Overall 8/10

[McDugan 89]

Kor Shift 1 - Size 9D
Time used: 2 months (coming from Shift2's that started to bother my feet)
Reviewer: 6' 190-200 lbs

Fit - I love it. Baked them and there was NO break-in period. 10

Blade/Holder - Can't say enough good about the Pitch 3. Great steel, fun to be able to play with the pitch, although with the boot pitch being somewhat forward on the Shift1's I just leave them neutral. Hard to find now, but can be found cheap, which I love. I've got several spare runners and holder stocked up. 9/10 (one point off just because the way the steel attaches and the "clicking" sound they sometimes make makes me nervous)

Weight - Considering that before I used the Kors, my old skates were Bauer supreme 1000's (the rec skates, not Custom 1000s), and I'm not an advanced skater, weight's not much of an issue for me. I don't find them obstructive at all.

Protection - They're fine. I did find the Shift2's to be much more protective though. That said, I do like the way these wrap my feet much better, so it's worth the trade-off. 8/10

Durability - So far so good, but I can't comment on it yet. They've held up just fine over the years since they were made, but since I bought NOS skates and only recently have been skating on them, I don't have much to say.

Conclusion - I really like these skates. I bought two pairs for $100 a piece, no way I could get equally good skates for anywhere near that. I had Shift2's before and loved those, but I spent a little over a year not skating at all and when I got back on the ice, the Shift2's which use to feel great absolutely KILLED my feet. I was puzzled until I realized that during that time I had made significant changes in my everyday footwear - I've been wearing minimal shoes with no heel-to-toe drop pretty much exclusively. So it makes sense that my feet have actually changed over that time. I confirmed this recently by going to Dick's (didn't want to waste anyone's time at a LHS) and trying on a couple pair of skates out of the box. The Supreme line used to fit me perfectly, and the Vapors were uncomfortably tight in the forefoot. Now, the Vapors fit like my most comfortable undies.

Of course, my review is only so useful now since they're not made anymore, but NOS pairs pop up on eBay every now and then, and for the money, a better skate won't be found. I just wish these could take a different holder like the Shift2's. I'll probably end up in Vapors at some point in order to take advantage of the great steel available for them, but if I could throw Tuuks on these, I'd make sure I had enough pairs to last me for life.