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DarkStar50

One90: 1 Month On Ice

By DarkStar50, in Ice Hockey Equipment

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DarkStar50    679

DarkStar50
Posted

I have been skating on One90s for a month. I was given the unique opportunity to compare widths within the same size. This experience has been helpful to me in understanding how well the One90 can fit when it is sized correctly for length and width. You may be able to skate in an incorrect width but you won't be skating as well as you can when the width as well the size are a perfect match.

I have always skated in size 6, D width boot. When I was presented the opportunity to test the One90 in two different widths, I thought it would be an interesting idea and basis of comparison. The size 6, EE width skate arrived first. As has been said over and over, the skates are extremely light. This will be the first thing you notice when taking them out of the box. I laced up the EE and put it on. My foot was in the boot but I realized I needed a thicker sock to wear the boot on ice. That was easily done, thicker sock. I laced them up and walked around the shop for ten minutes with them. Here is an area to pay special attention to: do not over tighten the boots the first time you lace them up. Since I was compensating for the width difference, I snugged the laces down a bit more than usual. I could feel a bit of lace bite on the left boot and quickly loosened the laces. Things returned to normal quickly. The stiffness of the lower boot around the front of your foot is enough to keep your foot from sliding around. Therefore, as you get more used to the boots then you can make them snugger to your preference. Remember that with new skates your feet will swell up a bit. The only place skates can stretch and breathe is through your laces. If the laces are too tight and cannot stretch, once your foot starts to swell and starts screaming at you, it is all over. Can't stop that pain once it starts.

The EE boot still felt a bit loose in the heel. I tightened down the top two eyelets and that helped to lock down my heel. The rest of the boot felt very good. I had no pressure points anywhere to cause me discomfort. The shaped toe box is perfect. It allows your toes to be comfortable from one little piggy to another! The upper around the ankle felt very good, too. My foot was settled in and shaped well before baking.

I took them off and put on an edge. The LS2 Power sharpened up easily. Your initial cross grind might take a few more strokes than usual. Watch your sharpener on that all important first sharpening. Make sure you know the sharpener. It is always important to trust your sharpener. I headed out to the rink to get a quick feel before baking. No equipment, just a public session spin. The new LS2 Power blade felt different with the profile. The boot felt very good before baking for a quick 5 minute ride.

I moved to the baking process. I have described my baking info in the other thread. With this first pair, I actually underbaked the skate. I did not get enough heat to the boot to truly shape it. My thinking was I didn't want to make a huge mistake before I even made it to the ice. The boot was good to go.

My first game was 6 hours later. My first impressions were very positive for a skate that definitely felt different on ice in a good way. Before you even notice the boot, you will notice the blade length and profile. Simply put, there is more blade on ice. It felt flat and long to start. I got used to it through the game. I learned to quickly adjust to the length as I used the skates more often. The feel of the blade is a small step to conquer and there are benefits down the road with it. Adding a forward pitch to the blade has been recommended to me. I have done this and it helps. I believe the blade issue will become a non-factor as players use the skate and get them profiled to their comfort level. I had been skating on Vapor XX for 21 months. The blade profile was perfect. The adjustment was slight but noticeable in the beginning. Like anything, when you are analyzing and judging something, you tend to be more aware of everything. My other first game impressions were the boot is extremely responsive to your foot. The skate has the ability to take you places you wanted to go but couldn't always get there! This will be a feeling that is repeated the more you wear them and the more comfortable you become in the One90. I pulled a "Savardian spinner-rama" out of my hat in this game that was more the work of the skate than the work of me. The forefoot of the boot was very comfortable but this was due in part to the wider width I was using. However, since I always skated in D width skates, I could feel the heel was not as snug as I was used to and wanted.

As part of the test with the EE skates, I continued with them for 2 more weeks. I did bake them again. The second baking taught me more on what you can do with shaping the skate. It is not totally necessary to go to extremes with this shaping. You might only need a small tweaking out of the box. It is important not to over bake the skate!

As I moved through the two weeks with the EE, I quickly felt the skate become an extension of your foot. The player will get used to the boot in a short amount of time. It is a good idea to get some Puck & Stick ice time or some pick-up hockey with the skates initially. I recommend this to allow yourself the time to try some things on ice with the skates that diving straight into a game will not allow you to do. Since I work in a rink, I was able to get ice time to work with the skates and push them to new levels each time I added another session to them.

Finally, I was able to try the D width skates. I had been looking forward to the switch since I knew the boot was amazing, I just had to match up the width for the best fit. I was almost wondering if I really did need the EE before the D. I knew I could play in the EE. What if the D was too narrow?

Out of the box the D width felt perfect. The boot was surrounding my foot at the front, my toes had enough room to be comfortable, and my heel was snug tight before baking. My ankle was also settled in matching the shape of the boot. Unlike my last few pair of Bauer skates, my toes never brushed the front out of the box. I know that Vapor XX and XXX will push your foot forward in the boot and you may brush the toe box. I know that once the XX and XXX were baked and broken in, my foot would move back in the boot off the toe box. This never happened with either pair of One90s.

I baked the skates and was more aggressive with shaping them. Again, it not necessary to get as carried away as I did. I think the skates will fit some players just fine out of the box. Those guys can make any small adjustments they like. Those players that feel something different out of the box will have to be more careful when baking and shaping. The idea is to make it better, not worse.

This pair of skates I was able to devote two practices to before going into a game. The advantage of knowing how the skates would respond when new was huge. I did not over do it with these first two practices. I spent 40 minutes in the first and 30 minutes in the second. The term "game-ready" is part of the evaluation process. It is what the pros consider before they lineup for any game with different skates. I could feel these skates would be game-ready sooner because they fit so well.

My first game in the D width was also an improvement over the EE width. The chance to have the boot fit perfectly made a difference in skating confidence with a skate like the One90. This skate will allow you to try things you might never have done or do things you do now better. At times with the proper knee bend and waist bend, you can feel as if you are skating while sitting in a chair. I know that sounds crazy but try to imagine knees bent forward, your butt sitting back, your arms comfortably at your side carrying the puck up ice one handed and your head looking up to find the breaking winger for the home run pass. At the same time, the skates allow you to really take advantage of power skating techniques. If you are a strong skater in the Paul Coffey mode, keeping your feet on the ice at all times, and just shimmying your hips side to side, these skates will work for you. There is no need to make a ten monster C cuts up ice when you can power drive yourself up ice in the strength of these skates. Also, throw in a sharp side cut at center ice to avoid the checker and everybody will be backing up as you hit the blueline.

During the practice times with these skates, I have been amazed at the on ice responsiveness of the boots. I have spent a lot of time doing figure eights in the attack zone face off circles. The ability to turn a hard, sharp, and very fast crossover inside the figure eights of the face off circles speaks to the responsiveness of the skates. The ability to turn a tighter turn at a deeper angle to the ice at increased speed as you go is a huge advantage gained by this skate. This will translate to quicker, tighter turning radius that will get the player in position faster. I never thought doing figure eight could be so much fun but if you are not careful you'll get dizzy going so fast!

I have now completed 1 month on the One90 skates. I believe through my testing two different widths that getting the absolute correct width as well as size is crucial to your success in these skates. Could I have played a season in the EE? Probably. Would I play better in the D than the EE? Definitely!! I recommend this skate on your ability to buy the right size for the right fit. Never has it been more important to support your LHS than with your decision to purchase these skates from him. In the One90 fit is everything!! The boots will give you everything and more on ice in performance than you can imagine. The LS2 Power will take a small amount of time to adjust to but once you are comfortable with your blade profile, then meshing the boot and the blade with your game and your abilities will be another level of on ice experience.

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DarkStar50    679

DarkStar50
Posted

I promise you they will last at least two weeks! After this Friday, I will let you know if we can go to three weeks. Just kidding...

I would think they should be pretty durable based on how they are built. They feature the newer interior liner that is on the XXX so that should help the life of the inside of the boot. The outer boot feels plenty stiff and strong. I haven't gotten any wicked skate blade cuts on the boot yet. I take very good care of my gear and inspect it after each time on ice.

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atomicpunk5150    2

atomicpunk5150
Posted

DS50,

Nice review. It was great to see your break in process over the whole month.

After that glowing review, I am sure Nike/Bauer will sell a few more skates, LOL.

Booking was pretty tough this year. So many choices for the small LHS. I guess we will see if these skates (One90) take off.

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johnson74    0

johnson74
Posted

DS50,

I have prostock XXX's in an 8.5 E width. My right skate fits perfectly. My left is the length I like (toes brushing the toecap), but my left pinky toe rubs where the toecap and upper join together. It can be very painful some weeks when I am on the ice a lot (I coach, play, and referee). I have no good LHS within a reasonable distance with the closest being in Vancouver BC and I live in southwestern Oregon. Any insight as to how the One90 will compare to my XXX's. I really like the stiffness of my skates. The only other slight problem is that I wish my ankle bones fit slightly deeper in the boot as they are very close to the lace holes which means there isn't much padding. Otherwise I really like the fit, protection, arch support and feel of my XXX's. How may the One90's compare for me? Thanks for the info.

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DarkStar50    679

DarkStar50
Posted

For those of you that can, take my advice from the first post: Support your LHS for fit and sizing! I can't make blanket statements that a Brand X E will fit a One90 EE or that Brand Z in D will = One90 in D. This is why the LHS is the place to go. I know a lot of guys are stuck with online shopping. Do what you gotta do. I just can't help as your personal shopper because everyone's feet are different. Plus, your personal experience in how certain brands fit your feet will differ from brand to brand, model to model.

Johnson74,

I think the new toe cap could solve your present problem. I believe there are 12 to 15 different toe cap sizes being used with the construction of One90s. My experience has been that the toe cap is one area you should have no problem with. The fit was perfect in the toe cap on both the EE and D. The D width boot toe cap was just as comfortable as the EE and not sloppy. I know what you are talking about with regard to the ankle area. In the EE my ankle did settle a bit farther back than the D. I felt my right inside ankle bone a bit closer to the laces on the D width. This happened on the first session with the D. I had to get off the ice for 15 minutes while the guys took a booking delivery. When I went back on I loosened the inside top two eyelets on the right skate. The problem was gone and my ankle bone fell in place with the boot. This problem never happened again. The baking process and ability to shape should also help with your ankle in the boot. Should you decide to go with the One90 pay attention to this during your fitting. Don't pull a rush to judgement on where your ankle sits, just pay attention to detail.

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Edge    0

Edge
Posted

DS, i work in an LHS, but problem is we are only getting D width one90s in so if I end up ordering a pair in the future, I would like to know how they fit widthwise in EE as I have a pretty wide foot. If they aren't wide enough then i'm not going to want to order them.

Thanks, if you can compare then please do, if not then thanks anyway :)

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johnson74    0

johnson74
Posted
Johnson74,

I think the new toe cap could solve your present problem. I believe there are 12 to 15 different toe cap sizes being used with the construction of One90s. My experience has been that the toe cap is one area you should have no problem with. The fit was perfect in the toe cap on both the EE and D. The D width boot toe cap was just as comfortable as the EE and not sloppy. I know what you are talking about with regard to the ankle area. In the EE my ankle did settle a bit farther back than the D. I felt my right inside ankle bone a bit closer to the laces on the D width. This happened on the first session with the D. I had to get off the ice for 15 minutes while the guys took a booking delivery. When I went back on I loosened the inside top two eyelets on the right skate. The problem was gone and my ankle bone fell in place with the boot. This problem never happened again. The baking process and ability to shape should also help with your ankle in the boot. Should you decide to go with the One90 pay attention to this during your fitting. Don't pull a rush to judgement on where your ankle sits, just pay attention to detail.

DS50,

Thank you very much for your response. I really wish I had an LHS to support, it would be so much easier than ordering. I coach a college club team so I get fairly decent deals through our supplier, however, fit on skates can be a risk I wish I didn't have to take. I may try the EE width this time, not sure though. The indentation for my ankle bumps is very near that front edge of the ankle pad on my XXX's. Maybe with the EE width my foot will sit a little deeper so the ankle bones will be more centered on the pad (or would you recommend sticking with the E width?). It also sounds as though, through baking, the back of the foot and heal area will fit snugly as well. Any more input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again Dark Star.

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lando_8    0

lando_8
Posted
How about size and width from a Graf 705, size 7 regular to these One90's?

I have gone from a 8.5R in a 705 Graf to a 7.5EE in a one90. Although I skated in 7.5EE for a number of years in Bauer before going to Graf's and I find the fit to be great. When spending this amount of $$$, I'd agree with Darkstar, go to your LHS!!!

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Neo5370    132

Neo5370
Posted

I was somewhat "disturbed" (for lack of a better term) when you said these skates fostered a proper skating posture, knees/hips bent and butt out. How can skates do this?

I am very grateful for you review but can you explain this more? Specifically as in how can a skate facilitate proper posture. This can be done in any pair of skates/shoes/sandals/etc.

Also, was it not discussed in past threads that the amount of steel in contact w/ the ice is much more greatly affected by radius than blade length?

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DarkStar50    679

DarkStar50
Posted

Good question. I can't fully explain something I felt on ice. The boot provides tremendous support, forward flex, and is very responsive to your feet and legs. I could probably "sit" on my XXs but never felt this way before. I am Frodo St. Louis size so I have a very low center of gravity with knees bent, butt sticking back. In this position on ice using a power skating technique, I just felt like I was sitting. The ability of the skate to drive/transfer energy is hard to describe and explain. I will never make a claim to the skates making you a better skater. They will definitely enhance your abilities. It is the player's responsibility to work with the skate to further his game.

In our building we have a lot of elite world class figure skaters training. I like to watch their technique. One thing I always notice is how much they power skate in their opening strides and warm up. They all very rarely lift their boots off the ice. They constantly drive their energy through their hips to get up to top speed. They are in the position I am describing, especially knees bent forward, butt sticking back. There is no wasted energy picking up your legs off ice for C cuts. Remember that some amount of energy transfer that is designed into this boot is coming also from the world of speed skating. While I know speed skaters constantly pick up their feet, I am addressing the fit, shape, profile of the One90 to a speed skate. I have had Olympic model carbon shell speed skating boots in the shop. Some of the similarities in design and shape are rather interesting for the cross over(sport-to-sport) technology being employed on the One90.

In this world, there are some things you just have to experience to feel. I guess today's discovery is that this will be one of those things!

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Neo5370    132

Neo5370
Posted
Good question. I can't fully explain something I felt on ice. The boot provides tremendous support, forward flex, and is very responsive to your feet and legs. I could probably "sit" on my XXs but never felt this way before. I am Frodo St. Louis size so I have a very low center of gravity with knees bent, butt sticking back. In this position on ice using a power skating technique, I just felt like I was sitting. The ability of the skate to drive/transfer energy is hard to describe and explain. I will never make a claim to the skates making you a better skater. They will definitely enhance your abilities. It is the player's responsibility to work with the skate to further his game.

In our building we have a lot of elite world class figure skaters training. I like to watch their technique. One thing I always notice is how much they power skate in their opening strides and warm up. They all very rarely lift their boots off the ice. They constantly drive their energy through their hips to get up to top speed. They are in the position I am describing, especially knees bent forward, butt sticking back. There is no wasted energy picking up your legs off ice for C cuts. Remember that some amount of energy transfer that is designed into this boot is coming also from the world of speed skating. While I know speed skaters constantly pick up their feet, I am addressing the fit, shape, profile of the One90 to a speed skate. I have had Olympic model carbon shell speed skating boots in the shop. Some of the similarities in design and shape are rather interesting for the cross over(sport-to-sport) technology being employed on the One90.

In this world, there are some things you just have to experience to feel. I guess today's discovery is that this will be one of those things!

Fair enough. Guess I'll just have to wait til I try them for myself.

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Fredrik    0

Fredrik
Posted

Very nice review. I think you are absolutely right about the crusialty of not only getting the right length, but also the right width. It's just as important. Now these skates comes in a C width aswell, dont they?

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ktang    34

ktang
Posted

Which "Savardian Spinnerama" did you pull off: Serge or Denis? :P

Nice review.

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