Nike/Bauer ONE90

[JR Boucicaut 3795]

Foot shape: Wide forefoot, wide heel, small arch

Coming from: Mission S500

This review actually started two years ago. I had field-tested a pair of Supreme 8090s for NBH back in September 2004. While the boot was great, there were a couple of issues that I had with it. One, coming from the Mission S500, which is a lower-cut boot, I felt that a lower-cut 8090 would've done the trick. Also, I experienced lace-bite issues. When I submitted the field-tester booklet back, I told them that a lower-cut boot and a better tongue would be the perfect skate for me. Here is the review in question: http://www.modsquadhockey.com/index.php?showtopic=2977

Flash forward to February 2006. After months of getting bits and pieces about the ONE90 from NBH, they agreed to get me a skate. After I asked them to include a 3mm heel lift (and a lower cut, but Chris stressed that it was the lowest NBH skate Light andever, and that I needed to trust him on this one) they were like "Just tell us what you want." I took the custom booklet, filled out the measurements and off we went. We ended up with a 10.25 EE/B left skate and a 10.5 EE/B right skate., #2 (retail) stiffness. Looks just like the retail version, however with a non-vented tendon guard, which I discovered later on from seeing other pro versions, is a pro makeup.

Fit - While keep in mind that the skates are custom, it is pretty similar to the retail skate. The eyelet orientation is the same as the retail version. As far as the fit is concerned, the width/depth is essentially right between the Vapor and xx90 line. Granted, the heel dynamics are different than any skate on the market. When I got the pair I initially wasn't going to bake them, but Chris stressed to me that it is important to do it, and I did. Night and day...and they felt pretty good out of the box. You are essentially one with the skate.

One of my concerns was the stiffness. Skating in a skate like the S500 for so long had soured me on stiffer skates. However, the way that the ONE90 flexes while you stride, it gives you the support you need and doesn't feel as if you have casts on your ankles.

The skate volume, even at a custom, was not as deep as what I am used to as I've skated in much deeper boots (perhaps a bit too deep.) However, as the skate broke in, it began to wrap around my foot really well.

NBH has gone with an ergonomic toecap and every size has a specific toecap size. No pain whatsoever on my toes and my callouses are now gone!

I have had foot/arch problems with every skate I have worn - it is what it is. I tried Superfeet insoles in these, however, I did not like the way they felt. I went back to the composite-reinforced stock insoles and called it a day.

Blade/Holder - If you look at my 8090 review, you would notice that I had all sorts of issues with the LS in terms of pitch. This time, by getting the 3mm heel lift, it gave me the forward lean I needed without grinding the toe down. As you guys know, the LS2 Power is a Lexan-reinforced holder - and you can definitely feel the stiffness that it provides. Also, the blade is slightly longer than years past. That took a couple of skates to get used to, but having the longer blade definitely helps when pushing off.

Weight - At 750g at a size 8, the ONE90 is the lightest skate on the market. They honestly feel like nothing on your feet. The weight difference is highly noticeable - especially at the end of the skate.

Protection - My preferred method of blocking shots is none. I tend to stay out of the way. Everyone who has skated with me has seen my backchecking...it'd be a miracle if I got to the defensive zone faceoff dots other than a faceoff! However, my first time out, I did take one on the skate which probably would've hurt like hell on the S500s. Didn't feel it.

The tongue is very nice. It is rigid, but the shape allows for it to curve properly and sit right on top of your foot. The lace bite protector is something else though. It's really beefy and you can see where the laces dig into, yet keeps its shape and doesn't crease. I noticed Kolarik's skates' tongue was in good shape - worn a bit around the sides, but the lace bite protector was still prominent and intact.

Durability - I am not one who is hard on my skates. I take out the soles and properly dry them out every time I skate. (Yes, guys, if you take care of your skates, they will not break down prematurely!) They have held up great. However, today, Chad Kolarik, who plays for the University Of Michigan, came into my shop for a sharpening. He had ONE90s with him - for about 7 months. I inspected the boots and they looked great for a pair of skates that went through almost a full NCAA Div 1 season.

Conclusion - This is quite simply the best skate I have ever skated in. The first time I skated in them - and this is something that has really never happened to me - I was able to skate the entire session in them. Usually when I am breaking in skates, especially in a competitive session, I bring my old ones with me just in case. I was able to skate the first skates for the entire duration of the session. That told me a lot about what I was dealing with.

As with all skates on the market, they are not for everyone. While I highly recommend these skates, it is imperative that you see a dealer and try them on before you buy. I understand that there is a lot of hype behind this skate, but skates should never be bought fit-unseen.

Shout-Outs - Now, we've got to tie this back to the 8090. Maybe they listened to me? Regardless, NBH has truly addressed my wants/needs in a skate. Mad love goes out to Chris and the boys and girls over at NBH for giving me the opportunity to test this ahead of time. While talking to them, I explained that I had had foot/arch problems with every skate that I have had, including these. They offered to research the problem and see if they can solve it.

I know I was railed initially by some MSH members, but I am just grateful to be a part of the process and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Any questions, please ask in my Initial Thoughts thread, or DarkStar50s.

10/10

[JR Boucicaut 3795]

Guys, I will not approve your comments in here as this is strictly a review forum. Please direct them to my Initial Thoughts thread.

[Bucky25 0]

Reviewer Specs: 6'2" 210 lbs. Size 9EE, heat molded

Recent skates used (some were only "tried out" a few times): vector pros, synergy 1300c, bauer 8090.

Foot Type: medium arch, medium heel, fairly high instep, wide in the toe area

Used for 2 months

Fit The fit on these was intially good at the store and felt ok for a while on the ice, however, after about an hour each time I skated I experienced some pain on the top and outside of my foot. I also hated the footbeds and put in shockdoctors. However, I hate the footbeds in most skates, so this isn't saying much. I would like a company to put in some really nice footbeds in a skate that runs as much as these do, instead of me having to go out and drop another $20-30 for a quality footbed. 6/10

Blade/Holder I kept the standard LS2 Power on them. I like the profile of the CCM blades and these were very similar. Overall I liked the holder and steel. The holder felt stiff and the steel seemed to hold a sharpen well. The only negative to the holder is the blue color, which I was not a big fan of, but performance was excellent. 9/10

Weight Are you kidding?! These feel like you are wearing a running shoe out on the ice. Very light and responsive. 10/10

Durability I had a problem with some separation where the boot meets the outsole. My LHS sent them back and gave me a new pair of any skate in the store plus credit for the difference. I am now skating in Rbk 9Ks. 4/10

Intangibles The zero negative space concept is a great idea and will work tremendously well going forward. The fit in these skates is second to none, if you have the right foot for these skates. The protection in these was excellent. I took many pucks off the toes and sides of my feet and felt almost nothing each time. These are very stiff skates and heat molding would be recommended for a good fit. 9/10

Conclusion As I stated above, the fit for me was not great and I had some durability issues with the skate. However, this may have been only my skate as my LHS (which is a first line dealer) has not seen any problems with these yet. The fit was good in the store for the 20-25 minutes that I wore them but not great on the ice. The blade and holder are excellent, but many people who have worn Bauer may not like the profile. I would recommend giving it a try before you spend the money for new holders. The weight is...they weigh as close to nothing as you can get in a skate. As I said, they didn't work for me, but they are a top notch skate in weight and performance. 7/10

[jbyun04 7]

NikeBauer One90

7.5 C

Last used: Bauer 8000s, 7.5D

Narrow heel, wide forefoot, very flat feet.

Introduction - This skate was actually more of a gift than anything so it was either this or some other thing I don't remember. Let me start off by saying that this skate does not disappoint.

Fit - When I was being fitted for these, I originally thought 7.5D would fit perfectly for me but it turns out 7.5C fit even better so I went with those. I had a killer pain at first along my left foot instep before and after baking but thought nothing of it. After breaking it in, I could not ask for a more perfect fitting skate. I also added some more custom-than-normal superfeet in there and that just topped it off. 10/10

Blade/Holder - Coming off of heel lifts on my 8000s, I decided to try just radius this time. The 1st session on ice seemed okay but the sessions that followed after seemed so odd. I was missing something and every now and then I would miss a stride but I realised it wasn't the holder/runner's fault. After consulting, I concluded it was the missing heel lifts so I had them put in and problem solved. (The only thing you really have to adjust to is the colour of the holder if you hate it)

10/10

Weight - Feels like you're wearing shoes. 10/10

Protection - Very stiff boot. I've taken a couple shots off the boot and didn't feel anything. I took one shot off the tongue where theres a little extra strip of padding and felt more than I probably should've but that was probably because I had a sprained ankle a the time. Again, no complaints here. 10/10

Durability - Other than your average scuffs on the toe, take care of your skates and you will be fine. 10/10

Conclusion - Obviously if you pay $800 CDN for a skate you better be getting your money's worth. This skate was solid in every department and has yet to let me down. If you have a chance to get this skate and it does fit you, get it. I can't really say anything bad about this skate and for you weight freaks out there you'll love it because it's so light.

Overall 10/10

[hockeymom 2]

A Player/Parent Joint Review

Foot shape: Wider forefoot, narrow heel, flat arch, pronates, wide toe area and oddly angled toes.

Coming from: Mission SW (S-series)

Usage at time of review: 6 months 4-6 times weekly

Fitting Issues: MissD is hard to fit; it is difficult to find a skate that is wide enough in the toe box and mid-foot, narrow enough in the heel and is comfortable in the ankle. She also doesn’t like the feel of a boot that is higher cut. I thought this was just her personal preference, or the difficulty of trying to fit into a skate that had been designed for male feet. Women tend to have wider forefeet, narrow heels and a slightly shallower/lower ankle. I have also recently learned that women’s calves are proportionally lower on their leg compared with men; a higher cut boot may in fact effect her leg movement because of the placement of the tendon guard.

Parent Issues: I wanted a skate that had a good chance of lasting two seasons = value for money now that her feet have thankfully stopped growing. She was also working very hard on improving her skating – so I wanted to find a skate that would help her with her edgework and give her a good platform.

We spent 6 months researching and trying on virtually every skate in the market (standing in each of them for at least ½ an hour in the store) before getting the ONE90’s

Fit: MissD loved these skates the moment she put them on in the store – a first! I credit the instantaneous comfort with the fact that these skates were made on a 3-D last and are built to fit the shape of the foot better right from the get-go. You can see this if you compare them to another skate and look down, the inside is a titch further forward than the outside and also a bit higher.

MissD identified a few hot spots that needed to be handled in the baking and breaking in period… primarily the outer edges of her mid-foot. Being ThermoFORMable (rather than just heat-MOLDable) makes it possible to ease the skate wider for the mid-foot and also really lock the heel in well. It did take many skates before these were fully broken in but are now the most comfortable skates she has worn.

The larger ankle pocket in these skates fits a wider variety of foot shapes and meant MissD’s ankle was comfortable at last.

Did not try the existing insoles – MissD pro-nates and always uses super-feet.

Never had a skate fit so well: 10/10

Blade/Holder: We had heel lifts installed and the blades were profiled. The NBH website recommends profiling the one90’s. The holder took a few skates for MissD to adjust to: “They seem higher and felt weird at first, but it is easier to get my edges and I can really lean into these skates without losing an edge” It made a difference in her skating and her starts and transitions are noticeably quicker and easier.

Weight: Crazy light. MissD has never been concerned about weight, but I imagine she would notice a huge difference if she tried to go back to a heavier skate. She says: “I don’t notice these skates at all: With other skates, I’d move my skate, with these I move my foot” 10/10

Protection: MissD stops pucks without noticing it at all. 10/10

Durability: After a lot of miles and even falling on the unforgiving surface of a skating treadmill there are only surface scuffs and scrapes. 10/10

Conclusion: Highly responsive skate: “you think move and BAM! You’re there” Although the stiffest skate she has ever worn, it has so much forward flex that it hasn’t been an issue. This is especially surprising because MissD was really afraid of moving into a stiff skate after having the Mission supple-fit. I believe these skates will last 2 seasons, however, they have so exceeded my expectations in a skate that I feel we will have received good value for the money even if they need to be replaced sooner than that. 10/10

This thread shows MissD’s transition into the one90’s:

One90 Transition and Profiling

Edited February 12, 2007 by hockeymom

[Macneil 0]

Foot Shape: Wide forefoot, high arch, wide heel

Coming from: Vapor XX's

Usage at time of review: 6 months

FitBest fitting boot I've ever put on. I work at a hockey shop and I get to try on every single skate on the market and this is hands down the best fitting skate I've put on. It is quite nice being able to put a skate from out of the box on and not have much tweaking to do. I love the zero negative space.6/10

Blade/Holder I kept the LS2 Power on and got them profiled before even skating on them. I like the 1/2"(standard) hollow on these skates. I find the blades hold the sharpening's quite well. They have yet to come loose which is a big thing for me because it seems every other pair of skates I've had, I twist the blades because they come loose. 9/10

Weight Coming from a Vapor XX, which is a somewhat light skate I figured I wouldn't really notice the difference, but boy was I wrong! Weighing 750 grams, you don't feel the skate on your foot. It's nice being able to go on the ice for several hours and not feel the weight on your feet. Very light and responsive! 10/10

Durability I only ref hockey now, so my skates don't get abused as much as a players skate would. I can't really give a review on them from a players perspective. I'm on the ice 4-6 times a week for a few hours at a time and they've held up wonderfully. I've got a few nicks, but no separation of material issues as of yet.4/10

Conclusion If you feel like buying the Cadillac of skates, then this is the skate for you, providing you've got the foot for it! These skates are very expensive, but they are well worth it. I found the break in period to be quite long compared to other skates, but it's well worth the wait. 7/10

[Andoy 5]

Foot shape: wide forefoot, med arcd.

Coming from: Vapor XX

Usage at time of review: 6 months, 3-4 times a week.

Intro After doing alot of research I was steered into the direction of the one90s. I was looking for a skate that would last me more than 1 year and fits properly.

Fit The one90's fit is unlike any other. The zero negative space concept means that the skate forms to your foot and feels like a sock. Right off the bat they felt great without any obvious pressure points. A few days later I noticed that my left heel was slipping a little bit. This is due to my narrow heels. The one90s are so thermoformable that a little bit of heat with your heat gun and you can literally mold them with your hands! These skates are now an extension of your body.

Blade/Holder The LS2 Power features a longer runner, something that I was able to adapt to without any problems after 3-4 skates. Supposedly the holders are stiffer and while I do not feel the difference it was a pleasant surprise to find out that the steel that comes with these holds an edge very well and does not chip unlike the steel in my vapors. This is a good thing because there isn't much steel in the first place.

Weight The way skates are these days, weight is no longer an issue.

Durability So far so good. These have taken pucks, rubbed off the boards and they don't show signs of wear aside from cuts to the toes.

Conclusion Aside from the price tag, I don't have much to complain. The fit, comfort, weight and the durability of the skate so far seems to be meeting the majority's expectation. If your foot fits, I highly recommend that you consider these skates.

Special thanks to OTG and Hockeymom for their insights and helpful threads!

[Aussie Joe 0]

Reviewer Specs: 5'11" 78Kg. Size 8.5D, heat molded (but probably didn't need to)

Recent skates Mission L7, Vapor XX (most recent)

Foot Type: High Arch, skinny.

Fit WOW! I heard of people having issues out of the box requiring multiple bakes, punches or even many months to break in. This was not the case with me at all, the skates fit out of the box! The only other skates to do this were my Roller Daddys and they lasted 6 months. I baked them just in case and have to say they somehow felt better. I was very impressed at this stage. 9/10

Blade/Holder I assumed it was abit of sales hype to assume adding a few mm to the front and back of the steel would help turns. I was wrong, it helps massively and I noticed the sharpness of my turns on my first scrimmage in these skates. I cut really quickly to my left to cut off a rebounding buck and nearly shot myself into the boards. The turns are intense and I feel allot more stable on these then the previous model Lightsepeeds with my stopping. 9/10

Weight Rediculous, I swear they weigh as much as my Vans slip ons. Thats probably an exageration but I have noticed that the lack of weight over the Vapor XX's means I can get thorugh my gears and hit top speed in 3-4 less strides! 10/10

Durability The skates have taken numerous shots and stick hacks. No major damage. I am aware of the fragile tendon guards, thus I treat that part of the skate with care in particular when taking them off. 9/10

Intangibles The only part that concerns me is the whole "Negative Space" thing means I get slight cramps/pins and needles from the natural swelling my foot does as part of hockey. Occasionally I need to re-adjust the lacing whilst on the bench, but I truely believe to eliminate this issue all I need to do is get the level of tightness down pat, when I lace them up to begin with. 7/10

Conclusion Fit and performance wise these are just amazing. Im in awe of these skates and what I can do with them. They have added a new element to my game and I now know what I need to do (Gym wise) to really maximise myself with these on the rink. Overall Im impressed and just in love with the ONE90's. Especially, after the negative experience with my Kor's and L7's. - 9/10

[Michael9 57]

Player info: Quebec Junior AA, Quebec Senior A, Hockey Canada Level 3 referee, 6'00", 200lbs

Skate: NikeBauer supreme One90, size 9d, heat molded

Previous Skate: Easton 1500's, 9.5 wide.

Usage time prior to review: Almost 3 years. Used 8-12 times a week.

Fit:

As I remember these fit great right out of the box, but decided to heat mold them anyways. I tried on basically every high level skate when I went skate shopping and this was by far the best fit and I knew I couldn't buy anything else. Originally tried on a 9.5 since that’s what I wore in Easton’s previously. The guy at the store told me to go half a size lower and he was right. These are really the best fitting skates I have ever had and the difference between the Easton’s was amazing. With the crazy amount of hours that I skate, I really needed a skate that fits great since I am sometimes on the ice for 6-7 hours straight, I have never had any pain or aggravations from this skate and that is what is holding me back from changing because they are now starting to fall apart.

10/10

Blade holder:

Usually not very picky about holders and blades, switching from one brand to another, but this was my first experience with Tuuk's. I loved them, very responsive. I felt for the first time that the blade/holder were as one with the boot. I can really feel the power of my strides with these skates, digging in to the ice. Holder durability was kind of crappy, ended up breaking 3 holders. Should have replaced them for regular Lightspeed 2's, but since they were always breaking individually I would only replace one and kept going back to the LS2 Power which in retro-spec, was a mistake.

8/10

Weight:

Not really much to say, these are light skates!!! The Easton’s felt lighter when holding them in your hand compared to the Bauer's, but when there on your feet the Bauer's feel lighter. (I know, weird!) The weight is really one of the high points of the skate. Being able to have such a lightweight skate that is so responsive it’s what separates it from the 1500's. These skates really make you forget your wearing skates!

10/10

Durability:

After close to 3 years of intense use, these bad boys are finally about to hit the dust. Maybe I’ll treat my self to some One95's since there starting to be on clearance or hold out and break the bank when the TotalOne comes out. Not sure yet. Anyway back on topic. These skates are beasts, with the number of times these have been used I'm surprised there still standing. My Easton’s which I used for less than 8 months and changed due to durability issues look worse then these after 2.5+ years. The tendon guards both ripped, but I had them stitched up as well as the seems on the eyelets. The holders snapped a few times, but got those replaced as well. But all these were in the second year of having them. Chips of the carbon on the outside started to fall off early but that really no big deal and just a cosmetic issue. The fact that these are still alive and usable really impresses me.

9/10

Conclusion:

Bauer has hooked me with this skate. Used to be a big easton fan boy, but Bauer these skates made me change ships, most of my gear is now Bauer and it will most likely stay that way. These skate were beyond what I would have originally expected. Have used high-end skates before, it was not like I was jumping from a 250$ skate to a 700$ skate, but the performance of this skate really made it feel that way. The performance, fit, weight, durability..... everything was just amazing! Bauer really did a great job with these and hopefully I am just as blown away with my next pair that I buy as I was with these.

10/10