Bauer Supreme 80-90

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

Open

[Cavs019 708]

Bauer 8090

Background - 5'9 175, wide forefoot, narrow heel, very high arch.

Introduction - I would first like to point out to anyone interesting in purchasing 8090's that they are a very unique fitting skate, and are the ultimate skate in disproving online skate purchases. I came from an 8D Vapor XX, and had to drop an entire size to a 7D in the 8090. I wear a 10 shoe and my foot is done growing. For anyone thinking about purchasing these online, I strongly recomend not doing so unless you are absolutely sure of what size you need.

Fit - Comming from the Vapor XX, these boots were like a breath of fresh air for my feet. Unlike most of the super-light skates on the market, these are actually comfortable. The skate is built with a wide forefoot and narrow heel, which obviously fits my foot dimension perfectly. However for some even the D width will be too wide, and unfortunately bauer doesn't offer the C width as a stock option. The boot is very stiff, and the liner and tongue is much thicker than the Vapor XX. 10/10

Blade/Holder - Despite recieving mixed reviews, I personally love the lightspeed holder, especially with the much more practical solid steel that comes installed on the 8090. 10/10

Weight - The difference in weight between the 8090 and Vapor XX boots is non existent. The 8090 is up there with the lightest skates on the market. 10/10

Protection - As a result of the super stiff quarters, the 8090 is an extremely protective boot. I hardly felt anything when hit with a puck, stick or any other object. 10/10

Durability - This is where the 8090 really shines, and is a true testiment to bauer in how well crafted this skate is. The Vapor XX had already begun breaking down and looked pretty beat up after 1 month, (6 days a week skating) the 8090 on the other hand still looks mint, with nothing but puck marks on the holder and boot. The skate is still as stiff as it was when i first bought them. Someone has finally figured out how to create a super light skate without sacrificing durability 9/10

Conclusion - Even after a month of skating in them I am still extremely impressed at how nice of a skate this is. I would strongly suggest anyone who has the foot for them, and plays at a high level seriously considers them for their next pair of skates. I've used the XX, v12, 7000, vapor 10, and 705, and the 8090 is head and shoulders above all of them in every aspect.

Overall 10/10

Edited July 5, 2004 by Cavs019

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

Bauer 8090

Background - 6', 225, wide forefoot, regular heel, small arch.

Introduction - The boys at Bauer RR&D saw my S500 post and decided to offer me a pair of 8090s based on my foot type, along with a field tester's handbook which I have to fill out and return after the evaluation. I ended up dropping a half size and a width in these. The 8090 has a Supreme-type liner, a Nike V12 outsole and a XX tongue - very good features.

Fit - Very nice fit. The toecap was very wide and the heel locked in my foot well. I baked them and skated in them the next day. I ended up having lacebite problems which went away around the 4th skate in them. It took me a bit to break them in, due to the fact that I have not skated in Bauers in 7 years. 8/10

Blade/Holder - This is what gave me fits. I usually skate in a 9' F radius, and the first thing I did was to set it at that. However, the boot pitch still had me on my heels - which was quite embarrassing because I was falling all over the place, just standing up normally. I ended up dismounting the back rivets and sliding in an 1/8" lift in both skates. It corrected the problem. However, I have sold 8090s and have had to do fwd pitches on 4 of them, and these are skaters who always skated in neutral pitches in other BNH skates. 7/10

Weight - The 8090 is currently the lightest skate on the market. It felt like I had nothing on my feet. 10/10

Protection - Very good protection. Bauer always has shined in this category. 10/10

Durability - Bauer finally got the weight/durability ratio down on this skate. No signs of breaking down, and is still stiff. Very well crafted. 10/10

Conclusion - Coming from skating in low-cut, softer stiffness, forward pitched boots for 7 years (Graf 705/Pure Fly/S500) it took me a while to get used to cornering and striding in these. Part of it was the blade, but to try to achieve a little more forward flex I was forced to unlace the top eyelet. I also have longer shin pads due to the boots that I was wearing previously. However, if you currently skate in Bauer boots, you'll love these. Easily their best skate.

Thanks to Ken and Chris over at BNH RR&D for the trial. Very good job on the skates, guys. I hope that my feedback on here as well as the tester's handbook helps you guys now and in the long run.

9.5/10

[Accord 0]

Bauer 8090

Size: 7.5

Width: EE

Reviewer background: 5'11", 220, thick foot, extremely wide forefoot, narrow heel, medium to high arch, and I skate barefoot.

Introduction: I have worn CCM skates for the past year or so but was forced to go back to Bauers due to the fact that CCM's just did not fit my foot properly. I wear a size 10.5 Nike shoe and my 8090's were a 7.5 EE, also incase you were wondering, my skate size coming from CCM's was also a 7.5 and my toes feathered the toe caps on both the 8090's and CCM Pro Tack's, so I find that the sizing between CCM's and Bauer's are relatively the same. When I first took the skates out of the box, my first impressions were just how incredibly wide the submarine shaped forefoot area was.

Fit: This totally depends on your foot type. People with very low arches should not even consider the 8090 (or any Bauer skate for that matter) because the built in arch of the footed is pretty high. Even though my skates are an EE width, the forefoot area is very wide but the width of the heel area isn't that much wider than that of a regular D width pair of 8090's. My heel was locked in place very well, no slippage at all and I do not wear socks. Also, in my CCM Pro Tacks my foot was almost popping out of the boot because I have a very thick foot however I found the 8090's to be a VERY deep fitting skate and was perfect for my very thick foot.

Score: 10/10, but it all depends on your foot type.

Blade/Holder: I had a lot of problems with the steel that came in the Bauer 8090's. I was at a practice not doing anything out of the ordinary when all of a sudden I felt like I lost an edge on my left skate and I couldn't glide at all, then it felt like the blade was loose and I knew something was wrong. I went to the bench, looked down at my left skate, and saw a massive crack right down the middle of the steel blade. I found a store that sold replacement 272mm Lightspeed runners and replaced the steel on my 8090's, I had to pay for them however the next day I called Bauer and they said it was no problem and reimbursed me for the cost of the runners, no questions asked. Fantastic customer service! (Go here for pictures of the cracked steel: http://www.modsquadhockey.com/index.php?showtopic=7303). Aside from the cracking, I just love the pitch and angle of attack of the Tuuk Lightspeed holders. I also like the fact that Bauer includes a T-handle allen wrench with the skates so you can easily change out the steel yourself. Back to the steel, I was told that Bauer had a bad batch of steel which I assume was the root cause of my steel cracking, however I was also informed that Bauer has since corrected the steel. My replacement steel has held up very well.

Score: 4/10, if the steel didn't break so soon after I bought them, I would have given this a 10/10.

Weight: Coming from wearing CCM Pro Tacks, the 8090's felt like I had nothing on my feet at all. Extremely light weight!

Score: 10/10

Protection: These skates are very protective, the entire skate is made of the most high quality and most protective materials and the boot is very stiff, also the tongue has some sort of plastic insert in it with a lot of cushioning which I found to be great.

Score: 10/10

Durability: The Bauer Supreme line of skates have always been known for being super durable and the flagship 8090's are no different. I have been skating almost 2-3 hours a day, 6 days a week for the past month and a half since I got them and they have been holding up extremely well. None of the threads are fraying, no creases, no loose eyelets, nothing. Very high quality skate that should last me at least 2 years.

Score: 10/10

Intangibles: I was forced to switch from CCM to Bauer because of my high arch and thick foot and haven't looked back. Everytime I lace them up, I just feel like these skates were made specifically for me. The 8090's are one of the very few skates on the market that I can comfortably wear.

Score: 10/10

Conclusion: The Bauer 8090 is a skate that demands a very specific foot type. If you have a very thick and wide foot with a medium to large arch, I would highly recommend the 8090's. If your foot meets the criteria required for wearing the 8090's, they are the absolute best skate on the market. The 8090's are a front runner in every single category and are of the utmost quality. Go down to your LHS right now and try a pair on! Despite the fact that I cracked the steel on my left skate, I am still going to give a final score of 10/10 because of how well Bauer's customer service department quickly handled the situation and informed me that the problem of the steel being brittle has been corrected. The personal attention that I received throughout this matter from a large company like Bauer was great and I am proud to support them.

OVERALL SCORE: 8/10

[B-Nads 0]

Profile: 6'3, 235lbs, forward who hangs out in front of the net, aggressive skater.

Fit: As the others have said, these tend to fit a narrow to medium ankle with a wider fore-foot. I was wearing Vector 6.0 in 9E, and I have these in 9.5D and while still a little tighter than the CCM's they fit my foot perfectly. They lock the ankle very well. (I won't give a score for fit because they will either be a 10 or a 0 depending on your foot shape).

Weight - Performance: Considering the quality and protection of these skates, the weight is absolutely amazing - basically a tank that has the weight of a feather. They are extremely stiff, and will not break in easily for lighter, less aggressive skaters. I thoroughly enjoyed skating on them, and they weren't even properly profiled for me - will update the performance after I get them adjusted if there is any major + or - difference. (10)

Protection: I like my skates tight (I wear 11 shoes), but this means you feel the shots off the toe a bit more. I got one in my first outing on these and I felt it, but it wasn't real bad. The boot does a great job of apsorbing side impacts. (10)

Holder: Seeing as how I am accustomed to a forward pitch, this was a problem -a 9 radius had me rocking quite a bit, and the heel-loaded pitch took some adjusting. Also, the fact that these blades were a bit shorter than the 288's on my Vectors made me feel like I had almost no blade on the ice at all. I had this adjusted to an 11 radius with increased forward pitch - I will update after the next excursion. The LS2 felt very light and responsive though, so I am hesitant to replace it with a Pitch 3 as I had initially planned. The blade is not perforated, so hopefully it will be more durable. (pending update)

Durability: All reports have these skates as among the most durable available. It is amazing that Bauer can cram so much protection into such a light skate and have durability in the mix (The durability of the Vapour line emphasizes the difficulty of achieving this), but this boot appears to have accomplished that. I will give them a 10 based on others' experiences and update if needs be.

Overall: This is a sweet looking boot if you are a traditionalist. They do not have the bling of the Vectors or the Synergies, but I actually prefer a black hockey skate. The workmanship of these skates is impressive, to say the least. They are easily the best, most performant skates I have owned to date, and will be in my bag until they die - if the durability reputation is well-deserved than they may outlive me - lol. I would recommend these above any other skate if they fit you. If they do not fit, do not get them - you will not break them into a proper fit, as they are extremely stiff. In my first game with them on this past Monday I had 3 offers to buy them on the spot in the dressing room - guess they have a reputation.