Easton Stealth S15

[JR Boucicaut 3795]

Foot spec - Wide forefoot, wide heel, small arch

Last skate worn - Custom NBH ONE90, Mission Fuel 120AG

My previous experience with Easton skates were with the original SyNergy skate. As it was documented on CoreBeam, I liked the way the boots fit, but I had an adverse reaction to the way the skate flexed (perhaps buckled is a better term), and it bruised the tops of my feet for weeks. I had to give them up to a member who was supposed to do a review on them, but took the skates and ran. Due to the problems I had, I was uninterested in the second and third revisions of the SyNergy skate.

However, when I went to the Easton dealer meeting in Chicago and spoke to Easton's product manager about the skate, I liked the ideas he threw into the skate. I saw the skate in Toronto, albeit briefly, but when I went to Vegas I met up again with Chris and Mark (aka HKY_GURU) and went and tried on a pair. Once again, it fit very nice out of the box. They told me they would send me a pair once they had them in stock.

Now to the details -

Fit -

The Stealth fit is very roomy - for someone who takes an EE in any other skate out there, this (and the 8090) is the only skate that I was perfect in a regular width. The Stealth padlock ankle system holds the back of my foot very well. However, if you have a high-volume forefoot/toe area, the toebox is not very tall. That was a strange experience for me - it almost felt claustrophobic in a sense. The boot wrap is very good considering how much composite material is in the boot - normally you would think that it wouldn't be able to fold over, but it did for me.

The tongue is improved from previous Easton offerings. The shape compliments the skate well, but still shifted a bit. The liner could be improved. While I understand why it was added, and it didn't exactly irritate me but perhaps a softer liner could build on the overall suppleness of the skate.

Now, coming from shorter-cut boots, the Easton was very tall for me. While the scalloped inside ankle helps, I still had to skate with one eyelet undone. As stated in my Initial Thoughts thread, I had indicated that I felt that the right (bigger) foot was pushing all the way to the front. Since I had mounted PITCH holders on the skates and had them pitched forward, I discovered I had too much forward lean on the skates, pushing my feet too forward. Knocked it down to neutral, problem solved.

The aforementioned problem with the SyNergy skate was non-existent in this skate. Zero pain/bruising on the tops of my feet. After the first couple of skates I had some ankle issues, however, I baked them again and they were gone.

Easton ditched the ShockDoctor footbed and went with their own, and included an internal heel lift. Now, this taught me a LOT. I have Superfeet custom footbeds and immediately threw them in. Skates killed the bottoms of my feet (which has happened to every model skate I have worn) - but the next time I skated I used the 120s so I took out the footbed. I had the Eastons in the shop and threw them in - and no foot pain. Now, this is something that has been plaging me for YEARS on end, and it looks like I have found a solution. Thanks!

9/10 (-.5 for liner/toebox height)

Blade/Holder -

I have skated RBIIs before but they are a bit too springy for my liking and my weight. I could've gotten by with the non-parabolic steel on them but I didn't have any. I switched out to PITCH3. That being said, I think tweaks should be on the agenda - the steel and hardware can be improved.

N/A (personal preference)

Weight-

There isn't anything that matches this skate in weight. Simple as that.

10/10

Protection -

Now, you guys know that if I see my defensive hashmarks, it would be a miracle. Haven't blocked any errant shots but I did take a slash on one and it didn't bother me at all. I imagine the protection is comparable to the SyNergy skates.

Durability -

Very good. Once again, I am not very hard on skates, but it looks like the delam issues from the SyNergy and 1300C have been solved. The liner is holding up, no fraying with the tongue and the eyelets are the best eyelets I have seen on a skate. Obviously this thread will be updated in the future, but as of right now, it has been top-notch.

10/10

Conclusion -

Guess what? Easton GOT IT RIGHT. They have delivered a composite skate that is doing everything that was promised. One thing that should've been done was the offering of a narrow width like on the SyNergy - I don't know how sales were for it (three SKUs is a lot per size) but going by how wide my feet are, these skates would be too roomy on a regular foot. They can go as far as to kill the W (not going to sell many EEE boots) and call the N regular and R wide. Offer that, a softer liner, a roomier toecap and a tweaked holder and you will have one hell of a skate.

Overall - 9.75/10

Shout-Outs -

We really worked hard on getting a positive relationship with Easton, sitting down with them in Vegas for almost a whole day showed me that they have a lot of great guys over there who are very passionate about their work. Thanks goes out to them for providing me the opportunity to test out this skate.

Please address any questions you may have in my Initial Thoughts thread.

[mojo122 535]

Update: June 28, 2008

Background - 5'9 180, wide forefoot, regular heel, fairly flat arch.

Previous Skates

Graf G35’s, Bauer Vapor XXX’s, and Bauer One90’s

Fit

My Vapor’s were an EE width and my One90’s a D width. Regular width in a size 7 was a good fit both in length and width. The skates are extremely comfortable right out of the box. I had them baked which really helped the ankle padding form to my feet. Since I wear my tongues beneath my shin pads I’m not particularly crazy about the pre-curved tongues on the S15’s. They haven’t affected my skating or the skate’s performance, but they have started to wear away the bottom lining of my shin pads. The perfect fit for me is probably ¼ size down, which is something isn’t available from Easton at the retail level. 9/10

Blade/Holder

I really liked the Pitch holders that I had installed on my Graf’s, but also liked the LS2’s and the LSP’s. The Easton holders are no where as stiff as the LSP or Pitch holders, but the fact that I’m not that big a person didn’t cause me to notice any flex problems from the holders. The Easton steel seems to hold a decent edge as well. 9/10

Weight

These skates are ridiculously light. Although I can’t see skates much lighter, I’m sure that the skate manufacturers will continue to try and push the envelope on fit, weight, and performance. 10/10

Protection

I am forever sticking my feet in the way of shots and passes and the S15’s have to be the most protective skates I have ever worn. I broke my left foot while wearing the One90’s and have since taken several shots of the same foot while it was healing wearing the S15’s and didn’t feel a thing. 10/10

Durability

I’ve been wearing the Easton’s 3 times a week since the beginning of June and the skates have held up just fine except for some cosmetic scrapes from skates, sticks, and pucks. I feared the shredding toe caps some of my friends experienced with the 1300’s and 1500’s, but don’t see any indication that it will happen to my S15’s.

Shortly after writing this review the leather areas began separating from the composite shell in many areas. To date I have glued and re-glued just about every part of the skate. While a great performing skate the durability issues and time I have spent doing home repairs don’t make it worth buying another pair.

Conclusion

This was the first pair of Easton skates I have ever owned/worn. I was tempted to try the 1300’s and 1500’s, but had concerns over many of the issues that were identified by many MSH Members and my co-skaters. My experience with the Stealth S15 has been nothing but positive and although this is the first Easton skate I have purchased, definitely not the last. I hope Easton continues to refine the skate, perhaps making the cut slightly lower and looking at tweaking the tongues. Rumors of there being an improved holder in the works will hopefully improve upon what is already a great skate.

Overall Score 9.5/10

Updated June 28, 2008 – Durabilty and high maintenance drop this skate to 7/10

[A2rhino 62]

Background

5'11, 218lbs., wide forefoot, regular heel, mod arch.

Previous Skates

Graf G3’s and 705

5-1-2008 Update

Fit/Comfort

Both my Graf’s were a D Regular width in a size 9.5 same as the S15’s. The S15’s are A great fit both in length and width and extremely comfortable out of the box. I had them baked even though I didn’t feel I needed to but I think it really helped mold the tongue to my foot since I wear my tongues under my shin pads. I was pleasantly surprised with the tongues on the S15’s. I ordered some felt tongues in advance incase I didn’t like these but ended up with no need to switch them out. I really like the Pad lock design of the ankle lock as well. The Pilgrim grip lining seems just fine with my Oxysocks. To the touch with your hand you may think differently as well as those who skate barefoot. I have to say that these are as close to a perfect fit for me as you can get either custom or retail. 10/10

Still fit great, like a mold of my foot. Have taken MANY shots and hacks off these and have had no issues with pain or any sort of destruction to the skate. Toe is a bit beat up but ONLY cosmetic.

Blade/Holder

I really liked the Tuuk LS2 holders that I had installed on my Graf’s. I threw those on my S15’s just because I was use to them and had never heard anything special about the Easton holders and what I had heard was that they didn’t accommodate well to heavier guys. So with that being said I cant give a fair review on the holders. I will say this though. I bought a pair of heel wedges as well thinking that I would again need them for the proper pitch that I was use to from my Graf’s however I simply used the foam heel lift that comes with the skate along with my Superfeet insoles and it worked just fine after a couple of skates. N/A (personal preference)

Weight

These skates are freaking light and I can’t see skates much lighter while maintaining a high quality boot that performs and protects like these. 10/10

Protection

The S15’s have to be the most protective skates I have EVER worn. I have taken dozens of shots off my feet (Not feeling a thing) and not only have I been able to finish my shifts but also the game without any issues to the skate or me. I suggest these to any defenseman looking for a high performance protective skate.10/10

As stated above: Still solid and extremely protective.

Durability

I’ve been wearing the S15’s 2- 3 times a week since June/July and the skates have held up Great. Some people have complained about cosmetic issues with this skate such as the glue that keeps the leather to the shell pealing away. I have not had that issue (yet) however I am meticulous with taking care of my stuff. I always wipe dry, remove my insoles and hang my gear to dry. I have had my toecaps peel a bit but I expected that when I first got them. I will say that I am happy that they don’t look as bad as I thought they would by now. 10/10

These skates are tanks!! No issues with them at all. Tongue is holding up as well as the leather and the glue that is fused to the carbon outsole.

Conclusion

This was the first pair of Easton skates I have ever owned. I was tempted to pick up a pair of the 1200’s but had a hard time parting with my Graf’s. I can say with complete confidence that my experience with the S15 has been nothing but a dream and worth every penny. I will buy another pair in the near future as a back up for sure. I hope Easton continues to make this skate and maybe designing a black on black or a charcoal gray on black as the next generation. I’m personally just not a fan of the shinny silver. With that being said these are the best bang for your buck if they fit your foot type. I have to give the conclusion a 9.8 just because nothing is perfect and the shinny silver color of the boot. Still not a fan of the shinny silver but whatever. The skate was worth EVERY PENNY and I wouldnt buy another skate for any other reason other than to just try something different. I thought that with my weight and how hard I am on skates that these would be on their last leg but that is SO NOT the case.

Overall Score 9.8/10

Edited May 6, 2008 by A2rhino

[eric42434224 1]

Foot spec - Wide forefoot, avg heel, avg arch

Last skate worn - Bauer Supreme 50

6'-0", 210 lb, Defense

I wore the Supreme 50 for 2 months upon my retrn to hockey after a 20 yr hiatus. I knew the name, and they were reasonably priced on clearance. Unfortunately, the seam where the toecap meets the skate dug into my toe causing serious pain and damage. it was too painful to finish barely one hour, so I knew I had to switch.

Tried on all Bauers, including the one90, and they all got me right in the toe area. CCM's didnt seem wide enough either. No RBKs to try on. So I tried Easton....specifically the S15....and it fit like a glove. Here is my review after 2 months:

Fit -

These skates felt like they were made for my feet out of the box. No pressure points at all, and no seams at the toebox....as it is a full composite boot, there are really no seams at all. It felt like heaven to have a skate fit like this. I skated on them the first day, without baking, and they felt great. Got them baked the next day, but really didnt notice any difference in fit. They still fit great to this day, and I skate with no pain whatsoever. I think they may not be deep enough for me though, but it hasnt seemed to affect me in any way. The tounge was wierd for me at first, but I havent noticed any ill effects like lace bite.

9/10 (-1 for depth)

Blade/Holder -

The Razors with the cut out steel are lighter than the tuuk's on the 50's I had, and I was concerned at first about them. The guy at the LHS said the tuuks were better, but just to use the Razor until they failed, and swap the tuuks from my bauers. So far they havent been a problem. The razors feel lighter, and sound different when digging in on a turn, but aside from that, there seems to be no problems with them at all. Just like the look of the tuuk better.

9/10

Weight-

Super light, as you all probably know. Took about 15 minutes just to get used to them. Seems that the other brands (bauer 0ne95, rbk 9k, ccm u+) are all light now too, so it isnt such a unique feature. still, they are very light.

10/10

Protection -

Very protective. I am a defensman, and I block shots regularly. I have taken many shots off the skate from differing angles. None have cause any pain at all, and some I can hardly feel. Only cosmetic scrapes to the composite shell. Tounge not as much....some shots off the tounge did hurt. Did do some damage to the leather, and will address that under durability. All in all, for protection for your feet, they really do a great job.

9/10

Durability -

Here is the skates achilles heel. The glue has started to fail, and the leather is coming off from the composite. This seemed cosmetic at first, but it is clear that it can and will become structural. The single stitching is coming undone as well. This will eventually cause the failure of the areas where the liner and leather are attached to the composite (ie - lace area), and can cause the failure of the structural integrity of parts of the boot. Easton seems to have realized this, and I have seen the second generation s15, which is said to have improved glue, and double stitching. Easton said they will replace mine with the new, and hopefully it will clear upmthe durability issue......only time will tell

5/10

Conclusion -

Very comfortable skate. Very protective skate. Very light skate. Performs and feels great. I prefer a more traditional looking skate, but these days, that is hard to find. Durability seems to be the issue here, and hopefully Easton can address it.

Overall - 8.5/10

UPDATE: After 3 months, I am sending them back to Easton. I tried to keep the leather from seperating too much by keeping the skates extra dry, using a fan after each skate, and using super glue. Even with all those efforts, the leather has come completely off on some areas, exposing the joints in the composite, and allowing moisture into the skate. Not good. Also, the screws on the holder keep coming loose. I have also cancelled my replacement pair, as I am not confident that more stitching or new glue will be a permanent solution to attaching the leather to the composite. I think I will be opting for another skate.

New assesment:

FIT - 9/10

HOLDER - 8/10

WEIGHT - 10/10

PROTECTION - 9/10

DURABILITY - 3/10

OVERALL - 7.5/10

UPDATE: 12/9/08

I got the Custom Pro S-15's back in August, and have had them for about 4 months right now. The difference between these skates and the retail versions (especially the 1st gen) are huge.

FIT - The skates seem to be not only the same fit as the retail, but they seem to be made from the actual retail boot. The fit is exactly the same. That is where the similarity ends. Same 9/10

HOLDER - Same Razor Blade II holder, but this version comes with the solid steel runner. Obviously heavier than the retail parabolic runner, but they are much stronger and more stable....and seem to hold an edge longer....perhaps a different grade of steel. Upgrade 9/10

WEIGHT - Here is the downside to the Pro Custom model. They add an extra layer of the Carbon Fiber, as well as add rubber/synthetic leather type pieces right were the old ones would seperate from the boot. The shell is glued, riveted, and stitched on. The leather covers more area and is reinforced with extra stitching. The tounge is thick felt. They are also much stiffer. All this adds weight. Not overly heavy, but a noticeable difference. Downgrade 8/10

PROTECTION - Insane protection. The protection on the retails was great due to the hard composite outer shell.....but with two layers? Absolute TANKS.

Upgrade 10/10

DURABILITY - All durability issues have been addressed. I have had these for 4 months and there is zero seperation of the leather from the composite. The new rubber toe covering is almost completely intact. They almost still seem new. Still as stiff as when I took them out of the box. Incredible. Never thought I would say it, but I think my S15s will last 2 years? At 3 months, my retail s15s were literally falling apart. Upgrade - 10/10

CONCLUSION. - If the s15 is the skate you want for fit, protection & performance.....do not buy the retail versions. We all know the durability issues. If you can handle the increased weight, these skates are for you. I have seen them being sold on Ebay all the time. I got mine for $400 shipped....woth every penny.

TOTAL - Upgrade to 9/10

Edited December 9, 2008 by eric42434224

[beaverpower 0]

Foot spec - med/wide forefoot, high arch, small heel,

Last skate worn - Bauer 2000 (yes I quit playing when I was 19 and started up again 5 months ago at 31)

5'7", 120 lb, Center

Fit -

Well compared to the older skates they felt very stiff. I immediately noticed pain in my ankle bones and above, around the tongue. I had them baked in the store and it didn't make much of a difference. I figured they would get better once I broke them in. The first 3 times I skated on them I ended up with painful wounds right above my ankle bones and bruised ankles. I wore blister band-aids for the first month which kept the skin from rubbing off but I still had the pain. It's been 5 months and I'm still having issues. I was taping my ankles to add a bit of padding but that just got annoying. I have been using wrist bands over my ankles which works pretty good but takes away from the nice heel suction that these skates have. Better than nothing. I tried a gel sleeve last night at my pickup game but it was very long and caused pain on the bottom of my foot. I'm hoping the bunga pads that just cover the ankle bones will help. Planning on ordering some.

5/10

Blade/Holder -

Can't complain. Super strong and super light. Holds a great edge even after 5-6 ice sessions w/o a sharpening.

9/10

Weight-

These weigh nothing. My speed improved tremendously, even after 10 years off the ice.

10/10

Protection -

Taken a few shots off the skate and haven't felt a thing yet.

10/10

Durability -

5 months at 2-3 times a week on the ice. No problems yet.

10/10

Conclusion -

I love everything about this skate except for the tongue. I can see why they decided to go felt with the S17's.

[AIREAYE 248]

After a full calendar year in these skates and countless games and sessions in them, I feel that a comprehensive review can finally be written.

5'10" , 135 lbs

Skating 1-3 times a week

Background: I had come from a pair of size 8D Mission AmpFlys and those guys lasted me for a quite a while. Learning to skate in a traditionally built mid-level skate really helped pave my path to the level I am at now. In the Missions, I often felt pressure and discomfort on the sides of my foot, indicating that they were too narrow. Simple wear and tear and inability to replace the ground-down steel were definitely signs that I had to consider another pair. At the time of the purchase, I had little to no knowledge of skate fitting and only had a price range of about $300 to spend. With that; I tried on a few pairs, including the (then) newly released Supreme One70 and Vapor X:30/40. Needless to say, neither skate offered a comfortable fit, with heel lock being a big issue. Then came the S15s (then luckily, on sale for $300).

Fit: 9.5/10

Initially drawn to these guys because they were a (once) top-end skate on sale, I found that they were near-perfect fitting right out of the box. I had tried the size 8.5R (D) at first, but felt a bit of discomfort near my pinkie toe. Moving to a size 8.5W (Wide) was the natural choice and the size I ended up going with. The S15s felt amazing right out of the box: solid heel-lock for my bony ankles and narrow heel, perfect width for my wider forefoot and no depth issues. No other options could compare at the time, even the Synergy models I felt did not provide as solid a heel-lock and as wide a fit, while the ankle padding in both Bauer skates did not provide a comfortable feel and heel-lock.

The Stealth boot also offers a deeper fit than other lines, which surprisingly tapers down to a shorter toecap. It also has a higher cut boot than the Synergy skates, a feature which was important for me as I desired as much lateral support as possible.

That being said, The fit of the S15s (and the rest of the Stealth line) is exactly as my feet were: a narrow/regular ankle with a wider forefoot. The padding, which Easton had labelled their 'Stealth Padlock' is very prominent, especially in the areas above and below the ankle bone, creating that featured pocket. Those with 'fatter' ankles may find the padding putting too much pressure in that area.

Like a previous poster mentioned, I will only give a perfect score to a fully customized skate.

Steel/Holder: 7.5/10

My pair of S15s were 2nd generation (more on that in the Durability section), thus featuring the newer scalloped Elite Stainless Steel as opposed to the LPS2 that came from it's initial launch and the standard Razor Bladz II holder. The Elite steel holds an edge well and thus far have not encountered any issues with them. However the Razor Bladz II holder on my right skate is slightly warped above the middle of it, exposing a bit more of the runner in between. I don't know the real cause behind this, be it an impact or having them incorrectly mounted on the sharpening jig, but apparently warping isn't a rare occurrence with the Razor Bladz II holders. While at the moment, this hasn't impacted performance, it remains to be seen if it compromises the durability of either the steel or the holder.

Weight: 10/10

Easton advertised these guys to be the lightest performance skates ever made, size-for-size. Weighing in at sub-700 g, no current skate, 4 years later, could compete. Made possible due to the Carbon/Texalium boot construction, the weight difference between these guys and the older leather-construction AmpFlys are definitely noticeable and appreciated.

Protection: 8/10

The stiff boot provides enough protection for my level of play. Having taken a few shots and hard passes off the foot, I can say that while they aren't the most protective skate out there, they definitely do the job. The pre-moulded EPE foam tongue protects well against lacebite as well.

The only problem I have is the toecap, especially after a couple of collisions against the boards where my toecap took most of the contact and my toes were hammered against it as a result. Perhaps a change to a rubber toecap (which they did with the S17) would help with impact dispersion as opposed with the thinner carbon-based cap on the S15s.

Durability: 8.5/10

Here is where nearly everyone who initially purchased a pair of S15s encountered spectacular problems. Easton made a patchwork effort with the 2nd generation release of S15s (which I have) which features double stitching and additional material in key areas of the boot (the panel containing the S15 graphic for example) as well as replacing the Texalium material in the smaller 'windows' and switching out the steel..

Before the change, the S15s were plagued with durability issues ranging from the infamously documented complete disintegration of the toecap-boot area (see the S15 thread for pics), loose stitching and the breaking off of the black panel features of the boot. I believe that while Easton had definitely improved upon this in the 2nd generation offering, a few issues lingered with my experience.

To be clear, I take good care of my skates and do not punish them performance-wise. After skating anywhere from once to thrice a week (more often once) for a full year, the only durability issues I encountered was minor chipping/wearing down of the forefoot area where the boot meets the toe; more cosmetic than structural.

Intangibles:

• Definitely not the best looking skate out there, but the Texalium weave on the boot still looks pretty sharp in my opinion
  
• Originally I was skeptical about the level of comfort and protection regarding the molded EPE foam tongue on the S15s, preferring the more traditional felt. However the thinner tongue proved to be quite practical since I prefer to tuck them under my shin pads
  
• Very good moisture wicking properties, enhanced by the Dry Flow channel underneath
  

Overall: 8.5/10

It's important to take good care of these skates, especially if durability is a concern. At the moment of posting, the S15s should either be sold out or on clearance pricing everywhere and for around that $300 price range; it definitely beats other performance skates in terms of value; though only if you fit in them.