Mission Lieutenant vs Tour Cobalt 9.9s

[vaultingslinky 0]

Sorry to start another thread like this but...

My Mission D3c's have been falling apart for about a year (a rivet popped on the chassis, I didn't notice and the boot started ripping). I can finally afford some new skates now, and I don't know what to go for.

I like the look/fit of the lieutenants and I think I would be happy with them, but they have a contender.

I have read a lot of praise for the tour code/hummer setup (i.e. the cobalt 9.9). They are a little cheaper over here (UK) and I'm going to try them on Sunday. Having all 80mm wheels sounds interesting!

I play hockey 3 times a week (4 if I have matches) and I am probably the fastest skater on the team (although that doesn't mean much in the grand scale of things :P ), so speed/being able to stop quickly is important, and I would like a lighter boot than my D3c's.

Thanks for reading :)

[Hoffer 0]

I can personally stop the quickest on the hummer out of all the different frames because of it having all 80’s plus it should help your speed out a little. Just try them on and see which one you like better but I would personally go with the 9.9’s if they are comfortable.

[vaultingslinky 0]

Cheers dude, if the fit is nice I'm definitely leaning towards the Tours, just not sure on the look yet :P

[kovalchuk71 212]

Looks shouldn't sway your decision. Whatever fits your foot best.

[Zac911 317]

Looks shouldn't sway your decision. Whatever fits your foot best.

X2!

[kovalchuk71 212]

Also, chances are if you fit well into the Mission, you won't fit well into the Tour.

[opivyattack 0]

Also, chances are if you fit well into the Mission, you won't fit well into the Tour.

Maybe, maybe not. Everyone is different. Personally my foot fits great in both Mission and Tours. I have the Assassins and I have Tour E2s. The D3C is hilo? 72-72-80-80? I tried Tours for about 10 months and finally gave up on them. They are the lightest and most comfortable skate I've ever had. I mean EVER! Hockey, recreational, aggressive, whatever. That says a lot. Tour makes high quality stuff and they make great skates (however the new cobalt line is supossed to be a little heavier than the code line from what most have said probably not a big deal though). The reason that I finally gave up is because the Tours have more of a heel pitch. I really felt like had to skate on my heels and it affected my agility and my overall skating abilities.

Mission now uses the Vanguard chassis which is much better than your old hilo. It uses wheels 76-76-80-80. This will still give you a forward pitch (although a little more neutral than what you're used to) and give you an extremely close feel as far as stopping, grip, and top speed to the Tours. I've gotten my skating skills back since going back to Mission and I'm happy with my skates.

If you want to try something new that you haven't done before or if you're used to a heel pitch from ice hockey then go for the Tours. They really do make awesome skates and they have to be the lightest on the market yet still durable. If you want something that you know you will be comfortable with and should take very little adjustment (if at all) then go with the Missions.

[Hoffer 0]

Kovalchuk is defiantly right that you should not decide what skate you get by looks but which one performs and fits better. As of fitting well into either a mission or a tour but not the other complete depends on the person and there foot. I have a couple teammates that switch back and fourth between tour and mission skates.

[AWE46M3 0]

Also, chances are if you fit well into the Mission, you won't fit well into the Tour.

I find some truth to this statement, at least out of the box. I found the two to fit quite different when I was trying to decide between some Tours and Missions. I wore Mission ice skates in the past, but found the Tours to be more comfortable; the Tours ended up being the first set of non-conversion roller hockey skates I purchased and I couldnt be happier.

And remember, you're shopping for skates, not girlfriends so looks don't matter as much as comfort/functionality! haha

[vaultingslinky 0]

Looks shouldn't sway your decision. Whatever fits your foot best.

Of course I wouldn't make a decision any other way, although you have to admit the 9.9s are a little erm 'sparkly' compared to the lieutenants :P

In the UK, where I live being someone who only properly got into playing hockey 5 years ago and i've been wearing missions the whole time,( inline has always given me the most playing time, never got that much of a chance to play ice until university...and I have never owned ice skates!!). So I'm not used to the heel pitch, if the tours lack a forward pitch then that may be a big negative, I like having it.

Although if the hum'er is going to give me more speed/agility then I may be tempted to switch, as I said, I like going fast :P

Although I guess the vanguard should offer me a step up with the wheels being bigger.

[AWE46M3 0]

Although I guess the vanguard should offer me a step up with the wheels being bigger.

Vanguards are not bigger, just bigger than traditional hi-lo (76-76-80-80 vs 72-72-80-80) set up.

[opivyattack 0]

Although I guess the vanguard should offer me a step up with the wheels being bigger.

Vanguards are not bigger, just bigger than traditional hi-lo (76-76-80-80 vs 72-72-80-80) set up.

Which means they are bigger than what he has been using...

Smaller than the Tours but barely. The speed differences are very small. Since hockey is a sport that isn't just played going in a straight line I would rather lose a little speed to gain some agility. If I were a speed skater and I hade these issues, I would go with the larger wheels. Hockey is a lot more than just speed though. If he's already the fasest skater on his team with the traditional hilo, he'll be blowing people away even more on a vanguard.

[vaultingslinky 0]

Which means they are bigger than what he has been using...

Indeed :)

Its a shame I can't try out the tours before I buy em really.

If he's already the fasest skater on his team

Just a shame I keep choking infront of goal really isn't it :P.

Cheers for all the advice people, I think I may stick with the missions based on what they are going to be like to skate in, but I may change my mind.

[opivyattack 0]

Sounds good. Just keep us up to date on what you decide and let us know how it works out. I always like hearing feedback from others and I know some other people around here feel the same way. It also helps when other people come in and have the same questions that you do.

[thefelixculpa 0]

Just curious, would the MG Vanguard fit on tour boots? I've been skating on my first pair of Tours for the past month (cobalt 9.9s) and I am having trouble getting used to the Humm'r chassis. I know I read somewhere that the Vanguard wouldn't fit on a cobalt boot, but that was just a random post by someone on a message board somewhere...not sure if it's true or not.

[vaultingslinky 0]

Right I tried on both the Tours (8.8s as no 9.9s in stock!) and a lieutenant (was a little too big - 9E). The shop didn't have either in size 8 for me so I'm getting size 8 lieutenants delivered (US equiv $460 :o) on thursday with a free bake next time I'm up at the rink.

Initial impressions with no real skating on either is that I really didn't like the sensation of being more on my heels in the tours. Both skate pinched around the top of my foot (i.e. the left and right sides at the bottom of my toes) but that will go when baked/broken in.

One thing I noticed that I miss from my D3cs is that the "past vert/ankle lock" eyelets are gone. I quite liked the way that the boot wrapped around the top of my foot. There is a lot more forward flex/mobility on the lieutenants. I guess I'll get used to it!!

Ive got training on Saturday so I'll let you know what I think then. Also got some easton stealth s7 gloves on the way. An expensive week for me, although I got the gloves cheap!

Edit: Just as a side note, the Tours fit me just as well as the missions

[Hoffer 0]

Just curious, would the MG Vanguard fit on tour boots? I've been skating on my first pair of Tours for the past month (cobalt 9.9s) and I am having trouble getting used to the Humm'r chassis. I know I read somewhere that the Vanguard wouldn't fit on a cobalt boot, but that was just a random post by someone on a message board somewhere...not sure if it's true or not.

The Vanguard should fit on the tour skates.

[stealth87 0]

Right I tried on both the Tours (8.8s as no 9.9s in stock!) and a lieutenant (was a little too big - 9E). The shop didn't have either in size 8 for me so I'm getting size 8 lieutenants delivered (US equiv $460 :o) on thursday with a free bake next time I'm up at the rink.

Initial impressions with no real skating on either is that I really didn't like the sensation of being more on my heels in the tours. Both skate pinched around the top of my foot (i.e. the left and right sides at the bottom of my toes) but that will go when baked/broken in.

One thing I noticed that I miss from my D3cs is that the "past vert/ankle lock" eyelets are gone. I quite liked the way that the boot wrapped around the top of my foot. There is a lot more forward flex/mobility on the lieutenants. I guess I'll get used to it!!

Ive got training on Saturday so I'll let you know what I think then. Also got some easton stealth s7 gloves on the way. An expensive week for me, although I got the gloves cheap!

Edit: Just as a side note, the Tours fit me just as well as the missions

lol! i got some assassins on order, and bought some easton stealth s9 gloves this week! great minds mate! lol. we'll both be running with mission on our feet and easton on our hands! lol.

[rob 0]

where you from vaultingslinky im in uk too. play alot down in rotherham and sheffield area, also play ice for hull uni. iv got the older tour code range i think also going from D3c's mine fell apart too. I love my tours just one thing i notice they rip wheels abit? but maybe thats my skating technique rather then the wheels. anyway drop us a message just curious you dont see too many people on this board from our small island.

rob

[vaultingslinky 0]

Look what came today :D

I can't use em till saturday, and they wont get baked until a week sunday. I feel like a little child I'm so excited hehe.

Fit wise they are great, a little tight in the ankle but they need to be baked. They feel amazing on compared to my D3cs. I feel a little off balance compared to the hi-lo but i'll get used to it.

Rob - I play inline for Southampton Spitfires (uni team) and a little bit of ice (only social training though, I don't own any ice booties!). Are you going to the inline nationals this year? A guy from my club is the dude that organises it afaik.

I finish uni this year (booo :() so I might be moving to play for a local team (near Brighton)

[Zac911 317]

Nice! once you get used to the lower cuff you will like it much better than than the past vertical eyelets on your old skates. the lower cuff allows for much better stride extension and better transition.

[rob 0]

yeh i think i am. I play ice for the uni and i think they are going to nationals at inline. I also play for my own hockey team in BIPHA syhould be going with them too, played 17 won 15 this season! so hopefully we should finish second so long as we dont cock up the rest of our games lol.

rob

[vaultingslinky 0]

So I had a 2 hour free skate (no hockey) this evening trying the lieutenants for the first time.

A couple of things to note are that on my D3cs which I owned for 3 years I didn't change the wheels/bearings once. Although the first year of use I was really light on my wheels, the second year was normal, the third year I suffered with no grip and messed up bearings! In the last 2 years training has been in a indoor multi use sports hall (mainly circuits training/cricket/5 a side soccer) that is always super dusty <-- no grip.

As you can imagine my skating style got progressively worse as I stopped trusting my wheels and the integrity of the floor to make good/quick turns. So on top of getting used to hilo -> vanguard, a lower cuff and a stiffer skate, the return of good bearings/wheels was a shock :lol:

The intial major difference I noticed was a vast increase in support for my foot. The boot felt much more like an extension of my leg, there is a lot more spring in my stride, and transitioning/going backwards is much more comfortable (the arch of my foot used to get very tired going backwards in the D3cs).

Even after 2 hours the boot is well on its way to being broken in, I could really feel the change in shape of the inner lining over the period. Unfortunately I have experienced some pain which started on the inside of my ankle bone and moved to the outside of the 'ball' (although it is to be expected!) and the boot rubbed in an unexpected place (the skin on the inside of the arch on my right foot). I might wear some thicker socks to protect my feet a little more!

Overall the skate feels very high quality and I definitely feel much faster/agile on them (partly down to the wheels/bearings). Once I am properly used to them, they will be fantastic. Very pleased...any questions are welcome!

I might update again when I've played some hockey if anything is vastly different.

[Zac911 317]

brother.... dont go with thicker sock.... it will just add more internal volume to the boot and add more pressure to the hot spot. there are ways around that. i still think you need more time in the boot. as good as the materials are nowadays.... a good quality boot will still take a little time to work in to the shape of YOUR foot. hang in there ... keep skating and lets re-examine this in 2-4 weeks. some of my best skates took at least a month to break in. that said i have very few issues with new Mission skates when i bake them-- they are pretty much good to go after 1 bake and several sessions ( other than shimming for a short leg and superfeet/high arches ). everybody has something that is a little different with their feet and will experience some type of break in issue that settles with time ( provided the size is correct ) and prep. Justin did an amazing job with this line of skates. the guy is SHARP.....was that out loud???

[Justin 1933 134]

Thanks Zac...It took some years of me screwing up to finally come up with a great fitting boot that lasts...Live and learn....

Those who play Ice, if you like the Syndicate Skates, take a look at the AGX ice Skate....