CCM U+ CL Skate

[zebra_steve 11]

OK, so 9 months in..... I'm on the ice 3x a week coaching my daughter's team, and probably about 50 games officiated to date..... time for an update... These ARE customs mainly for a custom length and width - albeit it with very few additional options added....Lace Locks, allowance for Haglunds bumps, X-Stiff quarters..... Xtra thick felt layer on tongue.....

The boots are still in great shape - look almost new - but they do stink really bad cuz I have had to go barefoot in them. Like I noted in my initial impression, they seem to manage the sweat really. Hands down the most comfortable boot I've had since my Daoust Supernational 501's.... In fact, they are dang near as comfortable as any of my old stitched leather\nylon boots were. That says a lot.... I did swap out the stock foot bed for shock doctors and may still look at one of the other custom foot bed offerings.I've never had much luck running the stock insoles so no surprise here. Only advise I would have is to swap the stockers out for customs if you have mild to moderate pain in your arch or on the outside edge of your foot. I have medium to medium high arches so you flat foots will need to judge for yourself there.

ONE NEGATIVE - Big thumbs down on the construction of the tongue.... It is very comfortable but it took maybe two weeks for the laces to wear through the foam vent\edge of the tongue on the outside where the top lace sits. Haven't fixed it yet, but plan on stitching some leather from an old tongue over the lace contact\wear area and call it good. The LHS offered to call CCM about it and I said don't bother... my tongues always wear a bit there anyway.... They've been like that for 9 months and haven't gotten any worse so I'll fix it sooner or later....

E-Pro blades and holders.... love them.... probably partly due to having the blade alignment much closer to where it should be (for me) v.s. my old Vapor XXXX's. I went from a 5/16" ROH to a 5/8" ROH and didn't lose any bite. I tried to shallow up my hollow with the Tuuks\Vapor XXX's and the best I could do was 7\16" ROH.. In fact, I'll put the E-Pro's in my personal top 4 favorite holders all time (Perfecta's, Black ICM's, E-Pros, Tuuk LS2's). I got the solid Performance steel in them and it's decent.... I'm going to order up a set of Step Steel runners soon. I like the factory performance profile too and that says a lot considering how picky I am about my skates having done nearly all of my own sharpening and maintenance since the mid 1970's.....

I have narrow feet and ordered them in a C\AA and they fit well. I don't recall what the stock width is but mine are custom and should be spot on for width. I cannot comment on how true width of the stock boot runs... They will probably NOT be comfortable until you bake them, but they literally mold to your foot in the baking\molding process.

For ~$600 the CL's are a couple hundred $$$ Less than the comparable Bauers for a made in Canada skate... These puppies seem like they should last me a couple years. I like them enough that I may just order another pair this spring just to have them on hand......

[kenneth 5]

Good write up steve, just curious what did the custom shop do on the heel for the haglund's?

[zebra_steve 11]

Honestly don't know what - if anything - they did.... I was just asked where I had fit issues... From the first bake they were good to go. BUT... since I quit skating in the Bauers, the bumps have pretty much gone away....

Some folks call them "Bauer bumps" for a reason I guess....

[kenneth 5]

lol i get the "bauer bumps" pain on their skates made with the "patented anatomical heel ankle support" i can feel the pain right way slipping a skate on. However with the apx/supreme t1 to one 80 i don't feel it. All Grafs gave me the same paint too i don't even need to skate i can feel it just barely flexing my knee with the skate on in the store.