Bauer Supreme TotalONE - MLSMan

[MLSman 22]

That's right....guess what came in the mail today?

8.75 C/AA Left, 8.5 C/AA Right

3 stiffness

reinforced eyelets

double stitched

x2

I love my friends....that's right! I said it!

Can't believe they were done in 3 weeks.

[MLSman 22]

Day 2 in the custom TOs:

Much different than day 1. Seems muscle and foot memory are very short term. Today there was a resounding jump in my step. I was moving faster than I can remember, and turning was effortless. In fact, I found it very easy today to switch from forward to backward skating. I also found that my backward acceleration has improved dramatically. I played with guys at a much higher level today, and I was quite surprised with the acceleration in both backward and forward skating.

The reflex tongue is working for me big time...especially with the first 3 strides for acceleration. To be honest I have not had this type of explosive acceleration...EVER. I probably had a dozen breakaways...and at least 3 of them started in my own zone on defense. In only 3 strides I was at full speed...and the glide of the 90/50 is certainly working to my advantage with others on deeper traditional ROH. Most of the higher level skaters made comments on the difference as they have seen me skate before, so that was a good sign that this is working. No soreness on the top of my foot, so it hasn't taken long to get used to the stiff insert. Seems like the stiff is perfect for me with the first two skates being a quick learning curve.

The boot was also painless today, like the first skate. I can't describe the joy of skating without pain...I haven't had it in a long time. In fact, most of the people playing left after an hour, so I played about 25 minutes straight at the end. Of course I was winded at times, but my feet and my legs wouldn't quit. I am in pretty good shape and play very often, but skating has never been as easy as it is now.

Still have not baked the skates yet...will wait until next week when someone I can trust puts my skates in an oven. I can't imagine it getting any better, but the thermoforming won't hurt.

So far, progress is ahead of schedule.

[MLSman 22]

Day 3 on the ice. Getting close to perfect on the fit. No sore spots or pressure points. They really did a fantastic job on the measurements.

I find that starting and stopping is a breeze right now. The rapid acceleration I am getting with only 2-3 strides makes it less work to stop and start vs curling when playing. In addition, the 90/50 is really working out well for me. Stopping takes no effort, and the glide is amazing for stickhandling in and out of traffic while maintaining speed.

At this point, all I can say is that the best compliment to this skate is that I do not think about my feet when I am on the ice. I have the confidence that I can get my feet to do what I want without having to think about it or focusing on it. That is a great feeling.

[MLSman 22]

Skated 3 times while in Tampa for the week. First two skates were business as usual. Really dialed in now. Absolutely no pain whatsoever, and the responsiveness is completely natural at this point. RDV ice is a bit soft right now....to be expected with a damn heat index of 106.

Interesting 3rd skate...this time at Brandon. Ice there is HARD. Very fast. JR sliced up a 90/50...and I really had to get used to the shallow hollow on that ice...right inside edge was particularly light on bite. After 2 hours on the ice, I was adjusted to the difference. I find the difference in the ice much more noticeable with the FBV. 90/75 more appropriate for the hard ice and the 90/50 perfect for the soft ice. Brandon ice in Tampa is fun to play on....super fast...but the place is a dump compared to RDV. Like JR said, RDV is like a freakin country club.

In any case, I decided NOT to bake the skates. The fit is so comfortable, it just doesn't make sense to tinker with it. The minicel foam JR threw on the order makes a huge difference in comfort. Spongy and gives the ankle a very comfortable wrap. The roomier toecap is still a bit of an adjustment. I don't notice it much when skating...its when you are sitting at the bench and can wiggle your toes that you can feel the difference from the U+. I enjoy not having my feet get cold or the loss of sensation due to the lace tension from the ankle wrap that I used to get from the U+. It's a shame the wrap was such an issue...the reloaded was a great performing skate...but fitwise nothing compares to the TO.

This is going to be a fun summer...it will be nice to dial in for A League this winter.

[MLSman 22]

Skated again this morning...this time I decided to give the xstiff inserts a try. Man those things are stiff off the bat. After about a few minutes, the resistance turned into assistance. My stride felt more explosive. I certainly would not have had the same experience with these if I started off the gate with the xstiff. I would highly recommend sticking with the stiff to start. That will help with getting used to the feeling of the reflex, then dial in to the med or the xstiff based on preference if you want to tweak.

The ice in Morrisville is considerably softer than the ice was in Brandon, FL...so the 90/50 was a lot better today. I didn't feel like I was on a slip N slide. I am also making a more conscious effort to eliminate curling and to test explosiveness with all stop/starts. The combination of the skate and the hollow have made this so much easier and adds such a better level of agility to my game. Now I just need to dial in the hands. I am having some issues with consistency on passes and control. It seems to be stemming from loose gloves. I love the cuffs on the Vapor XXX and the 4 rolls, but the front and back of my palm area seem to be way too roomy. I am thinking of trying a narrow/snug glove. Everything else is all locked in.

OH...and I switched to the RBK yellow laces...those things look DIRTY with the yellow on the boot. Perfect boot for yellow laces! :)

[MLSman 22]

Skated again on Wed and Sat...becoming second nature to my feet. Now that the weather is really starting to warm up, the 90/50 is really coming in handy. It is a ton of fun to be able to stop and go. It still takes a bit to get used to stickhandling and skating in traffic with more speed. Trying to deal with the hands situation with more of a form fitting glove...but gotta love the ability to blow by people that I used to struggle to catch. The skates still look brand new and are holding up great. I think I am going to switch back to the stiff insert to get more spring, but otherwise zero complaints.

[MLSman 22]

Spent some time on the ice yesterday. Went back to the stiff insert. I think I will stay with this for a while. Seems to be more responsive with the stiff than the xstiff for me. I also tried for the last two skates using ShockDoctors vs Superfeet yellow. I really like both, but the little extra height in the front of the insert gives the boot a little less volume in the toecap. I like the boot to be TIGHT around the entire foot, so less space is good for me. I will stick to those for a while.

Anyway, the skate was awesome. I was able to maneuver in and out of traffic easily. It was a ton of fun to have that kind of control. At 8:30AM, on the first skate of the day at Cicero Twin rinks...the ice was as good as it can get. They keep the building right at 27-28 degrees...and when it sits overnight...it is perfect. Super hard and really fast. This is where the 90/50 is a delight. Two strides to full speed. The glide is where the hands need to take over, and quite frankly, the increased speed can play mental tricks with yours mind. This is what I consider to be the most challenging adjustment. I have never really had such an increase in top speed, so it takes time to get your hands to work together with your feet. I was a bigger fan of loose gloves in the past (Vapor XXX and 4-rolls), but the slop in the glove just isn't working with the extra speed. For me, the skate comes at a price...some tweaks needed to be made to get the rest of the body to work together. Earlier this week, I bought a pair of the ATL Pro Stock Bauer One95 gloves, and used them for this skate. Now we're talking. Watch out summer jam dark team...this is gonna be fun.

[MLSman 22]

4 month update:

After playing in the skate for 4 months and getting ready for a full season of some A league hockey, I must say the skates are in like new condition with very little wear.

I have really been playing around with the insole over the last month to finish up the preparation of the fit. The toecap of the TO is tall, so there is some foot play. I like the boot to be snug...everywhere. I have tried some higher volume superfeet insoles, but the extra height in the arch and heel was causing pencil test/lacebite issues, so I added a thin layer of stiff foam to the front of a pair of superfeet yellow. To compare, look at the superfeet orange, and you will see the extra pad they add to the front. I did the same thing to the yellow superfeet, and it was perfect. I will post pics of the custom insole in another thread.

With the toe volume situation eliminated, the boot is absolute bliss. The ankle wrap has been perfect...in fact I can't remember the last time the ankle of a boot was this consistent for me. I just skated on Wednesday for 3 hours, and came off the ice with zero foot pain...and I was playing full tilt to practice for the season. Quick stars from the point are a breeze, and the separation I can get with the maneuverability of the skate has made the game a ton more fun to play. Stopping seems almost effortless with the combo of the skate and the 90/50 hollow. I have said it multiple times in this review: this experience proves that there is a ton that goes into a great skating experience, and all the right parts coming together is key....from the fit, insole, stance (rocker), hollow choice, etc. IT all matters.

My first game is on Thursday, so I look forward to seeing the results of summer preparation and getting used to this skate.