Tour Code Carbon ('08) skates

[Gefiltefish 9]

2008 Tour Code Carbon roller hockey skates

Size: 10.0 D

About me: 260lbs, defenseman and intermediate skater.

League/surfaces: Second-tier league roller hockey twice a week year-round on a small waxed-wood floor. Weekly pick-up on the same surface.

Usage: Purchased in May ’09 used through January ’10.

Fit – Tour skates always seem to have fit my foot very well. The toe cap, forefoot and ankle pocket width are very comfortable for me. They also have a fairly high volume. I never even had to bake these skates and had no pain at all from the day of purchase through the day they were replaced. 10/10

Chassis/Wheels/Bearings – The Labeda Pro Set chassis are very good. They may not be as light as the Hummer III’s, but they are strong and durable. The incorporate the same 1-piece axle system and accommodate the straight-80 set-up just fine… I did not use the Labeda Fuzion wheels or mini-bearings since the surface I played calls for a harder wheel. I did use the 608-sized bearings Tour supplies for free and they were just great. 9/10

Weight /Protection – These skates were known to be ultra-lightweight and they even weigh in less than the much more expensive Code Tabu’s I bought to replace these…. Protection is OK. After a few months of use I started to feel shots I was getting to the boot. The quarter package is not super-stiff, but it not flimsy as well 9/10

Durability/ Intangibles – The only big durability problem I had was the outsole starting to separate from the boot a bit. This occurred on both skates on the outside heel of the boot (near the back mounting plate). It did not make the skates unusable, but as soon as the gap got significant I replaced the skates. The tendon guard and boot liner held up very well. The only other minor durability problems were the side scuff guards being a little too small in my opinion and the crappy Tour tongues. 7/10

Intangibles cont.. (Appearance) – These skates look like great in my opinion. Enough of a different look to stand out, but not the super flashy look-at-me status symbol. I wish Tour would bring this appearance philosophy back … 10/10

Conclusion – These have been my favorite inline skates to date. Yes, I ran into some reliability problems after many months of use (and I am a big guy playing on a very grippy surface), but I honestly wish I would have snagged a few more pairs of these skates before they went out of existence. They perform well enough for even advanced players, are light, look good and were a great value. 9/10