Easton Stealth S12

[stick9 890]

Background - 5'9 165, medium to wide forefoot, narrow heel, flat arch, 8.5/9 street shoe.

Recent Skates - Graf 703 & Reebok 8k (first gen, no pump).

Fit:

Size wise, I wish I could have gone down a quarter size. A size 7D was too small and there is a tiny bit of excess room in the 7.5D’s, which is what I went with. Out of the box (pre bake) they were a little clunky feeling. I had some issues with the factory install heel lifts, one felt fine the other felt like I was too high in the boot (removing them created the opposite effect). Not sure I would have bought them based on their out of box feel. It wasn’t bad, just nothing to get excited about. Once they were baked they felt like a different skate. No more clunky feeling and the issue with heel lifts was gone. The heel lock is nothing short of spectacular. Heel lock has always been hit or miss for me, so it was nice to feel it locked in place. Overall, the skate was comfortable and supportive. Only downer was how high of a cut this boot is. They felt fine just tooling around at public skating, but once I put my gear on I felt like the skate was restricting my forward lean. Correcting the issue was as simple as undoing the top eyelet.

9/10

Blade/Holder:

I wasn’t sure if I’d like the Razor Bladz II holders or not. Coming from an E Pro I noticed it was a bit more lively. The LPS2 runner holds an edge very well. No complaints with either.

10/10

Weight:

Hands down the lightest skate I have ever owned. So light, that I noticed the difference when skating in them. My feet did feel a little quicker. I’ve never weighed them, but IW lists the weight of a size 9D skate at 864.66 grams/1.90lbs.

10/10

Protection:

OK, now the not so hot part. I’ve taken two “good” shots off the foot and I felt every bit. The first was a slapper to the outside mid foot area which left my limping for a week. The second was wrister to the inside just above and forward of the arch which stung and continued to sting throughout the night. I’m rather disappointed with this aspect of the skate. Reading the reviews of the S17 and other composite skates I thought they would be a bit more protective.

5/10

Durability:

I’ve had the skate for just over a year and there are no signs of breakdown or unusual wear. The boot is still very stiff yet comfortable. All the seams and stitching are intact with no visible signs of wear. At close inspection I’ve noticed some rusting of the rivets and a slight tinge of rusty transfer on the tongue, nothing structural, just surface rust.

9/10

Intangibles:

Bang for your buck. The S12 is essentially a tweaked down S17. Considering what the skate has to offer, I’d expect it to fall in $350-400 range. There are some pretty cool features like Stealth Padlock heel retention system, Bio-Dri™ microfiber liner, Dry Flow™ liner - Drainage system, Patent pending COIL™ technology for greater forward flexion and energy return, and Pro-style white felt tongue with flexible lace bite protection.

Conclusion:

I’m surprised the level of skate I got for $299. They are solid performers that won’t break you financially. Though I think the level of protection could be better, it’s not something I’m going to complain about. The Easton S12 is the perfect skate for someone looking for a higher end performing skate while sticking to a budget. No regrets buying this skate.

Overall Rating: 8.6/10

[crazykoreo 3]

Background - 5'11, 210 lbs., Medium forefoot, medium heel but more on the narrow end of medium, moderate arch, fair amount of volume through the instep. Regular shoe size - 9 - 9.5

Recent Skates - CCM U+12, Bauer X40,

Fit:

Normally, I'm a 6.5 in CCM or Bauer. With Easton's, I fit into a 7 R. Before the bake, the toes were more than feathering the toe cap, the heels felt a little tight, but the volume through the middle was good. After the initial baking, the skates felt much better. The heels sat back in the pocket, the eyelets wrapped around the foot better, and the toes did move back from the front of the toe cap. The heel lock was fantastic but they might be a touch too narrow as I've noticed over the past 8 months when I first put on the skates, my toes are crammed against the toe cap and then the relax a bit as I skate in them. This skate is probably the best heel lock I've had and I erred on the side of a little tighter than looser based on how I tie my skates. I replaced the stock insoles with the yellow superfeet and noticed a slight volume change and fit in the heel. For me, it opened the heel up a allowed it to sit back a little further from the stock insole. It comes down to personal preference, but the only thing I didn't like about the fit was how high cut the boot is. Tied to the top, the boot seemed to really restrict forward flex so I started not tying the top eyelet. It made a huge difference on the amount of forward flex in the boot. The felt tongue on the S12s are pretty nice. They are just thick enough and long enough for tongue floppers and provide adequate protection.

9/10

Blade/Holder:
Initially, I tried out the LPS 2 runners and just did not like them. The steel flexed too much and made the holder seem very mushy. With my weight during turns, I could feel the steel and holder flex a little. After 3 public skates, I switched them out for Step steel. Huge improvement. It changed the way the holders feel and the way it skated. This is when I noticed the RBII holder was more lively than an LS2 and had great feel for the ice. It definitely does not feel as stiff as the LS2 holder or E Pro holder but after skating on it for 8 months now, I would put this setup on future skates. The RBII is pitched just slightly forward that I really enjoy it more than an LS or E Pro.
10/10 with Step steel 7/10 with the LPS2

Weight:
Lightest skates I've ever owned. First I put them on, I thought I was wearing sneakers. I have noticed that the lighter weight gives me a slightly quicker first couple steps. Also, with the liner and the Dryflow areas in the sole, the skates do not hold much weight after a hard or long skate so a definite plus for Easton.
10/10

Protection:
I've taken several shots off the foot and I'd say the protection is good. It's not great but it's nothing like the old Custom Lites I had. It's better than the Pureflys. Some of the older Supremes I used to skate in had much better protection.
7/10

Durability:
I've been in this skate the past 8 months playing about 2 to 3 games per week. Durability has been very good. On par with the U+12. I seem to have issues with tendon guards and breaking them down because I like my ankles loose and play both D and O but the S12 have begun to break down in this area. My tendon guards are starting to crease and the side material have cracks. However, I will say that the tendon guards are stronger than the U+12's I had. Those completely broke and became floppy. I don't abuse my tendon guards by using it to take off skates, not fully unlacing my skates, etc. Otherwise, the exterior of the skate has it's fair share of cuts a scrapes. I've had to glue some of the stitching back onto the boot but other than the tendon guards, they have pretty solid. The stiffness hasn't really broken down too much in the 8 months I've worn them.
6/10

Intangibles:
For the price I got these skates, they were a great value. They've been extremely comfortable while providing great performance and I'd recommended to otherwise if your foot fits the Easton last. The liner has been very very good and has held up well. I have not had any issues with rusting of the rivets or the rivets popping loose yet but I live in a dry climate and I air out my skates each time I play.


Conclusion:

The S12's are the a great skate for the money.... especially with the clearance prices you see now. They are solid skates that perform well. I wish the durability of the skate's tendon guard was better but I can't fault Easton for that as it seems to be a personal issue (having large calves and liking a lot of ankle play seems to contribute to early tendon guard break down fore me). I liked the S12's more than the U+12's.

8.4/10