CCM U+12

[Axxion89 32]

Product: CCM U+ 12 Size 5.5 (Jr)

Height: 5' 7.5"

Weight: 185

Foot Size: 9.5 sneaker/shoe

Foot Shape: Small Arch, about average shape, higher volume

Level and use: 2-3 times a week, beer league and pickup

Previous Skates: Vapor x30

Background: My Vapor x30's were defective and I went to my LHS to find a suitable replacement. I was upset over the poor quality control with my skate that I avoided Bauer skates (Bauer corporate resolved my issue for the record so I would consider Bauer skates again). I tried on Reebok and they did not fit at all and the owner recommended the CCM's since he has the same size feet as me and said that I can save money and most likely fit into a 5.5 Jr size boot. I wear 6 in all other brands but the 5.5 fit like a glove. Given the choice between the 12's and CL's, I opted to save the money as the differences between the two were in my opinion minimal (CL was stiffer, made in Canada, and used a few different materials).

Fit: Excellent, there is a ton of U-Foam all over the skate including the tongue to help mold to your foot. I had some issues with my Vapor locking the heel but these were snug and the Foam molded my heel nicely for a great fit. These skates will NOT fit nice out of the box and there is no shape to them until you bake them. The owner told me the baking would make them fit perfect and he was right. Compared to Vapors, they fits a half size smaller and are a tad wider. Every skate fits different feet differently so this skate will not be for everyone but if you have weird shaped feet or a flattish foot, I recommend these skates.

10/10

Blade/holder: Its an E-Pro holder and I know a lot of people love Tuuk's but personally these are doing just fine. the steel is great, they hold and edge very well and have had no problems with them. I cannot provide much details on this area due to limited knowledge but I see nothing from the many uses I have in them that would make the holder and steel a liability.

10/10

Weight/protection: The weight is amazing, very light. I did not weigh them but they are definitely a similar weight if not lighter than the Crazy Lights. Protection is not very good on these skates. Took shots of the heel and side of foot and you will feel it. My Vapor x30's had better protection and its a downside to the U+12's. Tonight I took a shot of the tongue and it absorbed a lot of the impact thanks to the foam and it didn't hurt at all.

5/10 Protection

9/10 Weight

Durability: After about 20, 30 uses these show little to no wear. Damn things are tanks. The outsole is as was described to me a "golf ball" like material (I forget the name of it exactly) but it feels like a golf ball. There are not many scratches on it at all. The holder has a small chunk of plastic off it from a blade but thats normal. The steel has no rust or chips. The interior looks brand new. Stiffness has not changed and I put a lot of weight on these skates and they are junior skates! The fact that they are holding up with my 185 lbs bearing on it is amazing. I am confident a senior skate can handle extra weight. i will update this more as I play more and more on them.

9/10

Intangibles: These skates look sharp and look just like the CL's. Many people I skate with use Bauer or Graf and when they see my skates I get a lot of what are those and are those the CL's questions as well as compliments on the way they look. I am a fan of the outsole material as it feels smooth and looks glossy. Elaborating a little more on the Junior aspect of these skates, they are holding up very well. Part of me regrets not spending the extra ~$50 for the CL's just to see if there would have been a difference but I was tight on money at the time and these skates are doing great. I went back to my LHS and the owner said that his CL's are holding up great as well, same size skates. I looked at the senior model of the U+12's and they are stiffer than the juniors so for all you bigger guys and gals, you will get a stuffer boot.

10/10

Conclusion: Great skates for the price. I will most certainly look at CCM's again for future skates. The foam molding is great for odd shaped feet and they fit a bit wider than Vapors. They also look sharp and will last you a while as well. Aside from the lack of protection from shots to the side/outsole, amazing skates.

Overall 9/10

[penum 0]

Product: CCM U+ 12 Size 6.5

Height: 5' 7.5"

Weight: 150

Foot Size: 9.0-9.5 sneaker/shoe depending on brand

Foot Shape: flat arch, narrow heel, regular fore foot

Level and use: 3 times a week, beer league and pickup

Previous Skates: CCM Vector 4, Bauer Classic Silver

Background: After buying Bauer Classics too big when I first bought ice skates, after not playing since I was a child, I picked up a pair of properly fitted vector 4s from my LHS. These served me well but have me a bit of pain in my arch and on the outside edge of both my feet. I decided it was time to get a proper moldable skate with a better insole. I got these heat molded, heat gunned in areas that still bothered my after a few skates and punched out slightly on my right foot (slightly bigger than the left).

Fit: Great. Fits like a glove. Due to my narrower heel we pinched the boot when it was hot before putting my foot in, supposedly for better heel hold. So far no heel lift or problems with any kind. After several fittings and tweaking spots in the toe box that were pinching they feel perfect now. I can't comment on the comfort of the insole since I haven't tried them I went straight to a elite hockey insole that had some volume taken out of it in the right skate to accommodate my slightly larger right foot. The UFoam is amazing especially around the ankle. I still get a bit of foot pain on the bottom (around the arch and to the outside of the foot) but the reality is I need othotics to correct my foot problems but the fit is vastly improved over the vector 4s (as they should be for a $500 skate). My LHS suggested these over the CL's since he swore they were the exact same thing minus the outsole and where they were made.

9/10

Blade/holder: E-Pro. Since I have spent most of my time on E-Pro I can't comment versus other holders but I will say the edge control and foot speed has increased over the vector 4s likely due to improved steel and boot construction.

10/10

Weight/protection: Very light. didn't think it was possible to get significantly slighter than the vectors they replaced but they are and I could not tell a difference between these and the CLs. Have taken a puck on end on the side of the boot, left an ugly imprint of the puck on the boot but I didn't feel it.

7/10 Protection

10/10 Weight

Durability: After 3/4 of a season on these I am impressed they still look like new thanks to the "golf ball" outer. A few annoying scars have occurred; the CCM logo mid-boot below the eyelets got hacked in half some how and a puck left a perfect puck impression (on end) on the side of one boot. Otherwise no structural problems to speak of.

7/10

Intangibles: Great skate, I personally wonder if I should have gone with a 09 U+Pro for $199 instead of dropping $499 on these, but I have been told these are significantly better than some of CCM's previous offerings. They are great skates and I am very happy with my choice. Cannot wait to get fitted with custom orthotics. Never used the stock laces as I like waxed laces better. CCM ditched the lace lock for this model, which I did like in my vector 4s so far I haven't noticed any loosening during games.

Conclusion: Great skates, not so stiff that my light weight can't skate in them but stiffer than mid level offerings. Molding material is great and gives a perfect hold around your foot and eliminates lace bit across the tongue. Maybe not the best skate choice for people with flat feet like me but I also have not tried any skate that works well stock for flat feet. The outsole gets beat up but the golf ball material makes it look like new from a distance.

Overall 8.5/10

[trtaylor 3]

Product: CCM U+ 12 Size 6.5 (Sr)

Height: 5' 9"

Weight: 195

Foot Size: 8.5 sneaker/shoe

Foot Shape: On wider side of normal width, high instep, med-high volume

Level and use: 3-4 times a week, beer league and clinics

Previous Skates: 2009 CCM Vector 05

Background: Been skating on the Vector 05's since January of 2010. Skills improved enough where it was time to upgrade to a stiffer, better performing skate. First choice was Bauer Supreme One100, but the boot was too shallow. The CCM U+ 12 boot has slightly more depth than the One100 and allowed me to pass the pencil test on all eyelets.

Fit: When visiting the LHS to try skates, I brought along my Graf foot beds and wore a pair of silk sock liners. These are very thin socks, thinner than a silk dress sock. I also brought along a penlight and Bic pen. I sized the skates so my smallest foot (right) had a tight fit of the pen behind the heel (while toes were brushing the toe cap). My left foot is slightly bigger and while there was a little room behind the heel, not enough to fit the pen in.

The forefoot width is perfect for me. And the U foam heel pocket does a good job of locking in my heel.

As noted above, I needed a boot with more depth than the One100's had. This, combined with the outstanding U+ 12 tongue provides me with a very comfortable boot.

I had them baked and sharpened at the LHS. After they break in, I will switch to my normal hockey socks (Swiftwick's).

10/10

Blade/holder: E Pro holder and I am comfortable with how it skates. And, since I send my steel off to be sharpened, I like how I can access the retaining bolts from outside the boot.

10/10

Weight/protection: The weight is definitely lighter than my previous Vector 05's. I didn't weigh them, but Icewarehouse.com lists the U+ 12's as 10 grams lighter than Bauer's, FWIW.

9/10

Durability: I have not skated in them enough to rate durability. I will follow up in a later post.

Intangibles: These skates are made in Thailand. However, I am very impressed with the quality. Only on one skate do I see a bit of excess glue showing, and you have to look hard to see it. The stitching and overall assembly is very well done. I think the U+ 12 tendon guard is superior to the One100's. And as mentioned above, the tongue is great (might change to white felt, though :) )

The Bauer One100's are made in Thailand, as well. I wouldn't even be surprised if they were made in the same plant. Point being, the U+ 12 is a high quality boot.

9/10

Conclusion: If they fit your feet, I think they are an outstanding skate. Probably the best skate for $400. So far, I am extremely happy with them. I hope CCM keeps them in the line for a while. Some of the nearby LHS are not carrying the new line of CCM's due to poor product movement over the last few years. I hope the new U+ line can change that.

Overall 9.5/10

[AnthonyJTa 0]

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 204lbs

Foot Size: 9-9.5 sneaker/shoe, depending on brand

Foot Shape: Forefoot on the wider side of normal, I would say. Low arch

Level and use: 2-3 times per week. Mostly pickup hockey, and public skate sessions.

Previous Skates: RBK 8K (No Pump), RBK 9K Pump, Nike/Bauer Flexlite 18, Mission AGX

Background: After a really, really long hiatus trying to lose the rest of the weight I gained over the years; I decided to get back on the ice this winter. Pre hiatus, I weighted 310-315 pounds so when I slipped on my Mission AGX, I said "Uh oh...". As I should have expected (it did with sneakers and dress shoes), the entire shape/size of my foot has changed as result of about 100 pounds lost. My foot was swimming in my Mission 8E, literally moving side to side -so I decided to go look around at a new pair.

Fit: I put on my Vapor XXXX skate socks, and went out to look. The previous year's CCM U+Pro caught my eye, my brother owns them and has had nothing but good things to say about them, AND they were on clearance for about $200. The only negative I recalled was the tongue was brutal, and I didn't like it at all. Thinking in the "past", as opposed to the "now"; I passed right by the Bauers... I've never been able to get this hoof in a Bauer skate comfortably. (although I probably could now!) I picked up the '11 CCM U+CL, and the U+12 and felt minimal difference in weight, (and I had read on an e-tailer the weight of the CL is 870.3 grams vs. the U+12 at 873.2 grams both in size 9D) I looked at the sales guy and said "There's a $200 price jump between these 2 skates, you've got 5 minutes to sell me....". Asking simple questions like how many times a week I planned on skating, and why type of play; he passed me the U+12 and stated the differences were minimal for me, stiffer boot, better outsole and slightly lighter (although he disputed the 3 gram difference).

I asked him for a 7.5D (I used to wear a 7.5E RBK boot) and it was too big. I looked up at him puzzled... he grabbed the 7D and I was in heaven. In all of my time playing, I've never tried on skates without aching, cramping, toes falling asleep- I even used to break out in sweats (although I was super-fat). The forefoot fit perfectly, the heel on the right skate was perfect; although the left was a little roomy. Damn my anatomy for not being perfectly symmetrical. Tying the left skate down a tad tighter helped the slipping without discomfort. After finding my glass slipper, I was left with the difficult decision; to bake or not to bake. I planned on skating that night and was concerned by old skates were way too big, so I opted not too. After spending 20+ minutes in them and experiencing no discomfort or pain, I knew while it may help; it wasn't a necessity.

10/10 (for me, at least)

Blade/holder: While I haven't used the E-Pro in a while (I fell in love with the Mission Pitch 3), I never had any complaints about it other than what a little blue Loctite couldn't fix. It's good the blades are easy to switch as I will probably be shipping them off for sharpening/radius, etc. I do plan on swapping out for the solid steel as opposed to scalloped, as the solid always felt better in my opinion.

10/10

Weight/protection: My Mission AGX felt like cement boots in comparison to these. As an e-tailer posts the weight as 873.2 grams for a size 9D, I'm not sure if that is the manufacturer claimed weight, or if they weighed them in-house. I'm not concerned and I haven't busted out the scale. For someone carrying additional weight for years, I really don't sweat the small stuff. I won't be skating in elongated sessions or practices like most kids so I wouldn't even notice a difference in grams over a longer period of time; but I'm still scoring this one higher because the light weight was a nice addition to the fit in comparison to my previous skates. I've only skated in them once, and managed to not take any shots off the boot; so I can't chime in on protection.

8/10

Durability: I have only skated in these once, and have had them baked about 2 days later. So I will hold off on commenting on durability until a later post.

Intangibles: During my hiatus I've also learned not to sweat the small stuff.. intangibles in my opinion are things like aesthetics, place of manufacturing, etc. I'm not concerned with the overall look of the skate, as it appears we're getting away from the "space boot" skates of previous years and settling back down to normalcy. A former fat guy who's gotten over fear of spandex to ride a road bike certainly grasp the concept of functionality over style. The only thing I found puzzling was the price leap... U+CL was $599, U+12 was $399, then the lower models after appear to drop by $100. Makes a consumer wonder if the U+CL could have been priced at $499, or is the U+12 more skate for less money?

9/10

Conclusion: Overall, I'm extremely impressed with the out of the box comfort on this skate. Like I mentioned earlier, I've never...never been able to pull a skate out of the box and experience comfort without baking, punching, shims, etc. A lot of it is due to the change in my body type, but I do think some of it is the quality of this skate. For a guy on a budget, spec-wise this appears to be a great deal. Getting a product comparable to top of the line, with a $200 price difference is key for us everyday homers.

Overall 9/10