Easton Mako Skates

[caseyjones 26]

14 hours ago, marka said:

Howdy,

 

Probably you all saw this already, but just in case.... Hockey Monkey is having 40% off clearance stuff until Monday and they have a bunch of Easton Mako skate versions on clearance....

 

Mark

Just ordered a pair of m8's. I don't care much for weight and have a million pairs of skates already so I couldn't see myself paying extra for the 2's.

 

i skate in 7W -7R Graf G7's. I have 3 pairs and they each fit ever so slightly different. I also have a pair of 6.5D mega air 90's that fit like a glove. I went with the 7.0D in makos Bc I didn't want the smaller holder that came with a 6.5 and didn't feel like dealing with any kind of swap. 

My question would be, has anyone ever experimented with some kind of tape or small strip of padding on the inside of the toe box to fill a tiny negative space? we're probably talking less than a quarter or an inch

[rapope 0]

These have been mention here and elsewhere:

 

http://adrenalinedesign.ca/powerfoot/

 

They're also available on Amazon.

 

Regards,

 

Rocky

[sectachrome 40]

The Mako thread will never die!

 

The Great One rocking OG Mako's

 

Edited March 24, 2016 by sectachrome

[Larry54 243]

2 hours ago, sectachrome said:

The Mako thread will never die!

 

The Great One rocking OG Mako's

 

Maybe he just likes to be color-coordinated. He should have blue holders on there. 

Edited March 24, 2016 by Larry54
Added old photo.

[caseyjones 26]

So just received my makos and am getting ready to bake. Went back through the thread quick and I see warnings to not bake at home even though the Easton box gives instructions on heating at home. I didn't remember this the first time I went through the thread. Is it really risky for my to throw these in my own oven while following easton's instructions?

[IPv6Freely 2084]

26 minutes ago, caseyjones said:

So just received my makos and am getting ready to bake. Went back through the thread quick and I see warnings to not bake at home even though the Easton box gives instructions on heating at home. I didn't remember this the first time I went through the thread. Is it really risky for my to throw these in my own oven while following easton's instructions?

The instructions on the box aren't for baking at home. 

 

You CAN bake at home (and I have) but as a general rule you're not going to have people on MSH condone it, with the exception of the odd person who thinks they know everything. Mostly because it voids your warranty. 

 

So yes, it's doable. But you shouldn't do it.

[caseyjones 26]

3 minutes ago, OptimusReim said:

The instructions on the box aren't for baking at home. 

 

You CAN bake at home (and I have) but as a general rule you're not going to have people on MSH condone it, with the exception of the odd person who thinks they know everything. Mostly because it voids your warranty. 

 

So yes, it's doable. But you shouldn't do it.

 

so when they say "if using a different oven" they are just referring to another skate oven that's not an "Easton skate oven"? 

That would be a bummer. Just want to make sure that they haven't changed protocol on the baking. Would rather avoid having to travel and pay to bake them, but I'll do it if I'm going to risk messing them up at home 

[IPv6Freely 2084]

7 hours ago, caseyjones said:

 

so when they say "if using a different oven" they are just referring to another skate oven that's not an "Easton skate oven"? 

That would be a bummer. Just want to make sure that they haven't changed protocol on the baking. Would rather avoid having to travel and pay to bake them, but I'll do it if I'm going to risk messing them up at home 

That's correct. They're referring to a Bauer or CCM, etc. branded oven.

 

Some people will risk it at home, but like I said - most people here won't condone it. 

[Gummer12 134]

The whole "Easton/Bauer/CCM" oven is a misnomer.  They're all the same oven with their respective logos.

There's no difference other than aesthetics.  

 

The differing ovens are the ones like Bladmaster and the ones where you can adjust the temperature

 

[althoma1 574]

Gummer is on the money with the modern ovens. With the older ones that look like the Blademaster you just ask them to set it to 200 degrees F. Ideally you'll find an oven at a store and do it there - if you end up doing it at home then definitely don't use a conventional oven as it won't properly distribute the heat. If you have an oven with a convection oven (a fan inside that moves the warm air around) then it's possible to do it carefully at home, but it has it's risks and will void the warranty.

 

With a convection oven you place one rack in the middle rung (or perhaps one lower - you want enough room that the skates will not touch any part of the oven or other racks) and remove the other racks. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F on the convection mode. Put a damp tea towel on a flat cookie sheet or a pizza tray and then put the skates on that after you've loosened the laces (so you can slide the insole and then your feet in easily after taking them out of the oven) and removed the insoles. At the half way point (5 minutes if you're leaving them in for a total of 10 minutes...I went with a 16 minute total as that's what was on the original boxes) flip them over so that both sides are heated evenly. If you have someone with you then you can grab one skate out when the total time is completed and turn the oven off (leaving the other skate in the warm oven) and go sit down and tie that up. Once you have the first skate tied you can have the other person bring you the second skate (it shouldn't be more than a minute or so).

 

I had my current Mako ice skates baked at the store I purchased them from for 10 minutes. I picked up a pair of barely used Makos to convert to roller and baked those at home with a convection oven for a total of 16 minutes (flipped at the 8 minute mark) because there would be no warranty anyway since they were being converted and were already used. The ones I use for roller actually feel a little more comfortable, but that's probably down to the longer bake time. I could rebake the ones I use for ice, but haven't as they're still quite comfortable - I only spot heated one area carefully with a heat gun and pushed it out with my thumb.

 

When I was wearing KOR skates I had a few baked at stores and some baked at home and the results were very similar, but the ones I baked at home were all done after the company was out of business and no warranty would apply. So it's definitely possible to bake at home if you have a convection oven and are careful, but there's more risk and any warranty will be voided. I would recommend baking your skates at a shop if possible since you're using them as ice skates and there's still a company to support the Easton warranty since Bauer purchased Easton.

Edited March 29, 2016 by althoma1

[Chadd 916]

7 hours ago, Gummer12 said:

The whole "Easton/Bauer/CCM" oven is a misnomer.  They're all the same oven with their respective logos.

There's no difference other than aesthetics.  

 

The differing ovens are the ones like Bladmaster and the ones where you can adjust the temperature

 

The original Bauer ovens were more like the Blademaster version. A number of my local shops still have the older version.

[caseyjones 26]

Just wanted to thank everyone for all the responses and precautions.  Since im a jackass though, i chose to bake them at home instead of driving 45 minutes to a store that would probably charge me $30 to bake them there.  I said to myself, "its just heat". 

 

I preheated my oven to 200 degrees and then turned the oven off.  I had to do one skate at a time because i couldnt fit both into the oven.  So i put the skate on a cookie sheet that had a dish towel over it so no parts of the skate would be touching the metal.  The left skate i baked for 6 minutes, then flipped it for another 6 minutes.  I checked on it during the first few minutes to make sure it was OK.  When i removed it the skate still wasnt all that hot or supple.  I reinserted the footbed, laced them up and sat down for 15 minutes.  Then i took it off and repeated the process for the other skate only i left this skate in for 2 minutes longer (1 min each side).  This one was warmer and i feel like i got a better bake out of it, but it still wasnt all that supple.  I might try baking the left one again and then using a blowdryer to spot heat the heels for a better heel lock.  The lock is pretty good, but doesnt feel as tight as my grafs.  Its odd because i feel like my G7's actually still wrap my foot better than the Mako's.  However, the Mako's feel comfortable enough while wearing them to not experiment much more with a rebake and risk any damage.  Im slightly concerned about the length of the boot, but i think i might be obsessing over nothing. 

 

 

Hopefully nobody is eating lunch but, Is it possible in any way that this boot can be too long for my foot?  I dont know why i always feel like i can go smaller.  Would there really be any performance benefit to using a smaller boot if my toes are that far up on the footbed already?  I also put superfeet into my Mako's because the forward pitch still feels minimal compared to my Graf's.   I've also noticed that my G7's feel like they have a much more shallow instep (not sure if thats the right word).  It feels as if instead of putting the heel lift between the sole of boot and the holder they are actually built into the inside of the boot.   I can still feel myself on my toes in the Mako's, but my heel seems to sit further down in the boot whereas my Graf's literally feel like im wearing high heels (not that its a regular part of my day)

Edited March 29, 2016 by caseyjones
added image

[althoma1 574]

I don't think the Makos would get hot enough for a proper bake if you turned the oven off. It doesn't sound like they did. When mine came out of my convection oven (which I left on the entire time at 200 on the convection setting) they felt very pliable - almost like Play-Doh. If you have a convection oven, I'd bake them again at 200 F with the cookie sheet. If you only have a regular oven then get yourself to a store. Some stores actually bake for free - I know Sport Chek does in Canada and Total Hockey does in the US. If you don't have a convection oven or one of those stores near you then I'd still make the 45 minute drive and pay the $30 - you'll hopefully use these for 100s of hours on the ice; so that 45 minute drive and $30 will be worth it to have skates that are designed to be baked, baked properly.

 

I also don't think a blow dryer would get hot enough for effective spot heating. You want a heat gun (the kind you'd use to heat up a shaft to insert or remove an extension or blade...or some people use for non-hockey related things like stripping wallpaper) for that.

 

The sizing looks fine based on that one picture - if you can brush your toes on the end of the box with them laced up then you probably have the right size. The Makos feel aggressively forward pitched to me, but if you want to use superfeet with them then make sure to put those in right after baking. Keep in mind that you'll loose a bit of depth with the super feet as they'll take up some volume due to the plastic heel on them. Put in whatever insole you plan to skate with right after you take them out of the oven.

Edited March 29, 2016 by althoma1

[caseyjones 26]

43 minutes ago, althoma1 said:

I don't think the Makos would get hot enough for a proper bake if you turned the oven off. It doesn't sound like they did. When mine came out of my convection oven (which I left on the entire time at 200 on the convection setting) they felt very pliable - almost like Play-Doh. If you have a convection oven, I'd bake them again at 200 F with the cookie sheet. If you only have a regular oven then get yourself to a store. Some stores actually bake for free - I know Sport Chek does in Canada and Total Hockey does in the US. If you don't have a convection oven or one of those stores near you then I'd still make the 45 minute drive and pay the $30 - you'll hopefully use these for 100s of hours on the ice; so that 45 minute drive and $30 will be worth it to have skates that are designed to be baked, baked properly.

 

I also don't think a blow dryer would get hot enough for effective spot heating. You want a heat gun (the kind you'd use to heat up a shaft to insert or remove an extension or blade...or some people use for non-hockey related things like stripping wallpaper) for that.

 

The sizing looks fine based on that one picture - if you can brush your toes on the end of the box with them laced up then you probably have the right size. The Makos feel aggressively forward pitched to me, but if you want to use superfeet with them then make sure to put those in right after baking. Keep in mind that you'll loose a bit of depth with the super feet as they'll take up some volume due to the plastic heel on them. Put in whatever insole you plan to skate with right after you take them out of the oven.

 

Thanks.  My oven does have a convection heat setting on it.  Maybe ill give it a whirl when i get home.  I'll admit they did feel rather comfortable even while not getting the best bake.  Certainly much more comfortable than how they felt right out of the box.

[IPv6Freely 2084]

Heh I couldn't even get mine on my feet out of the box!

[caseyjones 26]

1 hour ago, OptimusReim said:

Heh I couldn't even get mine on my feet out of the box!

 

Its funny because i read that throughout the thread and i couldnt wrap my head around it.  How could people not even get their feet in skates and then they turn out like slippers?  I understood once i got the skates.  I could get my feet in, but I had to kind of twist my feet into the boot.  They still dont drop right in after i baked them like they would with other skates, but its a lot less troubling.  Its still nearly impossible for me to get my hand into the boot though to feel the toe cap though. 

[icewalker_bg 126]

I still have to twist my foot a bit sideways in order to get my foot in, and I have rather skinny feet, cant imagine people with bulky feet trying them on. 

[althoma1 574]

Yes, even after a good bake and undoing the top two eyelets completely I still have to twist my feet a bit to get them in the skates. It takes a little more work getting them on and off than a traditionally built skate, but the fit, comfort and performance makes the slight extra work worthwhile.

[IPv6Freely 2084]

I use a 2' shoe horn with my VH because they're so hard to get on! 

[caseyjones 26]

Gave my skates another bake last night.  Did 16 minutes at 200 degrees on the convection setting. Skates were definitely hotter and more pliable.  i feel like i got a pretty good bake.  Oddly enough, i now feel like i have too much room above my toes since i have adrenaline inserts in my grafs.  Does anyone use the inserts with their Mako's?  Id worry about the insert sticking since the top of the toe cap seems to be covered in felt. 

[Kyosuke 9]

I'm thinking of buying a pair of Mako IIs this weekend on clearance sale. Currently, I wear reebok 14Ks 9EE (there is a little of negative space); however, the only size available for the Mako IIs are 8.5D. I am not really concerned in terms of length due to having previously worn 8.5 Bauers/CCMs, but I was hoping that someone here can give me their opinion on the width of this skate... After having gone through 90% of this thread, I'm pretty stoked to get a pair. But I'm afraid that the width may be too narrow and end up causing out-sole pain and arch pain during use.

 

Thanks!

[caseyjones 26]

1 hour ago, Kyosuke said:

I'm thinking of buying a pair of Mako IIs this weekend on clearance sale. Currently, I wear reebok 14Ks 9EE (there is a little of negative space); however, the only size available for the Mako IIs are 8.5D. I am not really concerned in terms of length due to having previously worn 8.5 Bauers/CCMs, but I was hoping that someone here can give me their opinion on the width of this skate... After having gone through 90% of this thread, I'm pretty stoked to get a pair. But I'm afraid that the width may be too narrow and end up causing out-sole pain and arch pain during use.

 

Thanks!

 

I wear a 7 wide in my graf's and got a 7D in the Makos and im fine.  I have a couple pairs of regular width Graf's that i can still use that I have minor discomfort in, but I really didnt have any discomfort in the Mako's though.  I've never worn Reebok's so i cant compare it to them, but i know that a regular width Vapor kills my feet.  I dont know if this helps, but unless your foot is super wide i would think that a regular width Mako should be able to accommodate your foot.

[IPv6Freely 2084]

7 hours ago, caseyjones said:

Gave my skates another bake last night.  Did 16 minutes at 200 degrees on the convection setting. Skates were definitely hotter and more pliable.  i feel like i got a pretty good bake.  Oddly enough, i now feel like i have too much room above my toes since i have adrenaline inserts in my grafs.  Does anyone use the inserts with their Mako's?  Id worry about the insert sticking since the top of the toe cap seems to be covered in felt. 

Check out the Powerfoot inserts thread. I think there are some Mako users in there. 

[caseyjones 26]

20 minutes ago, OptimusReim said:

Check out the Powerfoot inserts thread. I think there are some Mako users in there. 

Great thanks. Appreciate all your help

[Kobe 0]

19 hours ago, caseyjones said:

Great thanks. Appreciate all your help

I have the Powerfoot inserts in my Mako 2's and they adhere just fine to the felt. Note though that the toe cap on the Mako 2's are much more ergonomic than the majority of other brands so the folks at Adrenaline actually sent me thinner inserts made specifically for the mako's vs. other boots (I.e. they're black vs. the standard blue ones). They actually sent me these in addition to the standard blue inserts at no extra charge so thank you Adrenaline for your customer service if you're reading this.