Skates: Flexible Tendon Guard Pros/Cons?

[splitbtw 2]

I just came into a rather unexpected check from work for back pay when I was an hourly employee, so I decided to replace my X50s from a couple years ago that are starting to break down. I'm going to do my due diligence and really go for fit first (a sale price most likely closed my mind towards other options) and not be steered by price.

I've noticed that some of the skate options out there include a flexible tendon guard. This is a new concept to me, so I was curious if anyone could let me know some pros and cons of a flexible tendon guard compared to the more traditional stiff tendon guard.

[wrangler 157]

It's been talked about in the Mako thread.

[Alsega 0]

But was put on the market by Bauer with the NXG

[flyers10 57]

I thought MLX was out before the Totalone NXG.

[gosinger 122]

Well, the supreme series also feature a flexible (meaning not stiff) tendon guard since quite a while, when I saw my first One95 I thought the tendon guard was broken :)

[AfftonDad 88]

I caught my kid kicking off his skates by the tendon guard when he was taking them off. I then checked them and found that the tendon gaurd was "broken" and very flexible. I got mad at him for taking his skates off that way. I guess he was just ahead of his time!

[arcsinice 6]

While a flexible guard is not the end all to end alls I've been a big proponent of same for decades which Lange effectively ushered in in the late '60's with their boots which were, concept-wise, still to date the most brilliant design ever, period. Lange were a two piece unit with a flloating upper 3 eyelet cuff tantamount to a ski boot with the cuff rotating ("flexing") forward and to the rear with no lateral flex whatsoever. Outstanding performance to put it mildly........ Great forward AND rearward flexation - a uniformly natural, fluid forward and rearward flexation - with no lateral flexation. The cuff was firmly laced all the way up but you achieved that wonderful, seamless biomechanical flex that you need but do not get from any conventional design still to this day.

Graf's G7 (incredible product) is the only boot today that comes close but is honestly too much for about 60% or greater of most who skate due to its full flexation design and, of course, with Graf they appropriate three to four variations on volume and heel counter via their product line up. The G7's volume specific design/fit be same in N, R, W widths is specific for a large instep, larger heel counter which most feet are not in conformation with. In any boot heel lock is crucial. My fear is that Graf are going to ditch that incredible design when they should be working to tweak it as I have suggested to them and maintain it in their line-up. Nothing like the G7, not even a contest, in a world of its own, mindboggling.

[Andoy 5]

But was put on the market by Bauer with the NXG

Actually One90s.