Bauer Nexus N9000

[carodz 17]

About the Reviewer

Size: 6'2", 230lbs; I'm wearing a size 10D in these skates.

Experience: Played inline hockey throughout adolescence, started playing ice hockey in 2010 but was injured (broken ankle) in 2011. Skated sporadically since then but started actually playing hockey again in July 2016. I'm not completely inept on the ice but am definitely at a "novice" level.

Enough about me; below are my thoughts on the skates so far.

Skates were purchased mid-June, and I have skated on them about once a week since then (for 1-2 hours at a time). Very brief first impression in the "Show it Off" thread here: 

 

Fit

I have a wide, deep foot--my first pair of skates were size 10.5D Vapors and were absolutely brutal pain-wise due to lack of depth and width (I was busting out of the top of the skate over middle of my foot). I could tell the size 10, D width N9000s were going to fit great out of the box, but baking them made them feel even better. I actually chose these over the 1N because I felt like the 1N had less depth due to the lacing system (not sure if that's actually true, just what I perceived having tried them both on). The guy baking my skates at HockeyGiant did a questionable job IMO (didn't follow Bauer's instructions), but the skate still molded pretty well (I can see a nice punch where I've got a wide spot in my forefoot). I still wonder if they could be molded even better "anatomically", but I am quite satisfied with how they fit width- and depth-wise.

The liner for these skates is nice and soft, and combined with the ankle padding, they are fantastically comfortable. Since this is my first Curv boot, I was anticipating needing the ComfortEdge that the 1N skates have, but I have had very minimal problems with the lateral stiffness causing any discomfort. I've been using Bauer's Speed Plates (bought separately) and, combined with the stiffness of the Curv boot, I feel as though I get great support and responsiveness out of these skates. I recently added Powerfoot inserts which have increased this feeling even more.

Overall fit: 9.5/10

Blade/Holder

I'll be honest, there was a little bit of an adjustment going from the TUUK LightSpeed Pro holder with Super Stainless runners that I had on my old Vapors to the LS Edge and LS3 runner that these have. I actually really enjoy the extra height and noticed I can get much "deeper" into hard turns. The larger radius profile of the runner is what took adjusting to, as I sometimes felt like either my toe or heel would do things I didn't want it to (this could be due to poor skating technique as well). I'm still undecided whether I preferred the small radius over this larger one; I think I like the way it feels at the front of the skate but not the back, if that makes sense. Steel holds an edge pretty well, however, and I am actually looking forward to getting another pair of runners to keep as a backup I can quickly swap out if need be.

Blade/Holder Overall: 9/10 (only deducted due to my personal uncertainty about the stock runner radius)

Weight/Protection

These certainly aren't the lightest skates out there, but I wouldn't exactly call them heavy either. Handed one to my dad and his first comment was on how light they were. Of course, the Curv composite is extremely rigid. I've yet to take any major slashes or shots to them but I expect they will hold up quite well protection-wise.

Overall weight/protection: N/A (haven't really tested protection and I don't personally care about weight)

 

Durability

These skates still look pretty much brand new. Part of that is because I'm not abusing them when I play and I take good care of them post-skate. The black printed graphics on the inside of the line have faded a bit. I'm a little concerned about wear near the top eyelets (I wear long shin guards) as the graphics were gone from there very quickly. The liner is quite soft, so it remains to be seen how well they hold up; I do wish they had the wear patches in these areas that would have come on the 1N. There are very few scuffs on the outside of the boot; like I said, they appear almost brand new after skating on them for a few months.

Overall durability (tentative): 9/10 so far (TBD long-term)

Conclusion

I can't express enough how much I love these skates. They fit me very well and the liner is quite soft to the touch, so I find them extremely comfortable. They're exactly the amount of support I wanted for my size, but I don't feel hindered by how stiff they are. Personally, I think the black and blue graphics look great (even though I've always been more partial to black and red). I had planned at first to change the black/blue laces to white ones as soon as I could, but they've grown on me. 

Overall score: 9.5/10