Easton SyNergy

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

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[number_22 2]

Intro

I got the Synergy skates in mid december and have used them since. The season kicked off bad, a friend emphasized me to custom order a pair of Mission S500s, but I never got used to the skate and had quite some problems with my ankles, that`s were the Synergy`s came in, I took them out of the box and wow, they just fitted my feet perfectly, killing all the pain.

Fit

The fit is really a fifty-fifty thing, you can`t heat mold them, because of their all carbon construction, so either these skates fit you or they don`t. In my case I was lucky and the skates fitted perfectly. I have a shoe size of 10.5, my left foot is exactly 10.5, while the right one is 10 3/4, I got the Synergy`s in a size 9.5, which fits my feet really snug. The toe cap is wider than on other skates I have used, but it`s also a bit shorter. Overall the whole boot seems to be a bit wider than other brands.

9/10

Blade/Holder

Easton introduced the LPS II holders last year. What sets them appart from the LPS I holders are the cutouts in the steel which supposedly should enable you to make sharper turns on the ice. Well, it`s not really noticeable to be honest, but it sure makes the holders/blades lighter, which is always a nice thing. The downside of the holders however is, that they break quite easily at the bottom once they`ve taken some shots.

8/10

Weight/Protection

This is really the Synergy`s playground. The skate is so incredibly light, you will just not believe it, the first time you hold it in your hands. At 760g (Size 8) it`s the lightest skate currently on the market and Easton sure is proud of it, if you look at the box you`ll know what I`m talking about. The light weight comes from the all carbon construction and the lightweight LPS holders. I did a little weighting myself, in size 9.5 the Synergy comes in at 850g, while the Mission S500 comes in at 1110g, now you have some comparison between two high end skates.

The protection is incredible, since the skate consists of a hard carbon shell your feet are kept safe from shots and you won`t feel anything, which obviously is a great thing ! You can kind of compare it to a goalie mask, which has to take hard shots while protecting the head that is inside.

10/10

Durability

The skates are relatively new which makes it kind of impossible to really say anything about durability, but since I have quite some insight into carbon technology, I can say a few things about it. Carbon is a material that has a great longevity and doesn`t just wear out like leather or other “soft†materials used for constructing a boot. So the skates won`t lose any of their stiffness, even if you skate a lot.

9/10

New Technological Features

The Synergy`s main technological feature is the carbon and aramid shell construction, through which the new COIL technology is achieved. So what`s COIL exactly ?

The carbon and aramid shell gives you a maximum of forward flexion and springs back during leg extension, this should give you more power which equals more speed, at least that`s what Easton says. But how does it feel on ice ?

All I can say is, that it really works, my strides on ice got much faster and a bit more responsive, but I can also confirm, that it doesn`t necessarly give you any advantage, but it sure is a nice feature, I was quite surprised that it actually worked.

9/10

Conclusion

Is the Synergy the best skate I have ever skated in ? Does it make you a better skater ? Can you skate faster ?

Here`s what Easton has to say about the Synergy skates: “...your advantage has just become unfair.†Well, I didn`t notice a major advantage on the ice, but the skate just feels very balanced and is fun to skate and that`s what matters in the end. Easton really pushed the boundaries of skate construction a step further with the new COIL technology, but they didn`t invent the skate from sketch. So if you`re looking for an incredebly light and well balanced skate, the Synergy is on top of your list.

On a ten point scale the Synergy scores a 9(+)/10.