CCM Jetspeed FT1

[JR Boucicaut 3799]

Open

[Dangles83 24]

First off, a HUGE thank you to JR and CCM Hockey for giving me the opportunity to review the FT1 skates!

CCM Jetspeed FT1 - 8.5D

Quick Bio

• Height: 6'0
• Weight: 165 lbs.
• Position: C
• Shoe Size: 10
• Skates (current to past): Bauer Vapor 1X (8.5D), Bauer Vapor APX2, Easton Mako, Bauer Vapor APX, Bauer Vapor x:60, Bauer Vapor XXXX, Bauer Vapor XXX, CCM Tacks.

Initial Thoughts

I just received the skates and still need to get them baked and profiled, but wanted to give you my initial thoughts out of the box. My comparisons will be based off the Vapor series as I am most familiar with that line of skate.

Aesthetics

The FT1 are a nice looking skate, but as most of you have probably noticed by now, they basically look identical to a Vapor skate. It would have been nice to see CCM do something a different aesthetically here, so that was a bit disappointing (but not a surprise obviously).

Initial Fit

In my opinion they are a lot more of a tapered fit as compared to the Vapors; especially in the heel. The toe box also has a lot less negative space as compared to the Vapors, which I definitely like. The skates are fairly comfortable out of the box, but I do have a slight concern with the tightness of the heel-lock. Again, these have not been baked or used yet, so perhaps it will be fine, but there is definitely some pressure there and I will be focusing on that area for sure.

Tongue

I have always had a problem with lace-bite and always wear my CCM lace-bite sleeves, but the FT1 tongues has a dedicated area to protect against this, so that makes me very happy. I may finally be able to skate without using foot-sleeves; this is a huge plus!

Sole

One weak point of the skates is the standard FT1 sole; seems a bit cheap and does not really fill-out the base of footbed. My worry here is that it may start to degrade after a few games/sweat, but we shall see over time. CCM does have additional soles, but to be honest, I don't think they will work for me based on my arches and the tapered fit of the skates. To put it into perspective, the Bauer speed plates hurt my feet and I ditched them after 2 games.

I will continue my review after I get them baked, profiled and after they see their first action.

[Dangles83 24]

On 5/12/2017 at 11:52 AM, Dangles83 said:

First off, a HUGE thank you to JR and CCM Hockey for giving me the opportunity to review the FT1 skates!

CCM Jetspeed FT1 - 8.5D

Quick Bio

• Height: 6'0
• Weight: 165 lbs.
• Position: C
• Shoe Size: 10
• Skates (current to past): Bauer Vapor 1X (8.5D), Bauer Vapor APX2, Easton Mako, Bauer Vapor APX, Bauer Vapor x:60, Bauer Vapor XXXX, Bauer Vapor XXX, CCM Tacks.

Initial Thoughts

I just received the skates and still need to get them baked and profiled, but wanted to give you my initial thoughts out of the box. My comparisons will be based off the Vapor series as I am most familiar with that line of skate.

Aesthetics

The FT1 are a nice looking skate, but as most of you have probably noticed by now, they basically look identical to a Vapor skate. It would have been nice to see CCM do something a different aesthetically here, so that was a bit disappointing (but not a surprise obviously).

Initial Fit

In my opinion they are a lot more of a tapered fit as compared to the Vapors; especially in the heel. The toe box also has a lot less negative space as compared to the Vapors, which I definitely like. The skates are fairly comfortable out of the box, but I do have a slight concern with the tightness of the heel-lock. Again, these have not been baked or used yet, so perhaps it will be fine, but there is definitely some pressure there and I will be focusing on that area for sure.

Tongue

I have always had a problem with lace-bite and always wear my CCM lace-bite sleeves, but the FT1 tongues has a dedicated area to protect against this, so that makes me very happy. I may finally be able to skate without using foot-sleeves; this is a huge plus!

Sole

One weak point of the skates is the standard FT1 sole; seems a bit cheap and does not really fill-out the base of footbed. My worry here is that it may start to degrade after a few games/sweat, but we shall see over time. CCM does have additional soles, but to be honest, I don't think they will work for me based on my arches and the tapered fit of the skates. To put it into perspective, the Bauer speed plates hurt my feet and I ditched them after 2 games.

I will continue my review after I get them baked, profiled and after they see their first action.

Update II (after my first game in the new FT1 skates)

Fit

The skates felt GREAT out there on the ice. The heel was not sore at all, which was a huge plus! My left foot had a mild cramp when I would come to the bench, but I would guess that this was because they are still brand new. There was no pain whatsoever while skating. The lack of negative space and heel-lock are exceptional in the FT1 skates; they really provide a unified feel on the ice. I normally had to wear 2 pairs of socks, one thick and one thin over top to really "fill-out" my Vapors; there was just a bit too much volume for me. I also had to use a padded shim on the top of the toe box to reduce the volume. I am happy to report that those days are over!! One pair of socks and my feet fit in the boot nice and snug.

Tongue

Another huge success! As I mentioned before, I always wore a gel sleeve to prevent lace bite, but I skated last night without them and there was no pressure in that area whatsoever! The FT1 have a dedicated, hardened, lace bite protection zone that does a phenomenal job. It may sound small, but being able to eliminate one pair of socks and my lace bite sleeves is a huge bonus!

Sole

So, after some feel tests, I decided to remove the standard sole and use the custom CCM (M) skate soles. They also felt great; I was honestly quite surprised. To be honest, I'm not sure I buy into all the performance bullet points of the custom soles, but in my opinion, they just add to the comfort and snug fit of the skate.

Performance

I am not ready to comment on this yet as I would like to get a few more skates in; stay tuned.

Overall opinion (so far)

These are the best skates I have played in to date. I never thought I would say that after the Vapors, but to me, these have the comfort of the Vapors, with much less negative space. Your foot feels one with the skate. I am not trying to hype these skates up, they are straight up excellent! It took me literally about one minute to get used to them on the ice; I was actually quite surprised. 

I did like the Bauer trigger system as it allowed me to carry an extra pair of steel in the event of breakage during a game, so I will miss that technology,

Edited May 16, 2017 by Dangles83

[Dangles83 24]

Update III

After several games in the FT1s, I have made it official by selling my Vapor 1X skates! That was a HUGE statement for me as I have always been a Vapor guy and loved my 1X skates, but the FT1 fit is just that much better.

Fit

For me this is where the skate shines. Understanding that everyone's foot is different, the tapered fit of the FT1 is unparalleled. Although I have mentioned it before, it is worth restating that the heel-lock of the boot is exceptional. CCM did a great job with the reduction of negative space. Being able to wear a single pair of socks and no additional lace-bite protection has been great! I really love the fit of the skate and all minor break-in cramps have since subsided.

Sole

Still loving the CCM custom soles that I am using. In my opinion, they provide a bit more comfort and add to the 2nd skin feel of the boot, which to me is very important. I still feel that the factory sole leaves a lot to be desired and quite frankly seem like an afterthought; perhaps they wanted people to purchase the custom soles. In any event, I would definitely suggest giving custom soles a try.

Performance

The FT1s perform very well on the ice. The heel-lock and lack of negative space definitely aid to the overall performance of the skates. The turns are sharp, the stops and restarts are powerful, and the strides are smooth. As with any skate, they are not a panacea, you have to have proper skating techniques, but the FT1s coupled with good technique, really lead to a performant skate. I am extremely happy with the skates!

Overall opinion (to date)

I never really buy into the marketing jargon, but I can tell you that the fit and feel of the skates are fantastic. The FT1s really hit on all cylinders. At this point, the only negative comments are the carbon copy of the Vapor aesthetics (although if I recall correctly, I do believe they were created by the same person) and the weight of the skates. They aren't heavy, but they are definitely heavier than my 1x skates; would have loved them to be a bit lighter. Other than those small digs, I love these things! As I mentioned above, I sold my 1x skates, so these are officially my go to skates and they have been excellent!

[Dangles83 24]

Update IV

After several months in the FT1s, I am back to give an updated review and ratings after some heavy usage in the skates! For those of you that have been following along, I am still pleased with my decision to switch from my Vapor 1X to the FT1! Please note that all ratings are based on a 10 point scale; 10 being the best.

Fit (8.5)

The locked-in fit continues to be standout for me. The reduction of negative space combined with the snug heel-lock provide for an excellent feel out on the ice; you can feel the power in your strides. If I was to point out one negative it would be that I have noticed as the weather gets colder, my one boot tends to dig into the tendon above my ankle on the outside of my left leg. For the time being, I have a gel sleeve that I wear that mitigates the issue. I'm not sure if the extreme cold is stiffening that portion of the boot or what, but it was painful enough that I had to address it. I will see if this issue persists over time.

Stock Sole (2) - CCM Custom Soles (9)

The custom CCM soles are holding up great and are definitely the way to go! The stock soles are simply not comfortable and created foot cramps, which in turn, hampered my stride. I would highly recommend picking up a pair of CCM custom foot beds if you are getting the FT1 skates; provides much better comfort and feel on the ice.

Performance (8)

The FT1 skates continue to perform out on the ice. I can feel a good transfer of power in my strides and you get that explosiveness when stopping/starting, which is very important. Turns are very sharp and you can really trust the skates when you're out on the ice if you know what I mean. The one thing that I would note here is that the skates seem to feel heavier from when I first started wearing them. I mentioned the weight before, but they currently weigh 1lb 13.5oz each and it's very noticeable when just putting the skates in my bag. On the ice, I wouldn't say I feel weighed down per se, but I am sure that it may be taking a bit of speed out of my game.

Durability (9)

Overall the skates have been holding up very well. Other than some cosmetic blemishes, the skates still look great. More importantly, the boot has maintained its integrity throughout. The only complaint so far is that the stitching in the tongue holding the lace bite pad began to come apart along the bottom. I have been lazy and not taken it in to a shop to have it addressed, but keeping my eye on it for the time being. I didn't any blades, etc. clip my skates at any point as my laces have been fully intact, and the stitching is actually under the laces. I just think perhaps this was a one-off issue.

Overall (8.5)

The FT1 is an excellent pair of skates, from fit to performance. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with the FT1 especially if you are looking for a form-fitting skate with maximum performance. A few areas I would like to see addressed moving forward are overall skate weight, high-ankle padding, and lastly some original aesthetics. I will keep you posted with updates during the life of the skate.

[Dangles83 24]

Update V

Just wanted to pop in to give a quick update after another month in the FT1 skates. The skates continue to impress me, the heel-lock and fit is just exceptional. The issue I mentioned regarding the hot spot above my ankle on the outside of my leg is still there, but again, I am hoping that this is just due to the cold weather. I will have to play some games without the gel pad in place to see if there has been any improvement there.

Another thing I thought of that I miss with the Vapors, is the new trigger holders; that was a great feature in case you broke steel during a game. Although I have had no issues to date with my steel in the FT1's, it was nice knowing that I could carry a spare set with me in case of breakage during a game.

Also as I mentioned previously, I have an issue with the stitching in the lace bite pad, so I figured I would show it here so you can get a better idea of what I am talking about. Here it is (looking down while the skate is on):

Please feel free to continue to DM me any questions you may have about the skates; I'd be happy to answer them for you!

Edited April 16, 2018 by Dangles83

[Dangles83 24]

Update VI

Just wrapped up the playoffs in our league and the skates went through a ton of in-game trauma. From shot blocks, slashes, and skate-on-skate board work, my FT1's took a thorough beating. So this will be an end of season review.

Once the dust settled and I got home, I took a closer look at the skates to see how they looked as far as durability. As expected, the skates took their fair share of cosmetic damage. They also had some minor damage to the first layer of the boot including the quarter package, toe box, and holders. Once again, some of this can be expected, but there are other areas that I want to keep my eye on, specifically the damage to the exterior of the boot. The point where the toe box connects to the harder quarter package has lost some of the exterior; it's as if it has been sliced off with a blade. The question is, was this just a fluke? Did someone's skate blade perfectly happen to come up and lop off a piece of my skate? While this is certainly possible, I just want to make sure I'm cognizant of these susceptible areas as the next season starts. Since I have never had an issue like this in the past, it's just an area I want to keep an eye on moving forward.

Other than the aforementioned damage, the rest of the skate seems structurally sound. I haven't had any issues with the integrity of the boots or holders. Actually, in contrast to my former Vapors, the SB HyperGlide have held up MUCH better than the Tuuk LS4. The steel has been very performant and continue to excel after all the shot blocks and board work. Literally the only issue I ran into was having to tighten my steel once prior to a game as it had come loose. I'm actually even on the original laces! I haven't covered the laces in previous posts since that's a fairly trivial component of the skates, but it's worth mentioning that I really like the factory laces; not sure what brand they are, but I definitely would like to get a couple more pair. They aren't as thick as traditional laces, but seem much stronger.

End of season conclusion...loving these skates. The main factor for me is the heel-lock and overall fit; which is a critical aspect of skates.

[Dangles83 24]

Back after another full season in the FT1 skates. In a nutshell, these things have been warriors! Other than the cosmetic damage I reported previously, the skate integrity has been nothing short of stellar; believe it or not I am still on the original laces (which I also love by the way). I am extremely impressed with this skate and I don't regret transitioning from the Vapor series.

If you are a Bauer Vapor player and are looking for a bit more of a heel lock and less volume in the toe, I highly suggest you trying out the FT1. The performance and durability have been exceptional and other than a few gripes about aesthetics, weight, and the lacking quick change holder, this skate has been a huge win!

My overall score of an 8.5 still holds true!

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the fit, performance, transition, etc. Hope this helps!