Hyperlite skates… live up to the hype?

[VegasHockey 1280]

2 hours ago, BenBreeg said:

Dunno, I would have to see some data.  Only the weight of one blade/holder comes into play for a portion of the stride and one on recovery, depends on how you would segment the whole process, so again, % and diminishing returns.  Without data I can't really say how much it contributes to performance per ounce or however you want to measure.

During initial stride and recovery, but if you take into account how much you move your feet I think it would compound over time. I think Byonic did a study on this and it was one of their marketing things. 

[Misfit88 1]

After my first few skates I hated them, had them on ebay 2 times but wasn't willing to lose $500 after skating on them 2 times. Here are a few things I found. 

• my last vapors were 8.5D, my new Hyperlite's are 8.0D.
• the toe box is larger, I had to insert a cut foot bed in the front to take up the volume
• lacing to the top offered zero flex (maybe this will change once really broke in. it made me feel like I was always going to fall back.)

I thought there was no way around the feeling of always falling backwards until I read the thread "why you shouldn't lace up tight" I started lacing them down one and totally fixed the problem. During play I would lace them up loose to the top loose and would still have the same problem. Maybe this will change once I break them in....for $1k I hope so.

 

[VegasHockey 1280]

I also had the feeling of being on my heels, but I think this is because the holder is mounted further back than previous Vapor models. No changes I made to lacing changed that feeling. Even after profiling the steel with a very aggressive forward pitch didn't make a large enough difference. 

[hawk11 8]

On 11/26/2021 at 10:40 AM, PBH said:

Ive tried everything. One of the benefits of owning a hockey shop 😉 

TLDR: I prefer the FT4 Pro over the Hyperlite. However, I think the 100K is better than them both. I actually like the FT4 more than the FT4 Pro though as the slightly lower stiffness allows the boot to flex a little more. 

• The FT4 Pro and Hyperlite are very different.
• FT4 Pro is very stiff, considerably stiffer than the Hyperlite all over. 
• More forward flex in the Hyperlite than the FT4 Pro.
• FT4 Pro is significantly more responsive.
• Weight is about the same with standard steel. With the Carbonlite option, the Hyperlite is significantly lighter. I did not like the Carbonlite though. 
•  FT4 Pro foams seem better than the Hyperlite, I feel they actually mold better to your feet.
• Hyperlite didn't lock me in as well as the FT4 Pro. I like the liner better on the FT4 Pro, I would feel my heel slip slightly on hard pushes in the Hyperlite. I assume the monoframe boot also contributes to better fit. 
• I didn't notice the fancy new outsole on the Hyperlite. Maybe because I used Flare instead of typical steel but the implied design of the new Hyperlite outsole was supposed to allow for more flexion and thus more grip. I felt nothing different or new. 
• I didn't like the Hyperlite tongue. The tongue insert was painful for me. No lacebite, just overall was not comfortable and when in a deep knee bend I felt like it was digging into my forefoot. 
• I also prefer the interchangeable tongue of the FT4 Pro. 

 

I am sorry, but I just caught this now.  Why do you think the 100K is better than both the Hyperlite and FT4 Pro?  I have a fairly wide toebox section of my foot and a high instep (high volume) foot. 

I have tried on the FT4 pro in a wide fit and I like how they feel except there is not enough volume in there..

Would a Total Custom Ribcore with the Advanced Facing possibly work?  

[Lfntn10 0]

8 hours ago, hawk11 said:

I am sorry, but I just caught this now.  Why do you think the 100K is better than both the Hyperlite and FT4 Pro?  I have a fairly wide toebox section of my foot and a high instep (high volume) foot. 

I have tried on the FT4 pro in a wide fit and I like how they feel except there is not enough volume in there..

Would a Total Custom Ribcore with the Advanced Facing possibly work?  

That's a possibility, but keep in mind you can also get an oversized toe box for CCM customs.

[Vet88 674]

12 hours ago, Misfit88 said:

• my last vapors were 8.5D, my new Hyperlite's are 8.0D.
• the toe box is larger, I had to insert a cut foot bed in the front to take up the volume 

I didn't know Hyperlites came in a D, I thought all Hyperlites used the sizing Fit 1 - 3. Mine are a Fit 1 and my experience is the toe box is smaller in height than any Vapour or Supreme D size I have ever worn or tried. For a Fit 1 I have to raise the toe cap / tongue insert area, it is much much lower in height in this area. I have used powerfoot inserts for the last few years and there is no way I could ever put these into a Hyperlite Fit 1 toe box.

Now that you have dropped one eyelet, try another one down....

[VegasHockey 1280]

4 hours ago, Lfntn10 said:

That's a possibility, but keep in mind you can also get an oversized toe box for CCM customs.

Correct, an oversized toe box would help with a wide and tall forefoot. If you need more overall volume then you want to look into advanced facing. 

[Misfit88 1]

10 hours ago, Vet88 said:

I didn't know Hyperlites came in a D, I thought all Hyperlites used the sizing Fit 1 - 3. Mine are a Fit 1 and my experience is the toe box is smaller in height than any Vapour or Supreme D size I have ever worn or tried. For a Fit 1 I have to raise the toe cap / tongue insert area, it is much much lower in height in this area. I have used powerfoot inserts for the last few years and there is no way I could ever put these into a Hyperlite Fit 1 toe box.

Now that you have dropped one eyelet, try another one down....

I misspoke, the are FIT 1. To me they feel like a D.

[lpgbackups 17]

i was thinking of buying these...but the comments here are not encouraging.  Anybody likes them a lot compared to Vapors of the past couple years?

[StinkyPinky 11]

On 12/5/2021 at 5:07 AM, PBH said:

Technically, Curv was made by Propex Fabrics GmbH. 

https://materialdistrict.com/material/curv/

Regardless, I tend to think that is the case with not just Bauer, but a lot of brands.

For example: FT2 vs FT4 Pro. AS3 Pro vs AS-V Pro skate. Ultrasonic vs Mach. Etc. They all have the same genetics, just minor refinements. Look at Connor and some other NHL players, arguably some of the best players in the world are using skates that are generations old. 

We might be at a point where the biggest improvements are going to come from changed to the holders and steel. Look at Flare, Carbonlite, Bladetech, Byonic, Marsblade... or perhaps the evolution of steel profiling. 

Bauer obviously bought ProSharp for a reason. Yes? 

 

 

 

I tend to agree as I don't see much significant skate innovation in the last decade since something like the Bauer Supreme TotalOne. STEP definitely pushed the Runner tech.

Like a well fitting NOS pair of TotalOne with new STEP Blacksteel in them are comparable to any new skate imo. Yes, some new one's will be slightly better or preferred by players, but I don't see significant technical advances to distinguish them.

That being said I just ordered Hyperlights due to a pretty good discount 😁. I'd have been happy with 2x Pro if they had my size around the same price point, but I think that ship sailed last year.

[218hockey 50]

Anyone go from the UltraSonic to the Hyperlite skate? Thoughts? Felt tongue to whatever the Hyperlite is?

[skates73 3]

15 hours ago, 218hockey said:

Anyone go from the UltraSonic to the Hyperlite skate? Thoughts? Felt tongue to whatever the Hyperlite is?

I've been a Supreme guy for a long time (I really liked the MX3s and 1S skates).  I've skated on the Machs for some time (not ultrasonics but I assume they're similar) and went to Hyperlites.  

The fit is definitely different.  I feel the supremes conform more to my feet but the Hyperlites were decently tight around the heel.  I've discovered that the Hyperlite tongues need to get "broken in" in order to give a nice tight stable fit for me.  In the beginning the tongue was pretty stiff and did not "press down" firmly enough on the top of my feet to really lock the foot in the boot.  After some time thought it soften and moulded better to the foot and locked me in decently well.

They always talk about how Vapors have a "shallower" heel pocket and it definitely took me some time to realize that was one of the differences I was feeling.   Imo, I think the shallower heel pocket gives a bit less stability and control compared to Supremes.  Putting in superfeet makes the heel pocket too shallow for me so I use stock insoles for the Hyperlites.

I do like the outsole for the Hyperlites.  It's definitely softer and more forgiving than the Machs.  I can definitely feel the outsole heel flex of the Hyperlites and it does give better edging/grip and in turn edge work and some agility.  It does help accelerate/ snap you out of tight turns well.

I think the Hyperlites might take a bit longer to break in than Machs/Ultrasonics.  It's stiffer in the upper part of the boot so the forward flex of the ankle will take longer to "break in".  

At first I did not like the weird stiff tongue of the Hyperlites but after a while I've decided they're not bad after some breaking in.

They're ok but still doesn't feel as natural to me as Supreme skates and I'm guessing it has to do with heel pocket depth and maybe the angle of the eyelets.       

[218hockey 50]

Thanks. That's helpful. My son had a pair of Vapors years ago for about a week, just too narrow. He doesn't have wide feet anymore and the new Fit system means we can get any Bauer skate pretty much. We went Ignite Pro +, MX-3, 2N, 2SPro, UltraSonic.

Almost forgot about the pair of 1N's I bought him. He was growing fast and never got to use them. They're still boxed up in the basement!

 

Edited January 22, 2023 by 218hockey

[Sniper9 529]

17 hours ago, 218hockey said:

Thanks. That's helpful. My son had a pair of Vapors years ago for about a week, just too narrow. He doesn't have wide feet anymore and the new Fit system means we can get any Bauer skate pretty much. We went Ignite Pro +, MX-3, 2N, 2SPro, UltraSonic.

Almost forgot about the pair of 1N's I bought him. He was growing fast and never got to use them. They're still boxed up in the basement!

 

Can u be my dad?

[pgeorgan 77]

On 1/19/2023 at 1:03 AM, 218hockey said:

Anyone go from the UltraSonic to the Hyperlite skate? Thoughts? Felt tongue to whatever the Hyperlite is?

I went in the opposite direction - Hyperlite to Mach. 

Like @skates73 said you, you can feel the heel give more in the Hyperlites when you turn hard in the corners. It's definitely a more forgiving boot, per Bauer's marketing material and corroborated I think by anyone that's skated in both lineups. 

The edge of the Hyperlite tongue did pinch into my ankle a little until it was broken in properly. Then again, I skate barefoot so this might not even be noticeable for you. 

Edited January 23, 2023 by pgeorgan

[Leif 161]

On 5/25/2022 at 3:01 PM, StinkyPinky said:

I tend to agree as I don't see much significant skate innovation in the last decade since something like the Bauer Supreme TotalOne. STEP definitely pushed the Runner tech.

True are carving a new path:

• Genuinely custom skates built round a last. Not just a stock skate heat and pressure formed to a last. 
• One piece boots. CCM do this too. 
• Incredibly thermoformable shells. I don’t know about CCM, but the Bauers I’ve tried have very little give when baked. Bauer hurt my feet, even customs. 
• Blades with a more complex profile. I believe Bauer are doing this too. 

I moved from Bauer 2S Pro custom, to stock True TF9, and the difference is dramatic in terms of skating. It makes me wonder if Bauer customs just don’t suit my feet (flipper shaped, very narrow lower leg bones). The one good point is that my Bauers were bullet proof, they look a mess but they are still solid, albeit with replacement holders. I read a lot of reports of True TF9/TF7 breaking, whether they are any worse than Bauer, or CCM, I know not. 

Of course companies have to bring out new ranges every few years irrespective of whether or not they have genuinely developed worthwhile improvements. So much of this stuff is surely marketing, new graphics, new shapes, new gimmicks. You have to get the kids to buy the new skates that will turn them into Connor McDavid, even though their current skates are fine. 

Edited February 7 by Leif

[lpgbackups 17]

On 2/7/2024 at 4:20 PM, Leif said:

True are carving a new path:

• Genuinely custom skates built round a last. Not just a stock skate heat and pressure formed to a last. 
• One piece boots. CCM do this too. 
• Incredibly thermoformable shells. I don’t know about CCM, but the Bauers I’ve tried have very little give when baked. Bauer hurt my feet, even customs. 
• Blades with a more complex profile. I believe Bauer are doing this too. 

I moved from Bauer 2S Pro custom, to stock True TF9, and the difference is dramatic in terms of skating. It makes me wonder if Bauer customs just don’t suit my feet (flipper shaped, very narrow lower leg bones). The one good point is that my Bauers were bullet proof, they look a mess but they are still solid, albeit with replacement holders. I read a lot of reports of True TF9/TF7 breaking, whether they are any worse than Bauer, or CCM, I know not. 

Of course companies have to bring out new ranges every few years irrespective of whether or not they have genuinely developed worthwhile improvements. So much of this stuff is surely marketing, new graphics, new shapes, new gimmicks. You have to get the kids to buy the new skates that will turn them into Connor McDavid, even though their current skates are fine. 

Whats funny is that Connor is still skating with his original Jetspeed skates released......8 years ago!  I dont know of any NHL player who still skates in a model released earlier than that and Connor is objectively the best skater and subjectively the best player of all time.

[Sniper9 529]

22 minutes ago, lpgbackups said:

Whats funny is that Connor is still skating with his original Jetspeed skates released......8 years ago!  I dont know of any NHL player who still skates in a model released earlier than that and Connor is objectively the best skater and subjectively the best player of all time.

Yup it's all personal preference. Leif is obviously very excited about his new found love for true, but it's all preference. 

[lpgbackups 17]

8 minutes ago, Sniper9 said:

Yup it's all personal preference. Leif is obviously very excited about his new found love for true, but it's all preference. 

Quoted for truth

[Leif 161]

2 hours ago, Sniper9 said:

Yup it's all personal preference. Leif is obviously very excited about his new found love for true, but it's all preference. 

My earlier post was probably a bit overenthusiastic. 

However Bauer, even custom, don’t work for me because they don’t fit my flipper shaped feet with very narrow leg bones, and hence I can’t skate properly in them. So yes in my case True skates have given me a huge improvement in my skating. If you wish to call that personal preference, fair enough. There will of course be people for whom stock True skates don’t work. Or they simply prefer something else. So I don’t think it’s fair to say it’s all personal preference. Of course I might be very unusual, but I suspect not. Bauer and CCM have the hard task of producing a range of skates that fit as wide a range of people as possible, which is very hard to do, especially when Bauer skates are barely thermoformable. You just have to look at the three Bauer fits to realise they assume a certain forefoot width to heel width for example. I have no experience with CCM. True probably do better in that respect, but they get their fair share of complaints if not more. 

One of the best amateur skaters I know - he skates pairs dance in hockey skates, yes I know, unusual (1) - wears secondhand Bauer APX skates. He discovered that they work for him, so he’s stockpiled lightly used second hand pairs bought for £50. One of the best hockey skaters I know wears old Grafs. Friends who play at a far higher level than me usually wear old skates. Someone more knowledgeable than me (my experience is limited) might correct me here, but I suspect fit is paramount, alongside skating ability, and the latest much hyped features such as the supposedly energy giving Reflex Pro tongues on my Bauer customs are little more than gimmicks. That said, Bauer speed plates are superb, and do improve my skating. So some features, of course, do work. 

It’s only recently that I discovered that my difficulty learning skating drills was due to my skates. So yes I do think True are innovating by having very thermoformable skates, as there must be many people who don’t fit stock boots, or semi-custom boots. However, innovation is risky, and the market might not take to it. Scott van Horne for example went into making figure skates, custom and stock, but ran into financial difficulties, and had to sell his company to Wilson skates. 

(1) He had skating lessons in hockey boots, with the intention of moving to figures. However, he got so much abuse from other figure skating coaches, some hate hockey skaters, that he now refuses on principle to get figures. For example, they would complain about the noise his skates make, or make derisory remarks in earshot. 

Edited February 18 by Leif
Spelling

[VegasHockey 1280]

Equipment can never compensate for proper skating style and talent. I know many players who wear low end skates, they are smooth and fast skaters. The fastest and, arguably, best player in the NHL still wears first generation Jetspeed skates. 😉 

[lpgbackups 17]

6 hours ago, VegasHockey said:

Equipment can never compensate for proper skating style and talent. I know many players who wear low end skates, they are smooth and fast skaters. The fastest and, arguably, best player in the NHL still wears first generation Jetspeed skates. 😉 

McDavid's skates are definitely an old model but they are not a low end model by any stretch of the imagination.  Connor's skates were the CCM Cadillac back in 2015

[218hockey 50]

8 hours ago, VegasHockey said:

Equipment can never compensate for proper skating style and talent.

Kobe Bryant could score 30 in flip flops.

That's an old one but your statement made me think of it.

[Leif 161]

16 hours ago, VegasHockey said:

Equipment can never compensate for proper skating style and talent. I know many players who wear low end skates, they are smooth and fast skaters. The fastest and, arguably, best player in the NHL still wears first generation Jetspeed skates. 😉 

I spent three years trying and failing to master several edge drills (powerpulls, backwards crossrolls, backwards scissor skate, forward inside edge three turns). After less than a month with skates that fit, I’ve almost mastered them. Talent is mostly a myth anyway. It’s hard work and good training with huge amounts of luck. 

[flip12 714]

4 hours ago, Leif said:

I spent three years trying and failing to master several edge drills (powerpulls, backwards crossrolls, backwards scissor skate, forward inside edge three turns). After less than a month with skates that fit, I’ve almost mastered them. Talent is mostly a myth anyway. It’s hard work and good training with huge amounts of luck. 

What makes you say talent is "mostly a myth?" I consider it one of the "huge amounts of luck" factors.