CCM FT485 & Vapor x2.9 Skates comparison

[beedee 227]

As I mentioned in my other thread, I had purchased CCM FT485 7.5 Regular and Bauer Vapor x2.9 FIT 2 skates. I was able to try on the CCM's in store, but the Bauers I had to order online, both pairs purchased from Pure Hockey. You can catch up on my experience with the CCM FT485 fit experience in my other thread. So I currently am wearing both skates as I write this, and the fit is night and day. The CCM's are bugging again in the pinky toe area, where the toe cap meets the boot as well as in my arch area. The Bauers fit like a glove, nice and snug all the way around, sans any hot spots or pressure points! They honestly feel like a dream compared to the CCM.

I'm planning to head to Pure Hockey tomorrow morning to get the Vapors baked. Not sure if I will return the CCM's at that time, but as I sit here typing this, there is still no pain at all in my right foot, where as my arch is still feeling hot, my pinky toe is feeling pressure and now my big toe knuckle area is starting to feel some pressure on it...giving me flashbacks of my Graf Ultra G5's that ended up giving me a little bunion (I think?) in that area.

Thanks again for all your guys input in my other thread. Curious to see if you have anything to say in this one after seeing the side-by-side comparison pictures?

 

 

Edited March 1, 2022 by beedee

[althoma1 574]

It's not surprising that you have more room in a Bauer Vapor Fit 2 than a CCM Jetspeed 7.5D. Bauer's Fit 2 is more like an old Supreme D or Vapor EE. You'd also have more room if you were in a CCM Jetspeed EE or a Regular in the new fit system. Both D Jetspeeds and D Vapors are narrow skates, the Fit 2 in Bauer and Regular in CCM is more of an average fit. If you're going to a store to get the Vapors baked anyways, see if they have a 7.5EE or 7.5 Regular Jetspeed for you to try on while you're there - that's a more appropriate sizing comparison vs. Bauer Fit 2.

Trying on a 7R (they generally fit at least a half size longer than Bauer/CCM after baking) True TF7 and/or TF9 may be a good idea as well (especially if they'll heat them up for you) - True also recently extended their 30 day satisfaction guarantee that was supposed to end Dec 31...so you could always bake, sharpen and test one of the True models at no risk for 30 days.

While it's good that you don't feel any pain the the Vapors, they'll be wider everywhere than a D Jetspeed. Just make sure that there's not a lot of extra negative space and you still have good heel lock. I'd try to figure that out before you bake them as they may not let you return the Vapors after they're baked. 

 

 

 

[beedee 227]

Thanks for well said reply. 
 

The Jetspeeds are actually a “Regular” width, not D as I mentioned. Heel lock feels equal in both the 485 and the x2.9 as far as I can tell. The x2.9’s hug my feet pretty much uniformly all the way around, just enough to wear it feels like a bake would dial them in even better. As far as I know, the only 7.5 FT485 my Pure Hockey has is the “Regular”. This model doesn’t fall under the new CCM Fitment system with their three fitment options. 
 

My current x500’s are a 7EE. And my new x2.9’s Fit 2 feel better off the bat than my x500’s, particularly in the mid foot and ankle areas.  I hadnt thought to give the True’s a try. I’m not sure if the Monkey Sports that is kind of near me has them in stock. Getting someone on the phone there is rough. And it’s about 40 minutes away. 

[althoma1 574]

Icewarehouse has both the TF7 and TF9 in stock in 7R, honors the 30 day satisfaction guarantee and offers free return shipping. I believe they're also based in California and your location is listed as SoCal, so shipping should be relatively quick if you wanted to give them a try.

[beedee 227]

Looks like my local HM has the TF7’s in stock. Going to check them out this evening! Thanks again for recommending them. 

[althoma1 574]

No problem. For most people they won't feel comfortable before baking them and the right size will feel way too small before a bake. So, I wouldn't judge them based on their unbaked fit alone. 

[beedee 227]

Ok, so I spent nearly two hours trying on multiple skates down at Hockey Monkey. The sales associate was super cool, knowledgeable and patient. I’ll just post a list of what I tried on, with brief comments. 
 

True TF7: Sizes 7.5 and 7. 7 felt better, but they just didn’t have the “it factor” for me. Multiple hot spots in places I hadn’t experienced before. Didn’t let me bake them so that was that. And honestly I didn’t really care for the look of them. Reminded meof an old school Micron with the strap. (don’t flame me)
 

CCM RibCore 88k: They only had a 7.5 Regular, felt pretty good, but felt that a 7 would have been better. Plenty of space in the toe cap area, which was nice. Heel lock was solid. Since it’s a bit wider, the eyelet wrap over the top of my feet wasn’t really present. The footbeds were just a basic foam and cheaper than the ones included with the FT485’s and ST9380’s that have some extra “fancy” cushioning on the bottoms.  I also  tried on a Wide version just to see how huge it felt, and it did feel huge. Overall an aesthetically pleasing look to me.
 

CCM SuperTacks 9380: Size 7 D, roomy in the toe cap area and overall a nice fit. Nice heel lock. Typical (for me) hot spots in the arches, but that was it for pain. Foot sat comfortably but I didn’t get the wrap over the top like I do with my FT485’s. The wrap looked and felt similar to that of my x2.9’s. I’m just not fond of the yellow accents all over the boot. 
 

CCM FT475: 7, Wide, which reinforced what others have said in my other thread. Toe cap felt great, no rubbing, but the rest of the boot was too big. Not much heel lock to be had. I wanted to try it on to know that a FT485 Wide would have been too big overall. 
 

Bauer Supreme 3S: Unfortunately they didn’t have my size, really wanted to try a 7, Fit 2. Associate said it would feel pretty close/identical to my Vapor x2.9s. I like the look of the skate overall. 
 

I walked away without buying anything but had a much better understanding of what skates might and might not work for me. Nothing really fit “like a glove” with no pain like my x2.9’s do. I’m going to try out my FT485’s some more and hope they break in enough where the pinky toe cap is a non-issue. I really love how deep my foot sits in them. And how much the eyelets wrap over the top of my foot. I have 30 days to return the Vapors so I’ll just hang on to them while I continue to try out the FT485’s. 

[Sniper9 529]

I had issues with the damn toe cap killing my pinky toe in the ccm as1. I had to put a piece of Eva foam along that area to cover that ridge. It worked well but that experience made me stay away from ccm. That and I love my trues. 

[althoma1 574]

10 hours ago, beedee said:

Ok, so I spent nearly two hours trying on multiple skates down at Hockey Monkey. The sales associate was super cool, knowledgeable and patient. I’ll just post a list of what I tried on, with brief comments. 
 

True TF7: Sizes 7.5 and 7. 7 felt better, but they just didn’t have the “it factor” for me. Multiple hot spots in places I hadn’t experienced before. Didn’t let me bake them so that was that. And honestly I didn’t really care for the look of them. Reminded meof an old school Micron with the strap. (don’t flame me)
 

CCM RibCore 88k: They only had a 7.5 Regular, felt pretty good, but felt that a 7 would have been better. Plenty of space in the toe cap area, which was nice. Heel lock was solid. Since it’s a bit wider, the eyelet wrap over the top of my feet wasn’t really present. The footbeds were just a basic foam and cheaper than the ones included with the FT485’s and ST9380’s that have some extra “fancy” cushioning on the bottoms.  I also  tried on a Wide version just to see how huge it felt, and it did feel huge. Overall an aesthetically pleasing look to me.
 

CCM SuperTacks 9380: Size 7 D, roomy in the toe cap area and overall a nice fit. Nice heel lock. Typical (for me) hot spots in the arches, but that was it for pain. Foot sat comfortably but I didn’t get the wrap over the top like I do with my FT485’s. The wrap looked and felt similar to that of my x2.9’s. I’m just not fond of the yellow accents all over the boot. 
 

CCM FT475: 7, Wide, which reinforced what others have said in my other thread. Toe cap felt great, no rubbing, but the rest of the boot was too big. Not much heel lock to be had. I wanted to try it on to know that a FT485 Wide would have been too big overall. 
 

Bauer Supreme 3S: Unfortunately they didn’t have my size, really wanted to try a 7, Fit 2. Associate said it would feel pretty close/identical to my Vapor x2.9s. I like the look of the skate overall. 
 

I walked away without buying anything but had a much better understanding of what skates might and might not work for me. Nothing really fit “like a glove” with no pain like my x2.9’s do. I’m going to try out my FT485’s some more and hope they break in enough where the pinky toe cap is a non-issue. I really love how deep my foot sits in them. And how much the eyelets wrap over the top of my foot. I have 30 days to return the Vapors so I’ll just hang on to them while I continue to try out the FT485’s. 

With the TF7, it's not surprising you had hotspots without baking them. For most people, in the right size that's how they'll feel and your toes will be hard against the cap (more than just brushing). If your toes weren't hard against the cap and you can fit into a 7 in SuperTacks and Ribcor, you'd actually likely need a 6.5. They change a lot with baking, but if you're really hung up on the looks and can find a good fit in something more aesthetically pleasing, that's up to you.

I think the associate is right that the Supreme size Fit 2 would fit very similar to the Vapor X2.9 Fit 2. The Vapor does have a different toe box and some different materials, but the last would be the same. You mentioned 7 Fit 2 though and in your original post you mentioned 7.5. Do you have a 7 or 7.5 Vapor? If you'd be a 7 lengthwise in the CCMs and wanted to try a 7 Fit 2 in Supreme, you'd likely also need a 7 Fit 2 in Vapor and not 7.5. 

Maybe you should've also tried on a CCM FT475 in a 7D. It may seem illogical to go smaller if you're already getting hot spots, but if you're in boots that are a half size too long then the widest part of the boot may not line up with the widest part of your foot. Dropping down a half size could possibly help - it may not, but it could be worth trying.

Personally, I would go for the best fit (and you can't really judge that until after baking, especially with the Trues) rather than focusing on aesthetics. Some things like colour accents can be removed with a little acetone (there are threads here of people doing that with both CCM and True skates - basically blacking them out). Here's one example of the Tacks (and you could use a fabric pen on the other parts) and if you keep going in the thread there are also links to pictures of the FT1 with the graphics removed: 

 

You can see a TF9 ice to inline conversion in this thread where the blue graphics were stripped off: 

 

[beedee 227]

Again, thanks for your input, it has opened my eyes to trying things I would t have considered. 
 

I did initially try a 7 in the FT485 and I felt like my toes were more than brushing the caps. Perhaps I can revisit the 7 Regular and lace it up again to see if the pinky toe thing is less bothersome. Come to think of it, I don’t feel like I laced the 7’s all the way up. 
 

regarding aesthetics, im a graphic designer so aesthetics (while subjective) are engrained in me. It is what it is, I just wasn’t a fan of the Trues, (kind of getting a vibe that me not liking them somehow bothers you). The associate double checked in Trues 30 day guarantee and as you mentioned, he confirmed that it was terminated at the end of 2021. So I wasn’t willing to take the risk of buying them and not liking them and being stuck. The Tacks, just wasn’t a fan of the graphic treatment they did with the Tacks. I don’t want to have to visually modify my skates. 
 

Im going to head to Pure Hockey to get the x2.9’s baked and sharpened. They confirmed they will still accept them before 30 days if used. Can’t lose situation. Also going to check their inventory right now to see if they have a 7 Regular FT485 and try them on again if they do. 
 

I can’t stress enough how helpful you have been, thank you!

[althoma1 574]

1 hour ago, beedee said:

Again, thanks for your input, it has opened my eyes to trying things I would t have considered. 
 

I did initially try a 7 in the FT485 and I felt like my toes were more than brushing the caps. Perhaps I can revisit the 7 Regular and lace it up again to see if the pinky toe thing is less bothersome. Come to think of it, I don’t feel like I laced the 7’s all the way up. 
 

regarding aesthetics, im a graphic designer so aesthetics (while subjective) are engrained in me. It is what it is, I just wasn’t a fan of the Trues, (kind of getting a vibe that me not liking them somehow bothers you). The associate double checked in Trues 30 day guarantee and as you mentioned, he confirmed that it was terminated at the end of 2021. So I wasn’t willing to take the risk of buying them and not liking them and being stuck. The Tacks, just wasn’t a fan of the graphic treatment they did with the Tacks. I don’t want to have to visually modify my skates. 
 

Im going to head to Pure Hockey to get the x2.9’s baked and sharpened. They confirmed they will still accept them before 30 days if used. Can’t lose situation. Also going to check their inventory right now to see if they have a 7 Regular FT485 and try them on again if they do. 
 

I can’t stress enough how helpful you have been, thank you!

No, you not liking the graphics of the Trues or the Tacks doesn't bother me; I just think fit should always be the priority when it comes to equipment. If two things fit equally well then you might as well pick the gear that you feel looks better. I'd just rather be in a pair of skates that fits really well, but don't look great than in something that is very aesthetically pleasing, but isn't that comfortable. If you can find something that you feel looks great and is comfortable for you; great. I was only pointing out the option of taking off graphics with a bit of acetone and elbow grease because I saw people in other threads do it. I haven't bothered removing graphics myself. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to making choices based on aesthetics - I've gone out of my way to buy socks, shells and gloves that match adult rec hockey uniforms. That's totally unnecessary, but I do like matching when I can. There are plenty of players who play better than me with mismatched socks, pants and gloves that don't match their jerseys at all. Everyone is free to make their own choice. I like to look good as much as the next guy and try to get things that look good, but prioritize fit, comfort and performance; great aesthetics is a nice bonus though. 

The True 30 day guarantee was supposed to end on December 31, 2021, but Ice Warehouse announced through a FB post that True chose to extend it. I guess the HM employee didn't get the memo yet. 

I do think the True skates are a  good value, but I don't want to seem like I'm hell bent on pushing you into them. I don't work for them or get any kick backs. If the Bauer or CCM skates work better for you, definitely get those.

It's great that Pure is allowing you to sharpen, bake and try the Vapors. You might as well do that. I hope they work well for you. 

 

[Left Wing King 50]

As someone who has brought skates once purely on aesthetics, don't bother. 

[beedee 227]

37 minutes ago, Left Wing King said:

As someone who has brought skates once purely on aesthetics, don't bother. 

Yup, not my plan. 

[krisdrum 233]

19 hours ago, althoma1 said:

The True 30 day guarantee was supposed to end on December 31, 2021, but Ice Warehouse announced through a FB post that True chose to extend it. I guess the HM employee didn't get the memo yet.

I also understand from a Hockey Monkey employee who helped me (on the east coast), True's policy is every store offers a customer a bake upon try-on, no commitment to buy.  @beedee might be worth going back armed with that information.  I tried them on (baked) and really liked how they felt around most of my foot.  No pressure points, felt like a warm hug.  The only reason I didn't pull the trigger is because the heel and ankle area was a bit sloppy, but that is always my problem area.  I think doing their recommended "saran wrap" method would have likely solved for that, but didn't get a chance to test that theory.  Since they've extended their 30 day guarantee, I may have to pull the trigger and give them a try. 

[beedee 227]

Little update in case you guys were wondering how my quest is going.

I just finished a 2 hour public session on some brand new CCM SuperTacks 9380’s. Man, they feel pretty different from the Vapors. I feel like they put me on my heels, felt very flat footed. It took about twenty minutes or so to adjust, but I still wasn’t feeling my normal self by the end of the session. The foot beds are terrible, completely flat with zero arch support…and I have flat arches. Will try them a few more times but as I have mentioned before, the Vapors just fit like a glove, no thinking about anything regarding them when I wear them. With these SuperTacks I could feel my toes brushing the caps, which some people swear by, but I’ve never liked it. Arches were on fire the first 15 minutes or so and my feet feel a bit fatigued as I write this. And the front of my feet kind of hurt from being so flat-footed. I know these are a stiff boot. Also, I have no interest in spending extra money on SuperFeet or other aftermarket foot beds. 

Edited January 23, 2022 by beedee

[Sniper9 529]

4 hours ago, beedee said:

Little update in case you guys were wondering how my quest is going.

I just finished a 2 hour public session on some brand new CCM SuperTacks 9380’s. Man, they feel pretty different from the Vapors. I feel like they put me on my heels, felt very flat footed. It took about twenty minutes or so to adjust, but I still wasn’t feeling my normal self by the end of the session. The foot beds are terrible, completely flat with zero arch support…and I have flat arches. Will try them a few more times but as I have mentioned before, the Vapors just fit like a glove, no thinking about anything regarding them when I wear them. With these SuperTacks I could feel my toes brushing the caps, which some people swear by, but I’ve never liked it. Arches were on fire the first 15 minutes or so and my feet feel a bit fatigued as I write this. And the front of my feet kind of hurt from being so flat-footed. I know these are a stiff boot. Also, I have no interest in spending extra money on SuperFeet or other aftermarket foot beds. 

If the vapors fit like a glove why bother trying other skates? 

[beedee 227]

12 minutes ago, Sniper9 said:

If the vapors fit like a glove why bother trying other skates? 

To see if the grass was greener…but after going on a few first dates with other skates, it clearly isn’t. 

[Sniper9 529]

Trust me, if you find a skate that give you ZERO issues. Just stick with them. Chances are other skates won't fit as well or comfortable since every manufacturer uses a diff boot last for their retail boots. 

[stick9 890]

15 minutes ago, Sniper9 said:

Trust me, if you find a skate that give you ZERO issues. Just stick with them. Chances are other skates won't fit as well or comfortable since every manufacturer uses a diff boot last for their retail boots. 

So true. Don't go down that rabbit hole. It's not worth it.