Need a Replacement for Easton Mako 2s

[TheDriver85 1]

I’ve been Using a pair of 8.5 regular Easton Mako 2s for about 6 years now (got them on discount in 2016), and it’s finally time to look for a replacement…but I have no idea what to get.  I’ve been a huge Easton Skate fan since the Synergy 1500C skates came out in 2006, and have owned the S17, and EQ50s as well.  I actually never baked Easton skates…they always fit me perfectly.   Bauer on the other hand…I always had issues with.  My vapor 3s from HS (I know skates have come a long way in 20 yrs) always hurt, and those were baked.  
 

looking at skates now a days…dam they are expensive and heavy.  It looks like the only skate that s as lite as my Makos are the vapor Hyperlites.  
 

So, for those ex Mako/Easton users, what skates did you try/hate/like/love?

 

thx,

[the_game 452]

sorry to be cryptic…but be patient…

[Sprungdownunder 18]

In my opinion the only skate that is similar but improved is the true Tf9/7 & custom.

 

[honeless_blader 5]

11 hours ago, the_game said:

sorry to be cryptic…but be patient…

Are we talking "on shelves within a year" patient or "we're expecting our final samples this year" patient?

[the_game 452]

1 hour ago, honeless_blader said:

Are we talking "on shelves within a year" patient or "we're expecting our final samples this year" patient?

That I don’t know unfortunately. But if I had to base it on the release cycle I’d say a year’ish & some is what I’d put my money on.

[flip12 715]

Catalyst is worth a look. It’s out in a month. True boot that’s supposed to rival Hyperlight and JS4 in weight with softer facing, flex tendon guard, and reduced volume toecap.

What size Makos do you wear and how light are they, out of curiosity?

Edited June 25, 2022 by flip12

[TheDriver85 1]

18 hours ago, flip12 said:

Catalyst is worth a look. It’s out in a month. True boot that’s supposed to rival Hyperlight and JS4 in weight with softer facing, flex tendon guard, and reduced volume toecap.

What size Makos do you wear and how light are they, out of curiosity?

I have an 8.5 regular.  Google says that senior Mako 2s weigh 850 grams. 
TF9s, like someone said, they weigh 950 grams ish.  
 

I did try a pair of TF9, and they are comfy..but the blade is wierd.  And they def don’t seem lite.  The remind me a little of the EQ50 skate, in that they are bulky.  
But, like I said, the EQ50 didn’t have a weird blade feeling.  
 

I used to alternate my Mako2s and EQ50s….the easier games with guys I know that are more fun…EQ50.   Competitive games…Mako2s.  Going back and forth between them never bothered me. 

[flip12 715]

3 hours ago, TheDriver85 said:

I have an 8.5 regular.  Google says that senior Mako 2s weigh 850 grams. 
TF9s, like someone said, they weigh 950 grams ish.  
 

I did try a pair of TF9, and they are comfy..but the blade is wierd.  And they def don’t seem lite.  The remind me a little of the EQ50 skate, in that they are bulky.  
But, like I said, the EQ50 didn’t have a weird blade feeling.  
 

I used to alternate my Mako2s and EQ50s….the easier games with guys I know that are more fun…EQ50.   Competitive games…Mako2s.  Going back and forth between them never bothered me. 

Google’s scraping Pure Hockey, who says 8.0 TF9’s weight surplus over the Mako II is closer to half that: 904g; about 5.7% heavier than 8.0 Mako II at 850g. But 8.0 TF ≠ 8.0 Mako II. The sizing is off by at least 0.5, so a better (still imperfect) comparison would be 7.5 TF, which would likely be several grams lighter (maybe below 900?)—still a bit heavier than Mako II, but not by a lot. TF’s a more robust boot, for better (protection and longevity) and worse (not as impressive at the weigh in).

Catalyst differs quite a bit from TF. @psh could chime in because he’s tried everything, but the points I mentioned previously about how Catalyst differs from TF makes me think one segment True’s eyeing with Catalyst is Mako diehards who don’t have a great option on the current market, as well as just direct competition with the light-and-agile segment.

Edited June 26, 2022 by flip12

[jared9356 39]

On 6/24/2022 at 9:59 PM, the_game said:

sorry to be cryptic…but be patient…

Excuse my prying, my Trues are on their death bed and I gotta make plans. Does this mystery skate have atrocious yellow and chrome highlights?

[althoma1 574]

6 hours ago, jared9356 said:

Excuse my prying, my Trues are on their death bed and I gotta make plans. Does this mystery skate have atrocious yellow and chrome highlights?

Yes, they have chrome and yellow. See this post from October for pictures: 

 

[Krev 86]

In order:

True Customs, TF9/Ribcor, Unreleased Catalyst skates, sourced Mako II's.

[Miller55 333]

Surprised that nobody here mentioned giving the second tier jetspeeds a try. The ft4 (not pro) are great skates with a one piece boot and will have the flex you want. They're not makos by any stretch, and obviously you know that trues are the closest, but if you want another option, I would look into ft4s 

[flip12 715]

On 6/26/2022 at 2:23 PM, TheDriver85 said:

I have an 8.5 regular.  Google says that senior Mako 2s weigh 850 grams. 
TF9s, like someone said, they weigh 950 grams ish.  
 

I did try a pair of TF9, and they are comfy..but the blade is wierd.  And they def don’t seem lite.  The remind me a little of the EQ50 skate, in that they are bulky.  
But, like I said, the EQ50 didn’t have a weird blade feeling.  
 

I used to alternate my Mako2s and EQ50s….the easier games with guys I know that are more fun…EQ50.   Competitive games…Mako2s.  Going back and forth between them never bothered me. 

 

On 6/26/2022 at 6:04 PM, flip12 said:

Google’s scraping Pure Hockey, who says 8.0 TF9’s weight surplus over the Mako II is closer to half that: 904g; about 5.7% heavier than 8.0 Mako II at 850g. But 8.0 TF ≠ 8.0 Mako II. The sizing is off by at least 0.5, so a better (still imperfect) comparison would be 7.5 TF, which would likely be several grams lighter (maybe below 900?)—still a bit heavier than Mako II, but not by a lot. TF’s a more robust boot, for better (protection and longevity) and worse (not as impressive at the weigh in).

Catalyst differs quite a bit from TF. @psh could chime in because he’s tried everything, but the points I mentioned previously about how Catalyst differs from TF makes me think one segment True’s eyeing with Catalyst is Mako diehards who don’t have a great option on the current market, as well as just direct competition with the light-and-agile segment.

Update: According to icehockey360.ru, Catalyst (Pro according to the picture, Cat9 according to the caption) at size 8.0 weighs in at 833. So if that one particular skate is a fair representation of the model average once circulation comes up in the near future, it's about 20 grams lighter than Mako II and 20 grams heavier than HyperLites with CarbonLite runners.

It would be interesting to see Catalyst's weight without steel. I'm surprised Alexey didn't shoot that, because I've seen him do it before. We also have to wait and see if True fixed the sizing issue with the TF which ran huge. That could be another factor.

Edited June 29, 2022 by flip12
sauce

[TheDriver85 1]

Anyone know the price of the Catalyst 9 skate?  

[flip12 715]

1 hour ago, TheDriver85 said:

Anyone know the price of the Catalyst 9 skate?  

It’s starting to pop up online. So far someone has found a Canadian listing:

 

[sturdy22 28]

On 6/24/2022 at 7:33 PM, TheDriver85 said:

I’ve been Using a pair of 8.5 regular Easton Mako 2s for about 6 years now (got them on discount in 2016), and it’s finally time to look for a replacement…but I have no idea what to get.  I’ve been a huge Easton Skate fan since the Synergy 1500C skates came out in 2006, and have owned the S17, and EQ50s as well.  I actually never baked Easton skates…they always fit me perfectly.   Bauer on the other hand…I always had issues with.  My vapor 3s from HS (I know skates have come a long way in 20 yrs) always hurt, and those were baked.  
 

looking at skates now a days…dam they are expensive and heavy.  It looks like the only skate that s as lite as my Makos are the vapor Hyperlites.  
 

So, for those ex Mako/Easton users, what skates did you try/hate/like/love?

 

thx,

I currently have two pairs of Mako 2s. A pair of 8 EE on E-Pros and a pair of pro stock 8.5D left /9D right on CXN holders. The makos are the perfect skate for me in terms of fit and stiffness. I don’t know what the steel is profiled to on the EPros but they are pitched forward and comparable to the CXNs.

I recently  picked up a pair of 7.5 Wide TF7 and a pair of 8 TF9s on sideline for real cheap in hopes of having a skate that will replace my makos.

sizing is all over the place. The 7.5W are perfect after the bake but I have a high instep and they  tear my feet up putting the skates on when they’re cool. And they are so stiff. The 8 feels too roomy in comparison and they’re also tearing up my feet putting them on. Lacing is also a pain in the ass due to the stiffness of the boot.

I have CXNs on the trues and they don’t feel like the makos. I have my own riveter so I am able to swap holders around. I am hopeful that the catalyst are a little softer of a boot and I am interested in the flexibility of the tendon guard. The TF7/9 tendon guard has no flex.

Edited July 1, 2022 by sturdy22

[flip12 715]

4 hours ago, sturdy22 said:

I currently have two pairs of Mako 2s. A pair of 8 EE on E-Pros and a pair of pro stock 8.5D left /9D right on CXN holders. The makos are the perfect skate for me in terms of fit and stiffness. I don’t know what the steel is profiled to on the EPros but they are pitched forward and comparable to the CXNs.

I recently  picked up a pair of 7.5 Wide TF7 and a pair of 8 TF9s on sideline for real cheap in hopes of having a skate that will replace my makos.

sizing is all over the place. The 7.5W are perfect after the bake but I have a high instep and they  tear my feet up putting the skates on when they’re cool. And they are so stiff. The 8 feels too roomy in comparison and they’re also tearing up my feet putting them on. Lacing is also a pain in the ass due to the stiffness of the boot.

I have CXNs on the trues and they don’t feel like the makos. I have my own riveter so I am able to swap holders around. I am hopeful that the catalyst are a little softer of a boot and I am interested in the flexibility of the tendon guard. The TF7/9 tendon guard has no flex.

Did you try the cuff flare shown in the videos for reducing pain and hassle putting True boots on and taking them off?

[sturdy22 28]

2 hours ago, flip12 said:

Did you try the cuff flare shown in the videos for reducing pain and hassle putting True boots on and taking them off?

Yes I flared at the top and also at the 5th/6th eyelet where I’m getting the most trouble just putting on.

[krisdrum 233]

59 minutes ago, sturdy22 said:

Yes I flared at the top and also at the 5th/6th eyelet where I’m getting the most trouble just putting on.

And you are using the "turn the boot sideways and twist your way in" method?  Or are you trying to go straight in and down? 

They are a bit more difficult to get on and off, but I've never had an experience of "tearing up my feet".  You wear socks?  Or barefoot?

[sturdy22 28]

20 minutes ago, krisdrum said:

And you are using the "turn the boot sideways and twist your way in" method?  Or are you trying to go straight in and down? 

They are a bit more difficult to get on and off, but I've never had an experience of "tearing up my feet".  You wear socks?  Or barefoot?

I go barefoot, almost 30 years now, and yes I’m twisting the boot. Spots are the same on each foot specific to putting on. No problems once on my feet. These TF boots may just not right for me.

[althoma1 574]

11 hours ago, sturdy22 said:

I currently have two pairs of Mako 2s. A pair of 8 EE on E-Pros and a pair of pro stock 8.5D left /9D right on CXN holders. The makos are the perfect skate for me in terms of fit and stiffness. I don’t know what the steel is profiled to on the EPros but they are pitched forward and comparable to the CXNs.

I recently  picked up a pair of 7.5 Wide TF7 and a pair of 8 TF9s on sideline for real cheap in hopes of having a skate that will replace my makos.

sizing is all over the place. The 7.5W are perfect after the bake but I have a high instep and they  tear my feet up putting the skates on when they’re cool. And they are so stiff. The 8 feels too roomy in comparison and they’re also tearing up my feet putting them on. Lacing is also a pain in the ass due to the stiffness of the boot.

I have CXNs on the trues and they don’t feel like the makos. I have my own riveter so I am able to swap holders around. I am hopeful that the catalyst are a little softer of a boot and I am interested in the flexibility of the tendon guard. The TF7/9 tendon guard has no flex.

I wear 8EE Mako II's with my toes just brushing. For a roller conversion I went with 7W TF9 boots. The 8W were clearly too big before baking, the 7.5W felt perfect before baking and the 7W had my toes HARD on the cap before baking and felt too small overall. I still went with the 7W based on the sizing video @Hills put on his hockeyreviews.ca YouTube channel and the sizing comments on threads here. The 7W still felt a bit too tight after baking, but about 10 hours of use compressed the padding enough to make them fit perfectly with my toes just brushing.

For my feet, I think the 7.5W would've ended up being a little too big after break in. With that said, every foot is different - I know 8.5D Makos would be too long and narrow for my feet. I tried baking 8D M8 Makos and they ended up being too narrow. I didn't tried 8.5D Makos, but the 8EE Makos have me just barely brushing and I wouldn't want any more length. 

When I first baked the 7W TF9s and wanted to test the fit the next morning, I tried slipping them on barefoot and did scrape the top of my right foot on the eyelets using the twisting method. Once I put my usual thin skate socks on, I no longer scraped the top of my feet. Using them with thin socks will definitely save the top of your feet from pain. 

If the TF9s feel too stiff for you, perhaps you should try the new Catalyst CAT9 skates when you can find them in your area. The official launch date is July 15th, but they're starting to pop up in some stores already. They have a more streamlined toe box that looks somewhat similar to the Mako, have a more flexible tendon guard and are designed with a more flexible quarter package. This document that @PBH posted in the Catalyst thread has more details: https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:85882b7e-1b8b-3288-a9dd-53243a6c6bf2 

I don't know if the sizing on the Catalyst line will be the same as the TF line, someone on another forum said they tried on the CAT7 and the TF7 and felt that before baking, the CAT7 was about a half size shorter than the TF7. That's just one person's feeling though - ideally you'd want to get to a shop and get them on your feet (baked would obviously give you an even better idea).

[sturdy22 28]

21 minutes ago, althoma1 said:

I wear 8EE Mako II's with my toes just brushing. For a roller conversion I went with 7W TF9 boots. The 8W were clearly too big before baking, the 7.5W felt perfect before baking and the 7W had my toes HARD on the cap before baking and felt too small overall. I still went with the 7W based on the sizing video @Hills put on his hockeyreviews.ca YouTube channel and the sizing comments on threads here. The 7W still felt a bit too tight after baking, but about 10 hours of use compressed the padding enough to make them fit perfectly with my toes just brushing.

For my feet, I think the 7.5W would've ended up being a little too big after break in. With that said, every foot is different - I know 8.5D Makos would be too long and narrow for my feet. I tried baking 8D M8 Makos and they ended up being too narrow. I didn't tried 8.5D Makos, but the 8EE Makos have me just barely brushing and I wouldn't want any more length. 

When I first baked the 7W TF9s and wanted to test the fit the next morning, I tried slipping them on barefoot and did scrape the top of my right foot on the eyelets using the twisting method. Once I put my usual thin skate socks on, I no longer scraped the top of my feet. Using them with thin socks will definitely save the top of your feet from pain. 

If the TF9s feel too stiff for you, perhaps you should try the new Catalyst CAT9 skates when you can find them in your area. The official launch date is July 15th, but they're starting to pop up in some stores already. They have a more streamlined toe box that looks somewhat similar to the Mako, have a more flexible tendon guard and are designed with a more flexible quarter package. This document that @PBH posted in the Catalyst thread has more details: https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:85882b7e-1b8b-3288-a9dd-53243a6c6bf2 

I don't know if the sizing on the Catalyst line will be the same as the TF line, someone on another forum said they tried on the CAT7 and the TF7 and felt that before baking, the CAT7 was about a half size shorter than the TF7. That's just one person's feeling though - ideally you'd want to get to a shop and get them on your feet (baked would obviously give you an even better idea).

Yes I’ve studied all the available documents on here and gathered as much info on the new Catalyst. The softer boot and flexible tendon guard is what interest me the most. In comparison  I prefer the tech mesh vapors vs the full composite offerings from Bauer. I still wear my x7.0/X90s.

it is the eyelets that are cutting into my feet when putting them on and I’ve resorted to using duct tape. Wearing even thin skate socks don’t feel right.

In reality I am not skating much outside of coaching and running hockey camps so I don’t really need a high end skate I just want something to eventually replace the makos that I can wear for multiple hours a day. I’ve had three pairs of Trues (customs, TF7/9) and they just might not be the skate for me.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 1, 2022 by sturdy22
Clarification

[Cosmic 178]

On 6/25/2022 at 8:52 AM, the_game said:

That I don’t know unfortunately. But if I had to base it on the release cycle I’d say a year’ish & some is what I’d put my money on.

This is great news. I am just getting back into playing after a 2 year layoff due to CoronaPacolpyse, and love the idea of having something available when my Makos are done.