One Year Update

[Vapor 0]

I know most people put up their reviews about hwo grea there new sticks or skates are and how they changed there game. But most people dont give an update (especially in the case of 400-500 skates). I bought vector pros just about a year ago, and they still preform well. The boot is nowhere near the same in the level of comfort, but I didnt really expect it. But DAMN has this boot broken down. The back of the boot is splitting (the little space where the nhl symbol is is slit wide open. The metalic piping on the back of the boot has fallen off. The plastic is all cracked up and the "skate lace lock" is all rusted. The boot is also starting to bend and become mishaped. Lots of gaping holes in the "metalic mesh" also. So, no more durability from CCM I assume. I had a pair of 1152s for 4 years before the vectors, and I still use them for pond hockey. Anyways, I guess Ill get me some glued up SyNergys, Easton is known for there durability at least

[CaptainZbubble 0]

Can you get some pics put up? Also, if u liked the 1152s so much and they lasted a while for ya, y not get another pair? You said it yourself, just get a pair of glued up eastons...You hardly seem convinced that synergys will ge good for u but feel its nessary to have the them?

If you fit them well, good luck with your purchase.

CaptainZbubble

[Chadd 916]

Why not do a full on review in the review section? provide your intial thoughts and an updated section. That's the type of information that should be included.

[lee92 2]

my friends had his vector pros for about 2 months, and already the plastic pieces on the sides of the boot near the toe are starting to rip off

[hound97 3]

That's pretty dissapointing to hear. I was looking at possibly picking up pair of these in spring but wanted to try out some other skates that are being released before making my decision.

[Gongshow11 1]

a year out of skates is pretty good when they are made for performance

[Chadd 916]

a year out of skates is pretty good when they are made for performance

If you accept crap durability, manufacturers will continue to degrade that aspect of the skate. Once skates hit a point where they can't get any lighter, maybe they will start to focus on being more durable as well.

[hound97 3]

a year out of skates is pretty good when they are made for performance

Completely unaccetable!

Just because a skate is supposed to have better "preformance" doesn't mean it should fall apart after a years worth of use. Skates that are made today might be more comfortable out of the box and might have some high tech materials but lasting only a year is rediculous. I would much rather use a heavier skate that's going to last longer then a lighter skate that falls apart sooner.

[Gongshow11 1]

thats life buddy, ive used xxs for 2 seasons now, i like them, but they are made to last max 6 months.

you want light, unless you have the synergy with zero chance of break in, then a light skate will break down

[Vapor 0]

Can you get some pics put up? Also, if u liked the 1152s so much and they lasted a while for ya, y not get another pair? You said it yourself, just get a pair of glued up eastons...You hardly seem convinced that synergys will ge good for u but feel its nessary to have the them?

If you fit them well, good luck with your purchase.

CaptainZbubble

Im going to get some pics soon. I was kidding about getting SyNergys. I will probably keep these for a little. This is my last year of high school, and I am probably just gonna play some crappy AA next year (being that its 18u now for usa), so it wont be too much strin on the skates. Then I may just invest in a pair of 1152s, protacks, or grafs.... something.

[Jim Bob 0]

a year out of skates is pretty good when they are made for performance

Completely unaccetable!

Just because a skate is supposed to have better "preformance" doesn't mean it should fall apart after a years worth of use. Skates that are made today might be more comfortable out of the box and might have some high tech materials but lasting only a year is rediculous. I would much rather use a heavier skate that's going to last longer then a lighter skate that falls apart sooner.

The thing is that most of the "ultralight" skates are marketed as performance skates that have sacrificed durability for performance (i.e. less weight).

To me it's the same as OPSs that have sacrificed durability in the name of being lighter.

Be sure you know what your getting for what you are spending.

[Vapor 0]

I have never heard a company advertise that there skates are LIGHTER AND EVEN LESS DURABLE!

[PiKappaPhi 0]

I think I am really gettin fed up with the line "well its the preformance that matters, and you loose durability"

THATS BOGUS. You skate a shift and crack your holder and I hope you wonder if there is enough "preformance" in the other skate for you to keep playing. There are a rediculous amount of great feeling, "light enough" skates out that that you don't pay through the eye for. I just can't imagine why people would continue to endorse a product that is held to less of a standard cause of "preformance" that I really am not sure its there.

Sorry for the rant

[Jim Bob 0]

I have never heard a company advertise that there skates are LIGHTER AND EVEN LESS DURABLE!

They don't come out and say it, but they infer it.

And when someone says stuff like "I paid XXX for this and it should last longer", they'll come out with the line about paying for performance in that product and not for durability and that they have other products if what you want is durability.

I've seen that happen on more than a few occasions. Especially whenever companies have online chats with designers about products like XX or Vector Pro skates and the inevitable question about durability comes up.

[Jim Bob 0]

I think I am really gettin fed up with the line "well its the preformance that matters, and you loose durability"

THATS BOGUS. You skate a shift and crack your holder and I hope you wonder if there is enough "preformance" in the other skate for you to keep playing. There are a rediculous amount of great feeling, "light enough" skates out that that you don't pay through the eye for. I just can't imagine why people would continue to endorse a product that is held to less of a standard cause of "preformance" that I really am not sure its there.

Sorry for the rant

There is a big difference between an obvious build issue such as that and issues of long term durability.

And in the end, it's all about knowing what you're buying.

Educate yourself before you purchase a product to make sure it is likely to live up to your expectations.

[Vapor 0]

well the syNergy stick has a high durability rating (by eastons standards), but according to your scale, it should be low, thats a terrible inference

[Chadd 916]

well the syNergy stick has a high durability rating (by eastons standards), but according to your scale, it should be low, thats a terrible inference

I can even recall GURU telling someone not to buy a Synergy for durability.

[Eazy_b97 1]

..and something along the lines of, if you can't afford to replace it when it breaks you shouldn't be buying it in the first place.

[hitz14 0]

well the syNergy stick has a high durability rating (by eastons standards), but according to your scale, it should be low, thats a terrible inference

I can even recall GURU telling someone not to buy a Synergy for durability.

its stupid how they rate their sticks for durability and preformance

their zbubble and zbubble grips are rated at 8 in durability then their synergys and all the one peice sticks are rated at a 9 or 10 when the shafts are the most durable sticks they have. its all a gimmik

[malcb33 100]

HI, If think about it from a marketing point of veiw, the companys can't sell skate on durability because here are so many different situations that you can break skates. Also you would get people that purposely break the skate to get replacements. Thats why they will market skates on performance not on durability!! ;)

[Chadd 916]

HI, If think about it from a marketing point of veiw, the companys can't sell skate on durability because here are so many different situations that you can break skates. Also you would get people that purposely break the skate to get replacements. Thats why they will market skates on performance not on durability!! ;)

Kids are the primary market and kids don't care if a skate lasts a couple of years or a couple of months.

[malcb33 100]

Could you imagine how well a skate would sell if they marketed it on lasting 2 years, or somthing? I am sure that I lot of parents would lean towards that skate! I know alot of kids want what the pro's wear, but if they looked similar they would sell. They only problem would be the amount of returns from people breaking their skates on purpose to get replacements and kids growing out of them! ;)

[bulletproof_funk 0]

Vapor, did you dry your skates out frequently? And how often did you play during the past year? I'm just trying to get an idea of how these two things were a factor in your skates' breakdown.

[Chadd 916]

Could you imagine how well a skate would sell if they marketed it on lasting 2 years, or somthing? I am sure that I lot of parents would lean towards that skate! I know alot of kids want what the pro's wear, but if they looked similar they would sell. They only problem would be the amount of returns from people breaking their skates on purpose to get replacements and kids growing out of them! ;)

Most kids around here don't use the same size for 2 years, so I don't see durability as a selling point in a youth skate.

[joshy207 15]

IMO, durability is part of performance... a big part. How well can your skate perform if there's little support left because your skates have gone soft, sections of your boots are tearing, and the liner has holes in it and is coming loose?

Now, if you have money to piss away on new $400-$500 USD skates every year, or even more frequently, then fine, go right ahead. But sometimes I think people should look one step down the skate line, $250-$325 range, as some of those skates seem more durable than their "superior" models.

Like someone already said, if we continue to buy expensive, short-lived, garbage skates, the manufacturers will keep producing them and marketing them to us.