TGN Deep Dive: Bauer Konekt Skates

[ZeroGravitas]

1 hour ago, netminder said:

Has anyone attempted to change the holder on these before that you know of?

A co-worker asked this question to the Bauer reps in our store because he was thinking of taking the holders off and putting roller chassis on it. Reps were unsure if it could be done. Now that we're closer to launch, I can try to see if Bauer has any new information on that.

[A.YOUNGoalie13]

7 hours ago, Chenner29 said:

And I'm pretty sure Jesus knew his sandals. 

But do these skates let you walk on water?

 

7 hours ago, coopaloop1234 said:

Technically speaking....

@Chenner29 This ^

[BadAngle41]

18 hours ago, Chenner29 said:

And the holder itself is much more popular at all levels than the True or CCM

 

18 hours ago, ThatCarGuy said:

That's more the point I was getting at. Especially now that Bauer has tightened up the tolerances on their holders blade loss is much less common.

 

18 hours ago, ZeroGravitas said:

A co-worker asked this question to the Bauer reps in our store because he was thinking of taking the holders off and putting roller chassis on it. Reps were unsure if it could be done. Now that we're closer to launch, I can try to see if Bauer has any new information on that.

I did really like the change from 2X Pro skates to the Franken-Grafs with an XSG holder. I made the change because the 2X Pro were hurting my feet and I associated that with the skate as a whole (boot & holder.) I had to be much more mindful of how I tighten the 2X Pro vs. Graf. Too tight on the 2X Pro and my feet really hurt/went numb. Could be the boot, could be the pitch of the holder, could be a princess and the pea situation, not real sure. The Graf/XSG combination is more comfortable though. 

That said, I've been wearing the 2X Pro again (and omitting the top eyelet) just to see if I could get used to it again before I dive into a pair on Konekt. Working out pretty well. Still have to be very mindful of how tight they're tied. But it was my impression that Bauer wouldn't offer the Konekt boot alone. I say boot alone as (and I could be wrong here) I wouldn't want any more holes drilled into the boot than absolutely necessary.  

I just wish Konekt was available already... take my money!!

[A.YOUNGoalie13]

My only thought between getting these or the pros is long term durability. We really don’t know how these will last over a full season. Bauer will of course tell us Vasy and all the other pros used the same pair all year but in reality they could’ve just kept getting new sets. We know the materials are good but they’ve never been used or molded specifically like this. Second versions are typically better than originals. Just a thought

[Chenner29]

16 hours ago, A.YOUNGoalie13 said:

 

@Chenner29 This ^

I chose my words very carefully

[goalieThreeOne]

19 hours ago, ZeroGravitas said:

A co-worker asked this question to the Bauer reps in our store because he was thinking of taking the holders off and putting roller chassis on it. Reps were unsure if it could be done. Now that we're closer to launch, I can try to see if Bauer has any new information on that.

I don't see why you couldn't. I don't believe the Edge holder and the Hi-Lo chassis mounting lines up though. At least when I converted my X500 player skates, new holes had to be drilled. Stress and strain on the boot is no different between surfaces. I struggle to see why that couldn't work even if Bauer doesn't officially "bless" it.

[goalieThreeOne]

1 hour ago, A.YOUNGoalie13 said:

My only thought between getting these or the pros is long term durability. We really don’t know how these will last over a full season. Bauer will of course tell us Vasy and all the other pros used the same pair all year but in reality they could’ve just kept getting new sets. We know the materials are good but they’ve never been used or molded specifically like this. Second versions are typically better than originals. Just a thought

We could say this about any new product. At the end of the day, it amounts to how risk-averse you are. I bet the guys that bought the first generation of Od1n pads probably wish they hadn't with all its issues. I certainly don't believe Bauer would flat out lie, but stretching the truth isn't out of the question. My concern wouldn't be whether or not the design holds up, but rather its reparability. Having a removable and replaceable liner could be  game changer from that perspective. If the liner wears out or you buy the skates new, just replace the liner and you're golden. Buckles look solid to me since they look like they're lifted right off of ski boots. Boot itself seems fine as long as they're leveraging their experience with previous generation skates. Holders are pretty well known at this point. I would want to know that replacement parts are available and also that the buckles aren't gonna tear themselves out of the boot if I pressure it too much.

[Chenner29]

1 hour ago, goalieThreeOne said:

We could say this about any new product. At the end of the day, it amounts to how risk-averse you are. I bet the guys that bought the first generation of Od1n pads probably wish they hadn't with all its issues. I certainly don't believe Bauer would flat out lie, but stretching the truth isn't out of the question. My concern wouldn't be whether or not the design holds up, but rather its reparability. Having a removable and replaceable liner could be  game changer from that perspective. If the liner wears out or you buy the skates new, just replace the liner and you're golden. Buckles look solid to me since they look like they're lifted right off of ski boots. Boot itself seems fine as long as they're leveraging their experience with previous generation skates. Holders are pretty well known at this point. I would want to know that replacement parts are available and also that the buckles aren't gonna tear themselves out of the boot if I pressure it too much.

Liners are a confirmed replacement part.  Didn't see buckles in the catalog.

[Punisher Goalie]

Just now, Chenner29 said:

Liners are a confirmed replacement part.  Didn't see buckles in the catalog.

I feel like that is a sneaky huge advantage over other skates on the market. Very cool.

[coopaloop1234]

2 hours ago, Punisher Goalie said:

I feel like that is a sneaky huge advantage over other skates on the market. Very cool.

Only for your feet made of acid.

[johncho]

I wonder if in a few years we will see some of the tech come down in lower tiers.

[Punisher Goalie]

16 hours ago, coopaloop1234 said:

Only for your feet made of acid.

[Cass]

2 hours ago, johncho said:

I wonder if in a few years we will see some of the tech come down in lower tiers.

I can imagine it will, if the Konekt becomes popular I’m sure it will give the incentive to Bauer will work on bringing it to lower tiers, although I can imagine it would be hard to find a good but cheaper cost version of all the things that make this skate work and hopefully be durable. 

[ThatCarGuy]

4 minutes ago, netminder said:

The tech is already here, has been for decades.  Heat moldable inline boots and skates, hinged ankle risers, adjustable tighteners, etc, etc.

 

 

Yes we know. We heard you the last 5 times. This is the first time an extremely refined product with all of the mentioned features has been brought to the market. Not just an abs plastic rec skate with hollow-fill padding and paracord laces. 

[ThatCarGuy]

On 7/19/2022 at 1:17 PM, goalieThreeOne said:

We could say this about any new product. At the end of the day, it amounts to how risk-averse you are. I bet the guys that bought the first generation of Od1n pads probably wish they hadn't with all its issues. I certainly don't believe Bauer would flat out lie, but stretching the truth isn't out of the question. My concern wouldn't be whether or not the design holds up, but rather its reparability. Having a removable and replaceable liner could be  game changer from that perspective. If the liner wears out or you buy the skates new, just replace the liner and you're golden. Buckles look solid to me since they look like they're lifted right off of ski boots. Boot itself seems fine as long as they're leveraging their experience with previous generation skates. Holders are pretty well known at this point. I would want to know that replacement parts are available and also that the buckles aren't gonna tear themselves out of the boot if I pressure it too much.

From my understanding OD1N was simply a sample product sold at retail without correcting any issues. Konekt has had numerous interations and improvements. Even compared to the retail sample pair they made them much more comfortable and a little lighter weight.

[Chenner29]

9 minutes ago, ThatCarGuy said:

Yes we know. We heard you the last 5 times. This is the first time an extremely refined product with all of the mentioned features has been brought to the market. Not just an abs plastic rec skate with hollow-fill padding and paracord laces. 

I want abs

whats your secret

[ThatCarGuy]

24 minutes ago, Chenner29 said:

I want abs

whats your secret

6’0” 140lbs

[Chenner29]

4 hours ago, ThatCarGuy said:

6’0” 140lbs

I'm tempted to post one of those photos of starving kids in other countries but am concerned about the repercussions

If I pledge a dollar a day, would that help you get the food you need?

[mr_shifty1982]

On 7/19/2022 at 12:08 PM, BadAngle41 said:

 

 

I did really like the change from 2X Pro skates to the Franken-Grafs with an XSG holder. I made the change because the 2X Pro were hurting my feet and I associated that with the skate as a whole (boot & holder.) I had to be much more mindful of how I tighten the 2X Pro vs. Graf. Too tight on the 2X Pro and my feet really hurt/went numb. Could be the boot, could be the pitch of the holder, could be a princess and the pea situation, not real sure. The Graf/XSG combination is more comfortable though. 

That said, I've been wearing the 2X Pro again (and omitting the top eyelet) just to see if I could get used to it again before I dive into a pair on Konekt. Working out pretty well. Still have to be very mindful of how tight they're tied. But it was my impression that Bauer wouldn't offer the Konekt boot alone. I say boot alone as (and I could be wrong here) I wouldn't want any more holes drilled into the boot than absolutely necessary.  

I just wish Konekt was available already... take my money!!

I love the 2x skate as a whole but like you it wasn't right for me. My right foot would be numb like crazy!

I even went a half size bigger, E skate. Ultimately I had to pull the trigger on a custom CCM skate, difference maker!! Just wow

[TheGoalNet]

19 hours ago, ThatCarGuy said:

From my understanding OD1N was simply a sample product sold at retail without correcting any issues. Konekt has had numerous interations and improvements. Even compared to the retail sample pair they made them much more comfortable and a little lighter weight.

I will be the first person to admit that Bauer will probably get a ton of Market feedback and Konekt 2 might be a big upgrade over Konekt 1 in 2-3 years? This is so bleeding edge, I am sure something got over looked or left on the cutting room floor? I don't see the need for it, but the idea to adjust the ankle flex is a cool concept, and would appeal to consumers. Could a carbon fiber outsole over molded on the plastic create better energy transfer? Who knows! will be fun to see!!!

With that disclaimer said so Netminder does pick on me in 2 years, haha, Konekt is a very complete product. It's market ready.

 I have seen many of the different prototypes in photos and I think development goes back over 2 years? This is way different than OD1N. Bauer is also using products already proven aka Atomic ski boots. With OD1N, Bauer was completely in uncharted territory with the over molding of a single skin vs cut n sew.

[ZeroGravitas]

On 7/19/2022 at 11:11 AM, goalieThreeOne said:

I don't see why you couldn't. I don't believe the Edge holder and the Hi-Lo chassis mounting lines up though. At least when I converted my X500 player skates, new holes had to be drilled. Stress and strain on the boot is no different between surfaces. I struggle to see why that couldn't work even if Bauer doesn't officially "bless" it.

Heard back from Bauer that re-mounting is something that they do not recommend doing and it is not something that has been tested. They will test it at a later date though.

Since I'm a retail employee, I hesitate to give anyone advice that goes contrary to the manufacturer's guidelines. If a customer buys the skate and mounting it goes sideways, he's going to get mad at me and I don't wanna get yelled at!

[MrGoalie]

On 7/19/2022 at 3:19 PM, Chenner29 said:

Liners are a confirmed replacement part.  Didn't see buckles in the catalog.

Does the liner have to be heat molded in the skate?   I ask because I think it would be interesting to have 2 sets of liners to swap out.  But if a second liner meant baking the skate a 2nd time it might not be ideal. 
 

I picked skates these up last week - waiting for my store to get the oven in to get them baked!

[ZeroGravitas]

IIRC the steps are as follows: Boot is baked for about 7 minutes. Then liner is baked in the oven with the boot for another 4 minutes. You'll put the store-supplied toe sleeves on your feet, put the liner on, and put the skate on. I believe the bottom buckle should only be done on the loosest setting and the ankle should be done as tight as possible. Then the store employee will strap some cool packs onto the boot to help it cool faster.

You could probably bake your second liner and repeat the process with a cold already-formed-to-your-foot boot.

[Chenner29]

8 hours ago, ZeroGravitas said:

IIRC the steps are as follows: Boot is baked for about 7 minutes. Then liner is baked in the oven with the boot for another 4 minutes. You'll put the store-supplied toe sleeves on your feet, put the liner on, and put the skate on. I believe the bottom buckle should only be done on the loosest setting and the ankle should be done as tight as possible. Then the store employee will strap some cool packs onto the boot to help it cool faster.

You could probably bake your second liner and repeat the process with a cold already-formed-to-your-foot boot.

Don't forget the heat resistant gloves for the store employee

[ThatCarGuy]

2 hours ago, Chenner29 said:

Don't forget the heat resistant gloves for the store employee

They are absolutely necessary. The Kevlar gloves we use with true skates didn’t cut it for how hot konekt gets.