I’ll give my first skate review for what it’s worth.
I posted previously about being concerned about the snug fit. I wear a 12.5 Nike and was fit into a 10 by the Bauer Computer. I went through the whole baking process at the store. They felt tight, but not uncomfortable.
At home I wore them for a bit and the usual spots started to rub from my previous Bauer skates. I rebaked using some of the foam shims (not the official Bauer ones at the store, but basically the same thing). It helped for sure when I put them on the next day.
I was finally able to get them on the ice yesterday. For some reason they felt loose when I got my pads on at the ankle. I went to the tightest setting on the ankle and they felt fine, though I might want them tighter in the future (not sure how I’ll do that). Also, I found I was most comfortable at a loose setting on the boot.
On the ice the first thing I noticed was that they were wayyy too sharp. I usually do 3/8 Flat bottom V and realized I forgot the FBV part when they asked. They also might feel sharper since you have more blade on the ice due to the ankle flex.
As for performance, they really are something. The freedom of movement on butterfly pushes is something to experience. Instantly, I could feel more in control as if everything just happened quicker and with less effort. Smaller movements around the post felt easier. Overall, it was like playing with less resistance in key spots. This will take time to get used to. At times it did feel awkward because I encountered less resistance than usual and had some balance issues. A few times when butterflying I fell forward a bit since I was used to having some resistance that just wasn’t there anymore. I can see why a pro might try these and not want to switch mid season. I expect many pros will be in these next year.
As for comfort, I did start to have issues in the same spot below my ankle that I usually get in Bauer skates. They didn’t blister, but another 20 minutes on the ice and they would have. I probably need to rebake again and really focus on that spot. I did feel my toes at the end of the boot as well. I wish the skates were slightly bigger there. I may try to rebake with my own toe sleeve like they had at the store to see if I can open that area up a bit. I did take a shot off the toe cap and felt nothing.
Overall I’m happy with the skates. I think the TGN post that mentioned that they fixed a problem they didn’t know they had is pretty accurate statement. For me, they do things no other goalie skate has ever done and will certainly help my game.