Easton S15

[Northland]

Anyone skating, or know someone skating the S15, and would like to share their opinion?

Thanks,
Nick

[Northland]

My daughter just texted me after skating the S15s for the first time today. "I'm in love with them". I'll have to get more details when I get home from work.

She switched from the CCM Pro Tacks, which is still a very good skate.

[offsides]

My daughter just got a pair after many years on Grafts. She has used them only once and made it through without pain or blisters.

There is a huge difference in the stiffness and she said it felt like she was skating in ski boots, but is sure she will get used to them.

Nothing feels like a Graft, but because they are leather inside and out, they are heavy and get even heavier when wet. I never thought I'd see her shun Grafts, but she wanted to try a light weight composite. The s15's are very highly rated and recommended and I sure hope they work out for her.

[Rocket78]

The internet is a heck of a tool but be careful which "experts" you are getting information from. I thought the previous poster's child had surgically altered feet when they referenced how good the "Graft" skate is. The skate is called "GRAF". That's like calling CCM and ICBM!

Grafs are comfortable but they don't perform as well as they feel.
I have skated in various versions of CCM skates since 1968 and prefer them.

Bauer makes (or made) narrow skates and I have fat feet. I have worn several different pairs of Bauers but really prefer CCM.

I wore Langes many years ago and they were REALLY like ski boots.

Reidell used to make a very comfortable skate but is was too heavy.

Before Nike bought Bauer (and wrecked them) they were real popular with the local kids but everybody's skill went backwards because they were horribly stiff and the forward lean seemed to be incorrect for most players.

Most of the Easton skates performed well at first but they would break down fast.

I'm sure RBK is going to ruin CCM now too. I made the mistake of buying a pair of CCM 652 Pumps about 10 years ago and they air bladder is the stupidest idea every conceived. I currently have a pair of 1152's and E60 CCMs. In general, I like them both but the toe box on the E60 is not very tall and my big toes get huge callouses on the outside top (and they hurt!) The 1152 is a good skate but I wear them mostly to ref.

[Northland]

Well here's an update...

After 8 hours of hard skating my daughter still loves the S15's. They felt great from day one. No sore feet, blisters, or any other foot ailments. Now only time will tell ... how they hold up.

She has five games this weekend, another test for the Eastons.

[keepitreal]

They seem to be the lightest weight skate from all the others I've looked at including pre- and post-Nike Bauers. Just amazing. Might give you quicker feet/less fatigue but they also seem incredibly stiff as you would expect with that much composite construction. Not sure how they will perform on tight/quick edges-- most experienced players want some degree of flex in the boot to keep the edges engaged.

Keep the reports coming.

I would think it has a lot to do with what the kid has been wearing previously. If she's been in newer generation Bauers for years, the lack of flex probably won't bother her. If she's worn predominantely leather/synthetic boots like GRAFs for a few years, it probably will take some time to adjust. They are light as a feather though and if they feel great out of the box, that's good to know.

Langes-- wow!

[offsides]

Mea Culpa on the Graf spelling. Good thing that's the largest mistake I've made lately. LOL

My daughter, she who was so used to GRAFS, got a bad blister on the inside of her foot after the third wearing of the S15's. She's playing this weekend so I think the plan is to pad the blister and go back to the GRAFS until it heals.

Anyone with any advice about dealling with the blister -- both in terms of treating it and trying to prevent it from coming back?

[Rocket78]

Sorry Offsides. I reread my post and it sounded better in my head than how it reads. Mea Apologea.

I meant to conclude that the "best" skates are the ones that work best for an individual player's skating style and body mechanics. Getting feedback from other people helps a lot but your daughter may have different results. My brother swore by Bauer like I prefer CCM. My cousin loves his Eastons.

One method for dealing with blisters is to make a doughnut pad with thin foam padding and the hole cut out aroung the blister. No pressure on the blister and padding to hold the skate away. Once a callous forms this isn't to much of a problem anymore.

[Rocket78]

Sorry Offsides. I reread my post and it sounded better in my head than how it reads. Mea Apologea.

I meant to conclude that the "best" skates are the ones that work best for an individual player's skating style and body mechanics. Getting feedback from other people helps a lot but your daughter may have different results. My brother swore by Bauer like I prefer CCM. My cousin loves his Eastons.

One method for dealing with blisters is to make a doughnut pad with thin foam padding and the hole cut out aroung the blister. No pressure on the blister and padding to hold the skate away. Once a callous forms this isn't to much of a problem anymore.

Anybody ever experience lace bite. I occasionally get it and to help out I undo the laces below the sore spot and twist them to create a binding point and then loosely lace up everything above that point. When I am coaching or reffing I use a foam pad but when I play old geezer hockey the pad falls out and even if it doesn't it hurt alot.

[offsides]

rocket78,

No offence taken, whatsoever. I thot it wuz funy, I relly did.

Thanks for the blister advice.

[keepitreal]

Anybody ever experience lace bite. I occasionally get it and to help out I undo the laces below the sore spot and twist them to create a binding point and then loosely lace up everything above that point. When I am coaching or reffing I use a foam pad but when I play old geezer hockey the pad falls out and even if it doesn't it hurt alot.

I used to get lace bite all the time when I played frequently. Much of it has to do with the Mission skates I wear which are cut lower than most. It can be a nasty, slow recovering condition that is easily infected. Jeremy Roenick got a serious staph infection a couple years ago that put him in the hospital.

Here's a great $2 tip for dealing with or preventing lace bite or contusions around the ankles. Get a neoprene pop can cozy and cut the bottom off with a scissors, then cut it in half to give you two 2" "loops" of neoprene. Wear one over or under your sock on each ankle protecting the affected area. It's thin so it's not noticed while skating and unlike pads won't shift as you skate.

[Rocket78]

That idea is ridiculously simple...why didn't I think of that! You could go into business -- at least in the hockey states.

I have a friend that has been mixing goop and forming various pads for himself and he sells them for about $5 but he doesn't actively market them. He just sells his leftovers on occasions.

I never got lace bite until about 2 years ago. When I skated every day for multiple hours I never got it. It must have something to do with either the construction material or the pressure points in the boots have moved from where they used to be. I like my ankles to be able to flex a lot so that I can aggresively roll my edges into the ice and maybe modern boot don't stretch in the pressure area.

[Northland]

I don't think my daughter's skates are tied tight enough to get lace bite. I know I can't skate like that. You can almost stick your finger in next to her ankle. But is seems to work for her.

[keepitreal]

That idea is ridiculously simple...why didn't I think of that! You could go into business -- at least in the hockey states.

I have a friend that has been mixing goop and forming various pads for himself and he sells them for about $5 but he doesn't actively market them. He just sells his leftovers on occasions.

I never got lace bite until about 2 years ago. When I skated every day for multiple hours I never got it. It must have something to do with either the construction material or the pressure points in the boots have moved from where they used to be. I like my ankles to be able to flex a lot so that I can aggresively roll my edges into the ice and maybe modern boot don't stretch in the pressure area.

Hey Rocket it's a freebie on me; send me a pair of S15's if you hit it big Works VERY well with NO discomfort. They don't last forever because the cheap stitches eventually unravel or break unless you reinforce them. I've taken to wearing the loops to PREVENT lace bite.

Anyway, back to the S15-- like Rocket, I tend to want more ankle flex in the edges than some of the modern composite boots can probably offer, but until I try them I guess I shouldn't judge. Apparently the S15 is the first one-piece molded composite boot and it feels very, very stiff (but equally light, WOW, the lightest ever made). As most of our kids have grown up wearing modern, stiffer boots it probably doesn't bother them as much as it would an old guy like me. As a kid, we used to skate with our laces completely undone and loose to see who had the strongest ankles, probably not much of a challenge in these skates.

[hockeyon]

When buying hockey skates I would not worry about the brand. I would buy the skate that fits your foot. My daughter does wear the Easton S15 and she loves them. Easton skates fit her feet better then any other brand. We have never had a problem with them and they hold up great. She has never had blisters but again this is because it is the skate that fits her foot.

[Rocket78]

My daughter was telling me about a girl with new Mission Fuel skates and the blistering problems she was experiencing. The girls looked at her skates and noticed that the blades were offset to the outside. I happened to be in a couple of hockey shops on Friday and today and checked them out. It looks like Mission has a quality contol problem. Some were offset in the front and others in the back. I compared them to Buaers and RBKs and those brands were always centered. Anybody experienced with Mission? Can you comment?

[Northland]

Here's an update on my daughters S15's...

She loves them, won't skate on anything else.

I'm disappointed that they are not holding up very well. Nothing that effects the preformance of the skate, just they looked rather ragged until I coated the toes with 'Toe Guard'.

Anyone else?


.

[HOCKEYFREAK]

Great Skate, Light, comfortable & Flexible. In the early stages the glue that easton used was defective, the fiber would buckle from moisture & normal wear. As of late last summer August 'ish, they have a new glue that has held up well. As far as the toe guard, the cloth that runs on the toe is just cosmetic, tear it off & be done with it!

[Northland]

Great Skate, Light, comfortable & Flexible. In the early stages the glue that easton used was defective, the fiber would buckle from moisture & normal wear. As of late last summer August 'ish, they have a new glue that has held up well. As far as the toe guard, the cloth that runs on the toe is just cosmetic, tear it off & be done with it!

Cosmetics was the only issue. My daughter was rather 'miffed' about the toes, but it looks OK now.

Easton could haved saved another 1/2 ounce if they didn't use the toe cloth.


.

[Northland]

Another update....

4 month old S15 need to be replaced!

The ankle piece in the back is coming apart, lost a rivet and stitching. Easton will replace them. WOW those didn't last long. My daughter still loves playing in them. Go figure...


.

[MNHockeyFan]

Another update....

4 month old S15 need to be replaced!

The ankle piece in the back is coming apart, lost a rivet and stitching. Easton will replace them. WOW those didn't last long. My daughter still loves playing in them. Go figure...


.

Maybe we've reached a point of diminishing returns in trying to make very light skates, although your's to be more of a build quality issue (?)