Externo 50: you can get them cheap. Is it because they suck?
Written: Nov 30 '05 (Updated Nov 30 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Bargain prices for excellent quality
Cons: Some minor issues
The Bottom Line: For the money, you won't likely do better . . . unless you get an insane deal which I expect you to tell me about.
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| puckmugger's Full Review: CCM Externo 50 Senior Ice Hockey Skates 02 |
What’s an Externo?
CCM’s innovative skate line of the 2002 season was a skate called the Externo. As one of the oldest skate makers on the planet, CCM actually took a clue from one of the newest when making the Externo. You see the Externo is designed to be crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle for instant comfort and minimal break-in time.
The Externo is so named because its rigidity comes from an external skeleton rather than thick layer of synthetic leather, ballistic nylon and stiffener. In a traditional skate these are what is against the player’s feet providing both padding and stability. It works pretty well, but it takes some time to become comfortable. Instead of this, the Externo has a rigid shell with a padded interior. Rigidity on the outside, comfort in the middle
Nike was the driving force behind this skate. Nike came up with this idea, a skate that’s comfortable right off the shelf. What a concept! Sadly for Nike, CCM was more successful with their first attempt than Nike has been to date.
The problem isn’t making a skate that is comfortable with a minimal break-in time. The problem is making a pair that doesn’t break down quickly. Nike’s skate to date have been comfortable right out of the box but they haven’t lasted very long. So what about the Externo.
How does it stack up?
Boots don’t make good stacking devices. You might want to try bricks. However, it compares pretty well to the Nike.
The Externo is bargain priced these days since CCM replaced it with the Vector line. I picked up a pair of junior 50s for my wife at less than $100. So you might be wondering if they are so cheap, can they be any good?
In fact, despite going on four years old, I would buy the Externo over any of the Nike skate models including their new Flexlite. Don’t get me wrong, neither skate is perfect, but the track record of the Externo is much better than that of Nike’s skates to date.
The Skate Itself
Boots
The Externo boot is a fairly solid unit. The external support is pretty obvious, contained in the silver trim that runs from the toes, under the eye stay and wraps under the ankles. The remainder of the uppers are ballistic nylon and synthetic leather.
The outsole is fiberglass which is a consistent with a middle of the line skate. It is light, durable and fairly strong, certainly a step up from a plastic outsole.
CCM also made great strides with the tendon guard in the Externo line. The 2002 Tacks had a very narrow tendon guard which broke quite easily. The Externo had no such problems.
The toecap is of the non-covered plastic variety. This is nice since there isn’t anything to become shredded on the toe. It is also a little lighter.
The tongue on the 50 is fairly thin, but stiff. A few skaters did complain of lace bite from these skates. However my perception in talking to them in depth was that the issue was more a case of not breaking in the skates properly. The stiffness of the tongue will cause some skaters problems, especially those with high insteps. The players that returned to the shop with these issues were able to work them out by putting more time in the skates. None required any modification.
Another common fitting issue was the narrow width of the tendon pads in the back of the skate. This was generally enough of an issue for players with wider ankles that they chose not to purchase the skates. However, a couple of skaters who had minor issues with these early in their experience with the skates found that this issue too broke in after some time on the ice.
Lastly, the Externo hit the market before CCM introduced the Hercules eyelet that is the standard on their new skates. The materials on the Externo’s eyestay seem to hold up better than those on the Tacks did. However, after a year or two the Externo did have some occasional eyelet issues. Eyelets can be easily replaced and run about $5 in a typical shop. The main thing to do is replace them quickly before they eyestay gets worn out.
Colors
The skates come in Black and Silver with an orange Externo logo. They are not available in light pink but I’m sure that you could get some pink laces if that’s what you like.
Stabilizer Bar
While the Tacks models used CCM’s wedge to lock in the heel, the Externo utilizes a metal bar which fastens below the ankle by a screw. The laces pass through the stabilizer bar to lock the heel in place. This is one area of the skate that had issues. The screw that holds the stabilizer bar on the skate is prone to coming loose and falling out. Once the screw falls out, the bar is pretty much useless. Now this shouldn’t be a huge problem, but the screw is hard to find.
While the screw falling out is a problem, the stabilizer bar is an improvement over the heel wedge from the Tacks line. It works effectively, but more importantly, it is easier to lace up than the wedge would.
The stabilizer bar will not keep you from tipping over if you try to take a sharp turn.
Holder and Blade
Another huge improvement to the skate is the eblade. The eblade is the upgraded holder that essentially replaced the old Prolite. CCM’s Prolite was prone to twisting and easily more prone to breakage than any of the other major holders on the market.
CCM’s eblade is a closed holder which is far stronger than the Prolite was. It hasn’t been subject to the strength issues that plagued its predecessor. While the eblade seems to have looked to the popular Bauer TUUK for inspiration, CCM did keep the convenience of external screws to change the steel rather than the rather tricky through the sole screws that the TUUK features.
CCM’s steel is somewhat average in its hardness. The 50’s do have stainless runners which are much better than Carbon steel as far as durability.
The runners on the eblade feature 11-foot rockers. This is a little flatter than the 9-foot rockers on the TUUK. However, the orientation of the skates is a little better than that of the TUUK. While the TUUK is rather heel pitched, the eblade is more neutral.
The shop that I managed typically put heel lifts in more than 90% of the TUUK skates. On the eblade we added lifts to less than ½ the skates we sold. I personally put heel lifts in my last pair of CCM skates and my wife felt like she was back on her heels in her 50’s until I added heel lifts to them as well.
Laces
The laces are included with the skates. (really). However, be forewarned, They are probably the wrong size. Lace size is a mystery that no skate maker has quite mastered yet.
Final Thoughts
The Externo 50 is a fantastic middle of the road skate. It is comfortable right out of the box for most skaters (a few will need a few hours on them to be comfortable). It is also a skate that will last most players several years. Compared to most of the similar “fit-right-out-of-the-box” skates, a couple of years is pretty significant. I’ve gotten numerous emails indicating that the Nike skates are only lasting nine months to a year for most players.
While the Vector is a far better skate which has ironed out the wrinkles that the Externo had, a pair of Vectors will cost about twice as much as comparable Externos currently do. These are, in my opinion, the best bargain priced skates available right now.
A few of my other reviews you might find helpful:
Hockey Skate buying demystified
CCM Vector Pro Skates
Easton SBX Skates
Nike Flexlite Skates
© 2005 Scott Noble – All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.
Recommended:
Yes
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