Mission Pure Carbon Skates: Pure junk or pure genius?
Written: Jun 01 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Awesome adjustable holder, fantastic boot
Cons: They won't work for wide feet
The Bottom Line: I suspect these skates will spark a revolution in adjustable pitch. This is an outstanding product.
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| puckmugger's Full Review: Mission Pure Carbon S500 Skates |
Mission made some pretty darn good skates the last couple years. They have been second in science and research only to Graf. Now Mission introduced the Pitch holder. The last skate I reviewed with a revolutionary holder was Easton’s horrible Kevlar holder. Did Mission they get the Pure Carbon S500’s Pitch Holder right?
▪ The Pure Carbon Boot
Well, I’m not going to give away the answer in the first paragraph. Besides, there is much more to making a quality skate than just a holder. So let’s take a look at Mission’s 2004 top of the line boot before we get to the bottom line on the skate.
Boot Lining
The S500 is lined with Clarino. You’ve probably read it before, but I will write it again. Clarino is simply the best material for a boot liner these days. It is comfortable, dries quickly and is highly durable. Most players who skate without socks prefer Clarino liners.
Outsole
The S500 has a full carbon fiber outsole (only fitting in a boot named “pure carbon”). Like most of the top end skates on the market the S500 has rounded edges on the outsole to maximize the turning ability without the boot striking the ice.
Tongue
The S500 has an asymmetrical tongue. Easton was the first brand to incorporate an asymmetrical tongue in their skates. However Easton’s tongues are notoriously thin and prone to giving players lace bite. Mission ignored convention here, keeping the asymmetrical tongue and making it thin, but using foam instead of felt.
This demonstrates Mission’s ability to incorporate the best of their competitor’s skates while leaving their flaws behind. Their tongue, though appearing similar to Easton’s design is thick and padded enough to prevent lace bite.
Upper
The upper of the S500 is very stiff. This is where the name, “Pure Carbon” comes into play. The boot utilizes a fair amount of composite materials to give ultimate durability and a high level of stiffness. This is very comparable to Easton’s high-end skates, utilizing unique materials, rather than ballistic nylon or leather.
There is still a fair amount of synthetic leather, but the Carbon reinforced composite panels are more than just flair. They reside strategically in the areas that are most in need of not only stiffness, but durability.
Supple Fit
There is a potential for boots to be too stiff. Easton got a bit carried away with their Z-Air Comp SE Skates and made them about as stiff as something the mafia might encase your feet in before tossing you in a river. Fortunately this doesn’t seem to be the case with the S500 skates. Don’t get me wrong, the S500 is very stiff, but Mission’s result is a better skate than Easton’s Z-Air Comp SE.
Mission’s boots, for the last couple of years, have fit comfortably without sacrificing support. Mission calls this Supple Fit. They design their boots to hold the heel very securely. Where other brands tend towards pure stiffness to offer support in the ankles, Mission and Graf have managed to slightly lower the ankle stiffness by making the boot fit more securely in the ankle area.
The result is a boot that hugs the foot and gives skaters an incredible feeling of support as well as fit. The potential downside would be limited forward flex. To answer this Mission has placed a small rubber “flex dart” in the curve of the eye-stay. This allows the boot to flex forward despite the tight fit. Bottom line: this is a comfortable boot, stiff as can be but still usable.
▪ Comparative Fit Size
One bummer about Mission Skates is that those of us with wide feet will feel a bit left out. Mission’s S500 comes in D and EE width. I haven’t tried on a EE Mission, but I did try on a E (some other models come in E and D width . . . weird, I know). Anyway, the E width was beyond uncomfortable for me. I wear a pretty wide skate, my Graf skates are Wides. Nike skates are a bit too wide, but my Koho skates fit very well.
The E width Mission skates were pretty much like having a truck parked on the side of my foot. I will have to try on a pair of the EE width skates someday, but I don’t know if they will work for me either.
Players who find Bauer skates comfortable will have an acceptable fit in Mission skates. Narrow or normal width Graf skaters will also be able to make the Missions work. I sold quite a few pair of last year’s Mission skates to a lot of happy people with narrower feet than mine.
▪ Pitch Holder
Why do they call it Pitch and what’s so revolutionary about it? The holder might not make a skate alone, but it is important enough that it can be a decision breaker for many potential buyers. Pitch is the angle that the skater’s foot rests in the boot in relation to the ice.
The more advanced a skater is the more forward pitch they generally like in their skates. Forward pitch puts the skater’s balance more towards their toes. Just as in most sports, players need to be on the balls of their feet to react quickly. Novice skaters often find this forward pitch a little disconcerting, as they don’t generally skate with as much knee bend – a requirement with forward pitch.
It would only make sense if skate makers put progressively more forward pitch as you moved from their lower end to higher end models. However, there is a bit of adjustment time when switching from one pitch to another. So the major skate companies have all found their little niche in promoting brand loyalty by engineering their own unique pitch and keeping in constant through their line.
This makes it feel funny to switch to another brand of skate. Bauer has the lest forward pitch of the major brands making it feel like you are skating on your heels when using them. CCM has a fairly neutral forward pitch, Graf utilizes the most forward pitch of the three big brands.
Mission came up with an ingenious way to make everyone happy. The Pitch Holder is adjustable with a single screw. This simple adjustment can change the pitch from almost as low as a Bauer to the same as a Graf. Mission didn’t do this to make their skates match Bauer, CCM and Graf per say, however it is a possibility. The more important reason for adjustable pitch is something that most advanced skaters will benefit from.
For example, I recently switched skates. I decided that my Nike V-12 skates were too loose in the fit and went back to my Koho 3360 Skates. The first time I was on the Koho skates I felt like I was too far back on my heels (my Nikes had custom heel lifts). I drove to the shop and popped heel lifts in the Koho skates as well. They are much more agile, maneuverable and quicker in acceleration now.
Normally a pair of heel lifts costs about $30. If you don’t like them it will likely cost half of that to get them taken out. Many elite level skaters prefer a re-contour of their steel to something between the boot and holder. This type of solution costs about $60 and isn’t reversible. Either way, it is a pretty expensive job for something that you don’t know how you might like.
Holder
The Pitch Holder is made from ABS and nylon. It is stiff enough that it won’t twist or flex under skating. It looks remarkably similar to the Bauer TUUK which is currently the preferred holder of the NHL.
The Pitch Holder is still fairly similar to Mission’s last year’s holder. The previous Mission holders proved durable. With the addition of the adjustable pitch, this just might be the best holder on the market.
Steel
Mission has long had the hardest stainless steel blades on the market. I’ve sharpened literally thousands of skates and Mission steel always takes a few more passes to get sharp. While this might be a mild annoyance to the tech sharpening your skate, it translates to more hours of skating before your blades need a new edge. This means you will spend less money on sharpening and less time in the shop waiting for your skates.
▪ Final Thoughts
The S500 is one of the most innovative skates on the market today. Unlike Mission’s previous skate experiments which resulted in mistakes, the S500 Pure Carbon is likely to push the market forward. Competitors will have to answer the adjustable pitch holder.
Mission has shown the ability to be a creative leader in the industry in the past. Their Flyweight Shaft paved the way for Easton’s Synthesis. Unfortunately Mission didn’t have the fortitude to back their excellent shaft for a second season, leaving the door wide open for Easton’s continued dominance in the shaft and stick market to be fueled by Mission’s forward thinking.
Let’s hope that Mission is brave enough to stand behind their product a bit longer than a season. This is an amazing pair of skates. I suspect that other brands will offer their own versions of the adjustable pitch carrier in the coming seasons. It would be a shame to see other companies continue to profit from Mission’s R&D. For now, the S500 is the only choice for those wanting adjustable pitch holders.
I would highly recommend the S500 for elite level skaters and top-level recreational skaters.
A few of my other reviews that you might find helpful:
Hockey Skate buying demystified
How to Care for Skates
CCM Vector Pro Skates
Bauer Vapor XX Skates
Graf 735 Skates with T-Blades
Thanks to openroad for adding this item so I could review it.
Recommended:
Yes
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