Nike Quest - Nike's first quality skate line
Written: Mar 13 '04 (Updated Oct 05 '05)
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Pros: Good skate for a bargain price
Cons: Boot design is a little too high for most serious players
The Bottom Line: I always recommend this skate to people with weak ankles. It is a good skate that you can find at a rock bottom price.
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| puckmugger's Full Review: Nike Quest 3 Junior Ice Hockey Skates |
Nike has had a bit of a struggle as a skate manufacturer. They admit now that they entered the skate market with a great deal more confidence than knowledge. The Quest line of skates was their fourth line of skates in four years which speaks volumes to the quality of the first three lines. This fourth generation wasn’t quite perfect, but it did show the light at the end of Nike’s long dark tunnel. They finally made a skate that put them above all of the “no name” brands.
The Quest series of skates are unique in that they do not require a long break in time. Rather than using a stiff outer material for support and requiring the skater to break in the entire shell, Nike came up with something new. Their goal from the start was to make a skate that was as comfortable as a shoe. To this end, they introduced a foam material that resides between the outer shell of the boot and the inner liner. In fact, in the quest series of skates, the outer shell is the same throughout the line with the exception of cosmetics. The boot stiffness is regulated through the use of this foam. The biggest advantage of the foam was instant comfort, the very thing they had been seeking.
Where the previous line (the Ignite series) was far too wide and created boot instability, Nike made the Quest line close to the perfect width. This is a very comfortable skate that will fit most people with average to fairly wide feet.
The shape of the boot is rather narrow in the heel with a wider forefoot. The instep is rather low and might cause lace-bite for people with a higher instep. The tongue on these skates is very thin, which is nice when wearing shin guards over it, but will not help a great deal with the lace-bite issue. I had one small spot on my inner heel that hurt the first two hours, but was gone by my third game and nothing like breaking in a leather boot.
The top of this boot is something of a double edged sword. It is a much higher boot than any of the competitors with a five eyelet high vertical rise. Most have only three. While this is great for novice skaters who need a little extra ankle support, advanced skaters will suffer from the lack of mobility and acceleration. Speed comes from your legs, acceleration and quickness come from your ankles.
The components on Nike skates have been good since the inception of the Ignite line. They use Bauer TUUK carriers and stainless steel blades. (The low end Quest 4 and 5 use carbon steel). TUUK carriers are the choice of most NHL players because they among are the most rigid and durable carriers made.
The durability of these skates is very good due to the construction style. The hard outer shell is rigid enough to maintain its shape through a long period of use. Mine have well over 100 hours of skating time on them and look like new. I have also worked on dozen of these and never seen a pair that looked like it was in bad shape.
This was the line of Nike skates that inspired the competition to look at a more comfortable boot. CCM and Easton both introduced a similar concept after this model line came out (CCM Externo and Easton’s SBX). I suspect if Bauer hadn’t been purchased by Nike a couple years earlier, they would have follow suit.
The Quest line is a good skate. Nike’s newer V line is a much better skate, but at a much higher price. I would recommend the Quest line to any skater who feels like they will benefit from a little extra support. Kids with weak ankles do great in these. I would however, not exclude these from your list because of the high ankles, the best player I ever played hockey with wore Quest 1 skates.
To sum things up, the Quest being last year’s model, is a very inexpensive way to get into a pair of skates. I recommended these to a good friend who just began skating and he loves them. The other skates you will likely find in the same price range as a pair of Quests will be used, or very low tier brands.
© Scott Noble – Unauthorized use prohibited
A few of my other reviews that you might find helpful:
Hockey Skate buying demystified
Nike Ignite 3
Nike THG V-Force
Easton SBX
Easton Air
How to Care for Skates
Recommended:
Yes
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