RBK 9K Skates – Is the return of “The Pump” a good thing?
Written: Jan 12 '06 (Updated Jan 27 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Best custom fit out of the box
Cons: Not for skinny feet, unproven durability, $500+
The Bottom Line: This is a fantastic concept and a comfortable skate. No one knows yet how long they will last though.
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| puckmugger's Full Review: RBK 9K Pump Hockey Skates |
The return of what?
Reebok (that was RBK’s name before they became so cool) made a number of products in the eighties that utilized a small built in pump. The most notable of these were tennis and basketball shoes. Essentially, the pump was a device that inflated the tongue of the shoes allowing for a tighter fit. It was perhaps more helpful to individuals who had a hard time lacing their shoes, but they were big sellers. Admittedly I picked up a pair for tennis and promptly wore them out in two matches. They were a little too high ticket for my tastes.
But what does this have to do with hockey, right? Well, before RBK purchased Maska and acquired CCM hockey, they partnered with them. During the heyday of “The Pump” CCM built a skate with RBK’s pump system in the tongue. It wasn’t a terribly effective melding of technology. Most of the players who had or have a pair of these informed me that various failures put the pump out of commission well before the rest of the skate died.
Looks
Let’s start with the important stuff. The RBK 9K is a good-looking skate. This is a first for RBK since their first line of skates was rather anemic on styling. The 9K has a more modern looking combination of black and grey. The RBK logo is not so subtly ingrained in the scheme.
Perhaps the alien-style, neon green of the RBK logo and pump is a bit much. I don’t personally find it to be objectionable, but I imagine some players might. Nonetheless, the look is a significant improvement over the rather cheap look of the previous RBK skates. Of course the way a skate looks is really quite subjective. If you cannot make your mind up on that part . . . well, seek therapy I guess.
Holders and Runners
The 9K features CCM’s e-blade Pro holder. This is a huge improvement in durability over CCM’s older Pro Lite. The closed design of the e-blade is less prone to twisting and breakage. The rivets in the e-blade are much less prone to pulling out as well.
One negative that some skaters have voiced with the e-blade is a lower sense of connection with the ice. The Pro Lite was designed to give the skater feedback through the ball of the foot and heel. However, with outsoles becoming stiffer and stiffer, it seems to me that this was becoming something of a moot point. The durability of the e-blade is a great deal more important factor than any perceived sacrifice in feel.
Runners are CCM’s Proformace Lite. While most of the lightweight runners on the market features perforations, these are a little different. Instead of holes, these have small arches taken out of the top to reduce the amount of steel. While this is a durability improvement over most other lightweight steel, the Proformance Lite is still more prone to bending than standard steel.
The runners are stainless steel as one would expect from a high end skate. Stainless, is of course harder than carbon steel and will hold an edge a little longer. This slightly lowers the amount of time and money you spend sharpening your skates.
Tongue
The tongue is perhaps less important on this skate than the lacing system is. However, the lacing system isn’t anything new. This is the same system that premiered on the Vectors a couple of years ago. What makes it unique is the locking eyelet at the turn on the eyestay. The locking eyelet allows skaters wear the top tighter than the bottom or vice versa. It gives a more customized feel to the lacing.
Of course even with the ability to lock your laces, a bad tongue or fit will still lead to lace bite issues. The tongue in the 9K is stiff. The tongue padding is foam rather than felt. The outside edges of the tongue are sewn to maximize life, protecting them from tearing where the laces rub on them. In all, if the skate fits properly, lace bite issues should be minimal.
Boot
The boot itself features the same materials as CCM’s new Pro Tack in the shell. RBK claims this “Pro Armour” is 50% more protective and will last longer than other materials. The actual substance is rather had to describe. I’ve heard that it is EPP, although this would certainly add to the protective qualities of the skate, I don’t know how durable it would be. Nonetheless, the skates have rather thick sides that are well padded. They are certainly different than anything else on the market.
The toecap is uncovered plastic which is rapidly becoming the norm in skates. This is advantageous since uncovered plastic toecaps are lighter and there is nothing to get shredded on them.
The outsoles on the 9K are full composite. Full composite makes the outsoles stiffer and lighter. Stiffness allows the skater to transfer more of their stride through the skate and blade to the ice. RBK also remembered to put some holes in this part of the skate for ventilation and moisture management (i.e. to let your foot sweat escape).
The boot lining is ultra-comfortable Clarino. Clarino is one of the top choices for players who skate without socks. RBK added hydrophobic and anti-microbial properties to this liner as well. In layman’s terms, the boot will stay drier and less stinky as the result.
This is of course a very stiff boot as it is the top of the line RBK skate. Like most top of the line skates in the last couple years it features a composite heel counter—in this case full carbon fiber. The high level of stiffness and carbon fiber heel counter should combine to make this a fairly durable skate. Still, only time will tell if there are some inherent flaws to be revealed.
Fit
With any skate, fit is the most important issue. If the skate doesn’t fit, it simply won’t work. Unfortunately, the RBK is built for a high volume foot. This means that it will fit best on players who have a wide and thick foot. While every skate will not fit every person, I say this is unfortunate because a wider skate will limit the range more than a narrow one will. It is possible through punching and power-stretching to make a skate wider. However, no such opportunity exist to make a skate more narrow.
Still, RBK does have one advantage in the fit area that no other skate currently boasts—the pump. The pump in the 9K does not inflate the tongue as it did in the previous venture with CCM. Thus it will offer no assistance in the width issue. One of the most important aspects of skate fit is the ability of the skate to lock in the heel though and the pump is a fantastic answer to that issue.
Previously, getting the heel to lock often was a case of breaking in the skates. Heat fitting certainly helped accelerate this process by allowing the skates to round out to the player’s unique dimension and be cinched tighter. The pump has taken this to a new level.
Operated by simply pushing the tiny built in pump bulb, the 9K’s pump system inflates a bladder around the heel counter improving the fit and locking the players heel. This area just above the heel in the back of the foot has often been an issue of contention for skaters. Some skates were too tight, pinching the back of the leg; others were too loose allowing slippage.
RBK has made a huge advance in out of the box skate fitting with the 9K. It has apparently been well received by the NHL as well with a large number of skaters having made the switch to the 9K.
Parting thoughts
RBK is closing in on a full year in the hockey business. The 9K is the first real innovation that they’ve unveiled. So far it seems to be a pretty solid one as well. Only time will tell if the new pump is more reliable than the original was. However, the skate is comfortable and independently customizable. It is a great concept.
Now perhaps the most confusing part of this review is that I would give the item 5 stars but not recommend it to a friend. I think the 9K is a fantastic idea. It is also one of the most comfortable skates that I've ever tried on. It is one of the two or three skates that I would consider buying for myself if I was getting a pair soon. However, I am not yet confident enough in the durability of the pump to tell a friend they should buy a pair. It is one thing to waste my own money and yet another to advise a friend to do so.
For now I am awarding the 9K 5 stars based upon the idea of it. However, I will caution that there is always a chance of premature failure with a new product. I was very excited about the Vapor XX when it first came out. Three months later I wished I had never sold a pair. If you don’t need skates now and expect them to last a while, you might want to wait and see. Only time will tell if they are durable.
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 Supreme 8090 Classic Skates
RBK 8K Skates
© 2005 Scott Noble – All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.
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