Bauer Supreme 8000 Skates are a huge improvement over 2002’s Supreme 7000 skates
Written: Apr 22 '04 (Updated Oct 05 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Quicker break in than the 7000, good quality skates
Cons: Will Bauer ever have Lightspeed Steel available?
The Bottom Line: This skate is among the best available right now save the issues with limited availability of replacement blades
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| puckmugger's Full Review: Bauer Supreme 8000 Skates |
There are two names that immediately come to mind in hockey skates. CCM is one, Bauer the other. Both skate makers had some issues in their 2002 lines, but Bauer had nothing compared to the shortfalls that CCM did in that year. CCM came back in 2003 with one of the best skates they’ve ever made. How did Bauer fare with the 8000?
The 2002 problems
In 2002 Bauer decided to push the limits of technology and determine just how stiff they could make a boot. Shy of putting player’s in custom concrete casting complete with blades attached the Bauer 7000 was the next best (or worst) thing.
Boots have gotten dramatically stiffer over the last 5 years. A big part of this has been the ability to heat mold a skate to a player’s foot. This gives some comfort by shaping the boot without making it less stiff. Stiffness is important as it allows players higher amounts of support, giving them the ability to skate more explosively.
Still, there has to be a limit somewhere, right? Well Bauer and Easton both found that limit. Unfortunately they did it by going beyond it and making a skate that was truly punishing and painful to break in. Incidentally, Easton did it with their Z-Air Comp SE which came out a year later than Bauer’s too stiff 7000 skates did. You think they might have learned from their competitor’s errors.
The Bauer 7000 was the top of the line skate for the company’s 2002 line. It sold fairly well despite its obvious rock hard construction. Bauer had a name and I would wager that most of the people who bought a pair of 7000’s were thinking about. Unfortunately many of them gave up on their 7000’s before they were comfortable enough to skate in. Bauer silently acknowledged that the 7000 was a bit harsh by introducing a softer upgrade in the 8000 skates.
Enter the Supreme 8000
One thing that was interesting to us when the first 8000’s came into our shop was that they weren’t quite as stiff as the 7000’s had been. As silly as it might seem, the general numbering system in use by Bauer, CCM and even Graf indicated the skate’s relative stiffness. The higher the number, the stiffer the skate was. Logic dictated that the 8000 had to be stiffer than the 7000 simply by the numbers. Fortunately this was not the case.
Bauer, like CCM, learned from the mistakes of 2002. Albeit, the flaws of the 7000 were limited to excruciatingly long and painful break-in times. Those who toughed out the six to eight weeks of skating, generally were pleased with their 7000’s. Still, two months was a long break in time. Those of us working in the shop got pretty familiar with the people skating in 7000’s as they came back for second heat fits, punching, stretching or just to voice their general discontent about their first weeks in the boot.
The Supreme 8000 also featured Bauer’s new lightspeed holder. This was the third skate they introduced with this type of holder after the Silver and Gold Classic skates. At the time of their introduction this seemed like an improvement over the older TUUK carriers.
The 8000 Boot
As mentioned the boot was an improvement over the too stiff Supreme 7000. The 8000 boot was similar in materials, but somewhat more supple, allowing players to break them in with a minimum of tears and/or language fit only for the locker room.
The materials of the upper are standard ballistic nylon and synthetic leather. They offer good durability and support, both materials lasting much longer than a traditional full leather upper would. It is fully hear moldable and for a boot at this level a heat fit is highly recommended.
The outsole is of beveled full carbon fiber. This makes the outsole a light and strong. The beveled edges allow for tighter turns than non-beveled do. This works by keeping boots from striking the ice and causing the player to lose an edge.
The uppers are fully lined in Clarino which has become the standard for top end skates. Clarino is a synthetic material that will absorb six times its weight in water, yet dry in a matter of hours. It is also the most comfortable liner currently found in skates and preferred by players who skate without socks.
The tongue of the Supreme 8000 is stiff and thick enough to prevent lace bite. It will take some break in time as the combined stiffness of the tongue and skate inhibit forward flex of the skate. I found the tongue the most disconcerting part of breaking in my last pair of skates.
Bauer does use rubber inserts at the back of their skates and in the curve of the eye stay to help with forward flex. These have a limited effect in my opinion, but are certainly more helpful that a boot without any features to enable flex.
Durability of Supreme 8000 boots hasn’t been an issue as is the case with Bauer’s Vapor lines. This is not a boot that is going to break down quickly and with proper care will last at least four or five years when used by recreational skaters.
The Lightspeed Holder and Steel
You might have already noticed that I wrote, the introduction of the lightspeed seemed like an improvement over the older TUUK carriers. Well in some way it was, and in others it isn’t . . . but hopefully will be.
Bauer’s TUUK is the standard of the NHL. Players in every kind of skate can be found with TUUK holders even though currently Bauer is the only brand making skates with TUUKs. At one time Graf and Mission both were available with TUUK holder from the factory as well. I guess they found it a little odd to be giving Bauer money so they could make skates so eventually both brands developed their own holders.
Now you might be wondering, if the TUUK is so great why would anyone change it? Well, the TUUK is among the most durable holders on the market, but it isn’t easy to work on. The screw in the toe is very difficult to get to when replacing steel, sometimes impossible. One thing the Lightspeed improved was the elimination of the toe screw. This meant players could change their steel without an expensive special tool. The new tool was so cheap that Bauer included it with all of their skates in fact.
Other improvements in the Lightspeed included a 20% reduction in weight. This was great since skates were headed towards lighter weight. Obviously lighter skates computed to quicker skaters as well. Lastly, Bauer raised the entire skate three millimeters by making the Lightspeed a little taller than the standard TUUK holder is. Just like beveling the outsole, a taller holder means more aggressive cornering.
Well, all that said there is one serious problem and a minor flaws that the Lightspeed has. The big problem is the impossible nature of finding replacement steel for those easier to change blades. The Lightspeed holder has been on the market for well over a year now and you still cannot get replacement blades without waiting on a backorder. This is primarily due to issues with the perforated steel used in the Vapors and Nike V-12’s. While the steel in the 8000 isn’t prone to the breakage that the perforated steel is, Bauer has been replacing perf steel with whatever is available for warranty skates. This has created a shortage of both types that seemingly will never end.
Thankfully, the Lightspeed on the 8000 is not prone to the same bending and breakage issues as that on the Vapors. But it is prone to one other minor design issue. The single nut that holds the blade in place almost always comes loose. This is easily repaired by pulling the heel plug under the insole and retightening it. I recommend putting a drop of blue lock tite on the nut to keep it from coming lose again. Also be careful not to over-tighten the nut, ½ turn after it seats will keep the blade in place. Over-tightening will easily break the screw and they are as hard to come by as new steel.
Final Thoughts
Players have expressed minimal issues breaking in the Supreme 8000 skates. It appears that Bauer got this one right after the headaches that Supreme 7000 skates caused.
Bauer skates fit best on narrow feet. They are narrow in the heel and forefoot and have a lower than average instep. The Supreme 8000 comes in a EE width as well which will be slightly wider than a D width CCM skate.
I would recommend this level of skate for high-level recreational players up to college and minor pros. The minimum skater who would benefit from the stiffness of the Supreme 8000 will be at least 150 pounds and playing three or more hours weekly at a high level. Larger players (200 pounds and up) skating at least a couple of hours weekly will also benefit from these.
The Supreme 8000 isn’t perfect, but it is a good skate. I would be somewhat concerned about buying a pair myself until the issue with the backordered steel is resolved. Once this issue is resolved, the 8000 and 8090 will be as good as or better than almost any skate on the market.
© Scott Noble – Unauthorized use prohibited
A few of my other reviews that you might find helpful:
Hockey Skate buying demystified
Easton Z-Air Comp SE Skates
Graf 735 Skates with T-Blades
Bauer Vapor XX Skates
Thanks to openroad for adding this item so I could review it.
Recommended:
No
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