With the absence of any real quality competition for inline hockey skates Mission’s D-2 was the second best skate on the market in 2003. Only their top of the line D-1 was a better skate. Bauer made some good quality skates for 2002, then ruined their 㤋 line by using a horrible recreational level boot on every skate. Tour decided that their 㢦 skates weren’t heavy enough and that everyone had heels the size of softballs for '03 and CCM was just getting to where their skates weren’t that bad. Mission’s only real competition, Nexed, simply decided not to make skates anymore.

The Mission D-2 might have stolen its name from a sequel movie about misfit hockey players, but it is certainly the best skate in the high intermediate range for '03. The quality components of a strong aluminum chassis coupled to Labeda Millenium wheels by way of ABEC 7 bearings are as good as you will find on any other brand. (The Millenium was the most popular wheel on the market for indoor hockey in 2002 and 2003).

The boot on a Mission skate, whether ice or inline, is among the top on the market. Mission ranks only second to Graf for the amount of scientific research they put into creating a good quality skate. Not surprisingly, the two boots have a similar feel. The heel of a Mission skate is a little narrower than most brands. The forefoot and toe box are similar to a Bauer skate, still relatively narrow. The most pronounced difference in the Mission skates is the very short break in time.

Mission uses materials that are very soft on the insides of their boots. They also are able to use relatively less stiff boot cuffs. This is the result of a design that better locks the heel of the skater’s foot into the boot requiring less upper boot support. Most players can skate comfortably in their Missions after the first hour.

The lacing system looks a little odd at first. It uses tabs rather than eyelets and to the discerning buyer, everything different must be a little suspect. I was not too sure about this system myself until I tried it out. It is actually very easy to get your skates tight in the mission boots. Also they have three eyelets at the top of the boot in an offset pattern. This is to allow players to customize the fit of the cuff and is very handy in doing just that.

The boot is a good quality synthetic leather material. The sole is a composite material that is very stiff and should last a very long time. All of the Mission skates in the D series are heat moldable boots which will virtually eliminate the already short break in time. Make sure to ask you dealer about a heatfit. The D-2 is also the cheapest skate that Mission makes in both full and half sizes, which was one thing that annoyed me in their other lines. A good fit is often impossible in the cheaper models.

The D-2 is not a skate that I would use for outdoors. It is a high performance, indoor hockey skate and as such the materials are not really intended for the wear and tear of asphalt or concrete courts. The wheels especially will deteriorate rapidly in outdoor use, yielding perhaps 20 hours of play if you rotate them every five, probably less. Also the boots have only thin leather wear zones that will take only a few hours of outdoor punishment before becoming vents in the side of your boots.

Mission had two lines of skates for 2003, the D and the R line. The D line was a pure competitive indoor skate. If you were are looking for a good pair of outdoor hockey skates, I would recommend the R line, which comes with a little more reasonable price for outdoor use. In the D line the D-1 is the top and the D-3 is the bottom, putting the D-2 firmly in the middle.

I would recommend this skate to any serious inline hockey player who will be using them indoors. The components are high quality and the boots are the best available for inline right now. If you have wide feet, Missions do come in D or E widths, but even an E might be pretty tight for those with very wide feet.

© Scott Noble – Unauthorized use prohibited

See Also: CCM Outcast Skates


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