matthewmarleyThere’s no question about it, CCM make some great skates – not least their extremely popular Super Tacks. While the Super Tacks are incredible, if you’re looking for a narrower skate, the Jetspeed line are likely to be a better fit – and top of the Jetspeed family sits the FT1.
You know you’re onto a good thing with CCMs, but when you’re spending top-end skate money, you want to be sure you’re getting something perfect for you. With this in mind, we’ve done an in-depth test of the FT1s and are happy to report back with what we’ve found…
Our test skates
We tested the CCM FT1 in a standard 8 – which we independently verified on our scales to weigh in at an incredible 772 grams.
True to form, the Jetspeed FT1 is a slimmer fitting skate – something to be aware of if you’re used to a more traditional fit.
First impressions
We were really eager to get our hands on the FT1s, we’ve always been a fan of CCM – they rarely fail to produce good looking equipment and the FT1s follow suit – with tons of exposed carbon weave and aggressive looking graphics.
It’s obvious this skate is made with weight in mind, where you’d normally expect a raised or bonded logo, CCM have gone all out and embossed their logo into the skate body. You might not think such a feature is worthy of note – but it’s tiny detail like this that’s made this skate one of the lightest skates on the market today.
The one piece construction of the FT1 looks next level – like a super-sleek prototype skate you see at a show and never expect to really see hit the ice – but when you pull it on, you find yourself in a skate that’s every bit as stiff and protective as a traditionally constructed boot.
Technical features
Size: 8.0 D
Weight: 772g
Heat mouldable: Yes
Quarter Package: RocketFrame – with LiteFrame 360/SpeedCore 3 Tech
Ankle padding: Multi-density memory foam
Heel support: Integrated into RocketFrame shell
Tendon guard: Traditional Flex
Lining: TotalDri Pro – with durazone abrasion guards
Footbed: CCM custom – with Currexsole tech
Outsole: No traditional outsole – boot is one piece composite moulding
Tongue: TriTech Tongue – with lace-bite pad
Blade holder: SpeedBlade 4.0
Runner: Speedblade HyperGlide
Warranty: Skate – 90 days, Blades – 1 year
The Jetspeed FT1 experience
It’s going to be no surprise when we tell you this is a seriously stiff skate. The boot has been designed and created with weight and stiffness in mind, formed from a super-tough carbon Kevlar composite.
LiteFrame 360
The heart and soul of this skate lies with the one piece ‘LiteFrame 360’ boot – a one piece mould which fits like a glove from the word go.
Since the whole boot is created in this way, after your skate’s brief visit to the oven you’ll find a fit likes like virtually no other on the market. While other skates fit well, the lack of bond between quarter-package and outsole means the boot fits more like a carbon sock than a traditional boot!
Now, talking about comfort is one thing – but when you’re on the ice, the benefits of this one piece design become even more apparent. It’s something you’ll read in a lot of high-end skate reviews – but transfer of power with the FT1 is unlike anything I’ve personally experienced before now.
With a bit of research you learn that the LiteFrame shell has an incredibly scientific background. The computer aided design means the boot has been developed with optimum power transfer in mind – and what this really means to players is that every ounce of power that meets the skate does so at a point where the carbon weave is optimised to put that power into the holder and blade – and onto the ice.
The result is a skate that fits like an absolute dream and offers a virtually unparalleled level of responsiveness. Snappy acceleration – and, assuming you’ve got the legs for it, sprinting that feels like the skates are helping you increase in pace with every stride.
TotalDri Pro liner
The same spec of liner that features across the top-end CCM models appears again in the FT1. As you would expect from a skate of this quality, it’s made of a sophisticated wicking fabric that pulls the moisture away from your foot.
Interestingly, the bottom of the LiteFrame moulding has an integral vent, so there are no worries about the skate being able to vent when your games picks up pace. What’s more, the liner’s got abrasion resistant patches built in where you’d normally expect to see a liner breakdown after some serious hours – adding to the lifespan of the skate.
Tritech tongue
Obviously, a skate’s tongue has the ability to make or break the skate’s overall fit based on materials and shape – but CCM have left nothing to chance by creating an unique tongue design for the FT1.
Where you see injected anti-lacebite pads on the Super Tacks, the Jetspeed FT1’s got a heat-mouldable insert, again reducing weight – and offering an even neater fit after coming out of the oven. Combined with the pro-level multi-weight felt tongue you’re left with virtually zero negative space that would hamper you putting the power down.
Speedblade 4.0 and Hyperglide runners
Although they’re not as much of an recent innovation as the rest of the skate, there’s little to rival the stiffness and durability of the Speedblade 4.0 holder. Twin it with the HyperGlide steel and you’ve got an deadly combination.
Each has a 3mm-4mm height advantage over lesser combinations, giving the possibility of greater depth and tighter angles when making efficient turns and crossovers – and reducing the chance of bottoming out.
Overall
For people who love the slimmer fit of the JetSpeed range from CCM, the carbon one-piece body of the FT1 is going to be nothing short of a revelation. There’s little out there that rivals the fit and sheer efficiency of this skate.
There are few features more important than fit, responsiveness and agility when it comes to buying skates – and granted, the FT1 isn’t the cheapest on the market, but you’re unlikely to find a skate with this fit profile that delivers quite as much as the CCM Jetspeed FT1 – an incredible blend of technology and high-level usability.
