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CCM U+ Skates

March 11, 2008 by Tyler  
Filed under Hockey Columns, Hockey Equipment

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CCM U+ Skate - Vector U PlusCCM has released a new skate called the U+, which is meant to stand for an extension of the player as in “You+Plus”.

These skates have recently been worn by some of the best players in the NHL, including Alexander Ovechkin, Vincent Lecavalier and Jarome Iginla.

Some of these players are using a traditional TUUK blade holder instead of the standard E-Pro blade holder.

What is most interesting about the new CCM U+ is the “Rocket Runner” which is a disposable steel blade instead of the traditional style steel. The idea behind the disposable blade is to reduce the weight of the skate and increase foot speed by using only the amount of steel required for a few sharpenings.

Although it is a novel idea, I’m not sure how many people are willing to shell out $40.00 for new “Rocket Runners” each time their skates need sharpened. That said, installing traditional steel blades should solve that problem – even with the additional weight.

KEY FEATURES OF THE CCM U+

  • Patented Ultima Dry inner liner that promotes quick drying and features an anti-microbial treatment.
  • Carbon fibre outsole that is engineered for maximum energy transfer through the foot bed
  • A thinner tongue that is easily molded to the foot, while allowing for maximum protection against lace bite.
  • The Rocket Runner feature that allows for weight reduction of the steel blade, resulting in faster foot speed.
  • Custom patented U FOAM that allows for easier break-in and better molding to the foot.

The CCM U+ Skates will be available for the general public in April 2008.

Some online stores, such as Total Hockey.net have a pre-order for the CCM U+ skates to make sure that you get yours on time.

Check out Total Hockey.net to get your CCM U+ Skates

If the CCM U+ is not what you are looking for, you might want to check out these hockey skate reviews.

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Comments

48 Comments on "CCM U+ Skates"

  1. Dare on Tue, 11th Mar 2008 1:42 pm 

    I’d be curious how long the “Rocket Runners” last. Is it approximately the same amount of time as a traditional sharpening? If so, I’d definitely be curious how people in the general public would rationalize $40 as opposed to the $5 a typical sharpening costs.

    Actually, this is what I’m always curious about with t-blades too.

  2. z on Sun, 23rd Mar 2008 8:10 pm 

    the runner is not replaced after every sharpening. it is said to last about 15 sharpenings, but depending on who is sharpening your skates you may be able to get some more out of it. I dont think ccm is stupid enough to market a runner that someone has to pay $40 for everytime they want a sharpening. Plus just by looking at the blade you can see that their is plenty of steel to get sharpened a few times.

  3. tommy on Sun, 23rd Mar 2008 9:09 pm 

    by far the best skate ever. probably the lightest too. about the rocket runner, it lasts, from what ive heard, long enough for like 5-10 sharpenings or something, so better than t-blades. light too. check the link. http://en.ccmsports.com/rocketrunner/index.php?nav=rocket

  4. levi on Sat, 29th Mar 2008 1:58 pm 

    ive been calling all over the place to see when they have them. i dont think they will be out for a while. they say the retail price will be the typical 599$ for the top of the line skates.

  5. riley on Mon, 31st Mar 2008 10:03 pm 

    Skates come out in april and will go in the $600 dollar range.
    Comparibly light to the One95’s as well.
    As for the Rocker Runner i would put normal steel on it

  6. webbie on Mon, 28th Apr 2008 10:58 pm 

    I was lucky and locked in a price of 480 for the skates at the Minnesota hockey expo… I don’t think you’ll find them that cheap anymore but I’m excited to get them here in less than a month

  7. CCM U+ Hockey Stick | NHL Digest- Hockey News and Equipment Reviews on Sun, 11th May 2008 6:03 am 

    [...] CCM Vector U+ Stick is the follow-up to the highly touted CCM U+ Skates and the latest release from the research and design team at CCM. The CCM U+ is the most well [...]

  8. MEDhat on Fri, 16th May 2008 11:35 pm 

    i just got them today, they’re so sweet

  9. Lumpy on Thu, 12th Jun 2008 12:23 pm 

    I currently have a pair of CCM vector pro’s. Right out of the box, these skates were perfect. Other than a few cosmetic scrapes, they have held up great for over two years. I received a pair of Vector 10 SE’s which never broke in the same as my Vector pro’s. I am interested in the new U+ skates but am hesitant because of the problems I had with the Vector 10’s. Can anyone provide me with feedback as to whether or not they are similar to the vector pro’s? Also, my main issue with the 10’s was that the tongue was too thick and stiff and put too much pressure on my ankle area, restricting proper forward flex. Any info would certainly be welcomed.

  10. andrew baron on Sun, 15th Jun 2008 8:15 pm 

    i really need to know how many sharpenings you can get out of the rocketrunners. because i dont no if it would be worth continuously paying 50 bucks fer replacments

  11. joose on Tue, 17th Jun 2008 2:40 pm 

    im with andrew baron on this one. really. how many sharpenings? it might not be worth the money.

  12. nick on Fri, 18th Jul 2008 2:43 pm 

    im thinking about buying a pair of these skates. im trying to descide on these or the ONE95′S. can anyone give me some info on these skates. thanks

  13. guns on Sat, 26th Jul 2008 9:05 pm 

    Skinner said you can sharpen it until 23 times.

  14. cam on Fri, 1st Aug 2008 3:26 pm 

    Nick I would go with the U + skates only because they are more personal. They are for any style player and fit easier. The One95’s are a good skate but focus more on lightweight and less on comfort and feel. The U foam is one piece that goes around the entire skate making it a more comfortable fit and more personal to your foot as apose the sandwich in the Nike Bauer skate.

  15. Bill on Wed, 17th Sep 2008 1:31 pm 

    I seriously doubt the rocket runner can be sharpened 23 times. A close look at the blade and you know it won’t be too long before the heel and toe of the blade start to round off too much and the plastic part gets too close to the ice for adequate clearance for hard turning.
    Of course I’m just guessing at this point, but most of us who are looking to buy these skates have experienced literally thousands of sharpings on other skates and know you’ll be replacing these blades after a maximum of 10 sharpenings.
    In my world thats about six weeks or replacing the blades 6-7 times in a nine month season. Another $300 minimum.
    No way, these skates are worth $250 more then the competition. If light weight is your thing and it should be if your playing highly competitive hockey, then seriously check out the S15. It will wear out in one season, but again if your playing highly competitive hockey, one season is all you should expect from a high end skate.
    CCM looks to have a good boot, but they had to make too screw up the blade in order to compete with low weight.
    Thanks to the guy who provided the link on skate sharpening. Can you imagine your local skate sharpening guy having to take into account the extra width of the plastic on the rocket runner in order to line up the hollow correctly. CCM is out of touch with real world of hockey.
    If you have your own personal skate sharpener and plenty of coin, go for it.

  16. Kevin on Thu, 25th Sep 2008 8:10 pm 

    I bought a pair of Easton 1300c’s last season when they were on for $400, great skate and still in good condition as far as durability is concerned. There’s the usual scuff’s and such on the composite boot and the toe cap is peeling off, but they are still extremely comfortable. I average about 4 ice times a week, two league games, one drop-in and then practice at Juvenile, rep level hockey.
    Instead of buying a new pair of skates all together, I decided to change the holder and blades on them with something new; that being the new rocket runners, which seems to be one of the main points of interest about the new U+ skates in the first place. Reason I got them was because of the fact they were lighter than regular blades and so far, after having skated on them for about 2 months, here are the results:
    Great blades… for the most part. I don’t need to get them sharpened as often as I usually do since they hold their edge really well. So when you compare how often you get them sharpened with regular blades, I tend to get about one extra weeks worth of skating in before I bring them back to the shop.
    Now for the most part; After said amount of time, this could have happened due to a variety of reasons, but the blade broke between the heel and middle of the blade which, to my hockey shops workers there, seemed really strange. Personally, I think it happened when I got checked off my feet and when my foot came down and hit the ice on the heel, caused a fracture that eventually broke. The blades were on warranty so I got them both replaced with brand new ones for free which I was glad for, and i’ll have to see how long these new ones will last before after sharpenings or just regular wear in general.
    Overall, depending on their durability, they could either be a really great or crappy product.

  17. JJ on Thu, 23rd Oct 2008 1:37 am 

    I have skated with this skate for 4 months with no issues at all. Much better skate than my Nike/Bauer in my opinion, but I had the first attempt at making a skate. I’ve heard they are a lot better now. The CCM does great, fast, light and comfortable. I was at first weary of the rocket runner thing too, but I am now a believer. The steel holds an edge quit a bit longer than a regular stainless steel blade. It looks like it will average at least 15 or more sharpenings depending on the depth and who is doing it. There is no difference getting it done on a sharpener either which some said earlier. For me this works out to 40 bucks for a new set a year or year and a half. So there is some cost but not really that much for the performance. It is well worth it once you skate with them. It does take a little bit to get use to the lightness it turns with your feet. Once you adjust to them you really wont want to go back to a standard blade.

  18. Wayne on Mon, 3rd Nov 2008 3:27 pm 

    I just got a pair of these U+ skate and they are so great! I always skated in ccm skates and i’m glad with those new one! I thought that my vector pro were light….damn it! The new U+ are 200 grams lighter than my vector pro! That’s near half a pound lighter! I also feel that i can take corner much very quicker! The blades are making a loud noisy sound! I went to an outside rink to try them before playing hockey, and people were asking me what the hell was going one with my skates because of the noisy sound that they were doing while i was cornering or accelerating! And in deed, like ccm said, they are comfortable right out of the box. But you absolutly got to bake them cause they are quite stiff!

  19. maurizio on Tue, 18th Nov 2008 8:21 am 

    Hello everybody! please, i have bauer nike one 90 in size 7D. Wich sieze it’s better for the U+? 7.5 D? Someone knows well the difference of sizes of these skates?? It’s not possible for me to try U+ skates. thank you!!!

  20. Maineboy on Wed, 3rd Dec 2008 8:44 am 

    Just my $.02. My oldest son bought these as a travel bantam. He liked the weight and fit. The 1’st issue was the blade. The plastic runner prohibited the skate shops from squaring the blade to the sharpener without a bunch of manaual adjustments, which they did not want to do. So I replaced the blades. Next up was the wear and tear. These skates are not holding up. Tears, rips, seams breaking. I’m using super glue to mend it. 3 months in, and the skates are showing thier age. I have big doubts they will make the season.

  21. payman khodabandeh on Sun, 7th Dec 2008 12:52 am 

    These skates are really lite and their great for baking only problem is that they break easily I had them for one month and the whole boot ripped apart for spending 530 bucks on these skates you should buy vapor 40’s or something that’s worth it these skates aren’t worth the time,energy,and money for.

  22. Tim on Tue, 9th Dec 2008 1:22 am 

    People that use these skates besides pros will most likely e college or juniors players and will get sharpening for free anyway, but probably not free blades. Hockey is expensive as it is and $40 a sharpening is ridiculous. I think that’s why T blades never really became super popular.

  23. Vince on Wed, 7th Jan 2009 11:18 pm 

    The boot is great but the runner is bad. it last’s at least 10 games, isn’t as strong and breaks easy because it’s really light. it’s pretty much hollow.

  24. Eric on Tue, 13th Jan 2009 1:03 am 

    Getting back to the t-blade vs. rocket runner I will never go back to the traditional blade or Rocket Runner. I had the CCM with the Rocket Runner and although it is a light skate the sharpening was a big problem for the guy’s in the shop. So, I went back to my Graf’s with the t-blade and I will never put my foot in another skate as long as I can. The 11 or 13 hollow is what I use and I am on my 8th game with one blade. I am a hard skater and weigh about 215. Absolutely no problem with the T-blades holding up. I can push it for another two games but I’ll pop it out the next game. The t-blade just works for me. You never get a bad sharpening and we all know how annoying that is.

  25. Petey-POP! on Thu, 15th Jan 2009 11:28 am 

    Do the Vector +U skates fit the same as older CCM skates? I have 852’s from 2002 and they are 8.5D’s, can I just assume I will need the same size in the new Vector series of skates?

  26. Chad on Thu, 15th Jan 2009 5:18 pm 

    Just got my son a pair of U skates. Have my own sharpener and I have to say the blade and plastic really suck. I have to lower the holder (takes 10 minutes) sharpen the skates then readjust the holder for the rest of the skates. Did it once and went and bought new steel. The difference was .96 ounces…..from the 2 blades. Hardly worth worrying about. As far as the skate itself he loves them and they feel good on his foot. Best of all somebody returned them and was able to pick them up for $185 + $44 new steel = great deal in my book.

  27. JT on Mon, 2nd Feb 2009 10:19 am 

    Regarding the T- Blades. My Pee Wee son has been using T blades for the past two years. These things really hold up well. Never a break or problem with them. They are always sharpened and radiused correctly. Don’t have to drive all over town to tget the right perosn to setup the radius and hope that the nezt guy dosent mess it up. No more trips to the sharpener for $6 a pop.

    I have one replacement set of blade runners in his bag at all times – $17 from my local shop (probably easier if I just ordered them). I can replace a set faster than they could sharpen a pair. Super light. I buy them one step deeper on the hollow and they last a long time.

    Very hard steel – he can go about two + months of practicing and games (25-30 hours) without thinking about new blades. Compared to shapening a tradional blade once a week, it actually ends up being a bit cheaper and I don’t have to drive anywhere to get it done.

    The only problem is learning when to replace them. Because it is a $17 decision – you almost need to jsut replace them on a set schedule becasue you can’t always tell when they are to the point of replacement. They don’t feel the same to the touch as a regular sharpening.

    My other two sons use traditional blades and I also like those as I always know when they are sharp or not – but I hate having to drive to my favorite sharpening place to make sure they are done right.

    So while I am not to sure about the Rocket Runner – I really beleive that something like the Rocket Runner and/or T Blade will be the future and soon every performance skate will have some version of these on them. The weight savings is just oo attractive and we can’t keep using the same old technology forever.

  28. tbl123 on Tue, 3rd Feb 2009 9:09 pm 

    Has any one had problems with U+ boot delaminating?

  29. ray l on Fri, 27th Feb 2009 6:57 pm 

    I purchased a pair of u+, best skate i have ever skated on but i also have an issue with delamination of outer shell. Heard there is a recall on them, anybody else here this? let me know paid a lot of money for these skates

  30. Chris on Mon, 9th Mar 2009 7:50 am 

    I have had a pair of U+ skates since July 08 and it is now early march 09. Both boots outer shells have completely separated from the boots. This has not effected the performance at all. However, I have replaced the blades three times and the housings twice. The stitching along the upper part of the boots have come apart right down to lace eyes. The tendon guard on one skate is tearing and wont last much longer. I have to say that these are the best skates I have ever owned, but I would have expected to get more than a year out of a $500-$600 pair of skates. The company is going to replace them under warranty with the new 09 version. They say they have fixed the problem. I just hope that the new skates show up before these fall apart.

  31. Marcelo on Mon, 23rd Mar 2009 4:54 pm 

    I just found this site and wanted to post an update regarding the CCM Vector U+ Pro Hockey Skate.

    Last week (3/19) I went to purchase these skates at a reputable hockey store and the pro shop owner was kind enough to inform me that there “IS” a recall on them and not to purchase it. A new and updated version is due out sometime early next month (~April 8th or so) and that CCM will warrant the previous version defective skates with the new ones. He said he will contact me once the updated version of the skates arrive.

    I have skated on Daoust National 501 and CCM Super Tacks (old school) and enjoy them both. Once the new version of the CCM Vector U+ Pro Skates arrive, I am going to purchase a set. In the mean time and on the same date of my visit at the hockey store, I purchased the recently released (within this past week) Easton Synergy SE16 White Edition Hockey skates. I tried them out and was very impressed with them. I will continue to skate on them until the new version of the CCM Vector U+ Pro Skates arrive.

    So for those of you who have purchased the original version of the CCM Vector U+ Pro (Jr. or Sr.), contact your store and let them know about this.

    Hope this helps…

  32. Tim on Fri, 8th May 2009 7:44 pm 

    Hey I got U+ like 3months ago n my feet are in AGONY! every time I put them on my feet kill like this is not the normal stiff skate it’ll go away after 5-10 ice times i’ve been on a go 40-50hours with them ad still the pain!! Has any one heard of or experienced the same problem???

    Also I was told there is a MAJOR recall on the U+ is it true cause the outer layer of my skate is bubbleing and it looks really bad… What do I have to do to get the new model?

  33. Marcelo on Sat, 9th May 2009 6:47 pm 

    Tim:

    Did you see/read the post dated “Mon, 23rd Mar 2009 4:54 pm” right abouve yours? Contact the place where you purchased your skates and they should honor the recall.

  34. joe b on Sun, 31st May 2009 7:49 pm 

    i love these skates! light amazingly comfortable and stylish, best skates ive ever had

  35. David on Tue, 2nd Jun 2009 6:19 pm 

    Hi I am aboubt to buy a left over U+ Pro for $300.00 is this a good deal cosidering all the problems I have read aboubt them

  36. Nathan on Mon, 29th Jun 2009 9:59 pm 

    I have been skating a custom pair of 2008 U+Pro about 3-4 times a week for the past six months. They came with T-blades and I can’t tell you how light they are. When they arrived in the mail I was worried that there was only one skate in the box because they weigh about half of what my old 1152 CCM’s do. The U+ with the t-blades has got to be the lightest combination available. I can’t think of any other skate/holder combo that would come close.

    As far as the T-blades go, I like them a lot. They come almost too sharp at first but they stay sharp far longer then a typical sharpening. I touch mine up after each use and I get 15-20 sessions out of them.

    There seems to be some confusion on the rocket runners. You can sharpen and re-sharpen these runners for as long as there is a reasonable amount of steel left. Typically 5-15 sharpenings depending on how long you wait to get them sharpened, how hard on them you are, how good your sharpener is, etc. It doesn’t cost 40 bucks every time you want them sharpened as some have mentioned.

    I have experienced some of the bubbles on the quarters as people have mentioned here: they appear after my feet sweat up the skates and disappear after the skates dry. I have had some wear issues on the tops of the skates but this is most likely due more to wearing them so loose and my shin guards rubbing against them. With that said, I will not be trying to get them replaced. The time it took to break them in makes them, even with their slight wear issues, worth way more to me than a new pair that I will have to break in again.

    These skates do come really really stiff and take a considerable amount of time to break in. I don’t really recommend them for small, lightweight players because they will take a very long time to break in. My advice is to bake them, skate in them a couple hours and then bake them again. After the second bake they should be broken in after a few sessions. It may also help ease the pain if you don’t lace them up all the way at first. If you toss a pair of the Graf/Sidas or superfeet insoles in, they are far more comfortable. The stock insole is a total POS.

    I see the 2008 model going for $200-300 (USD) on closeout and I think that if you are willing to put the time into breaking them in, this is a steal. I laid my money down for the new 2009 U+ Pro Reloaded but the 2008’s will continue to be my main skates until the new ones are broken in.

  37. Broms10 on Thu, 2nd Jul 2009 3:10 pm 

    The New U+ is an awesome skate. I noticed a lot of complaints on this site about the rocket runner blade. First things first, I noticed all the guys wearing this skate in the NHL (well for the most part) have put on a tuuk blade. It’s a great investment and saves you a few bucks in the long run on blade replacements with the rocket runner. The boot does wear out a little bit quicker than usual, but really that all depends on how often you play. I buy a new skate every year because of the level of hockey I play. Guys who love the CCM boot should stick with the Vector Pro for durability and that’s that. Just to let you know , CCM is coming out with a new boot for this season which is suppose to be similar to the Reebok boot. I’m sure it will be a huge improvement and worth the wait.

  38. Jay on Sat, 8th Aug 2009 5:39 pm 

    Nathan on Mon, 29th Jun 2009 9:59 pm

    Hi Nathan,

    I would like to know where do you buy the t-blade with CCM Vector U+ PRO. I have been looking for a “t-blade on CCM Vector U+ PRO. So far no luck. Thank you very much.

    Jay

  39. Shellie on Fri, 14th Aug 2009 9:11 am 

    Hi

    My 13 year old daughter is on her 2nd pair of CCM U+ – the first pair cracked at the ankle after about 2 months. I was told it was because I hadnt had them baked so then when the replacement pair came we had them baked yet less than 7 months later the ankle support is non existent and they have cracked again. Am just waiting to see what the supplier in the UK says

  40. Jake on Sat, 5th Sep 2009 8:00 pm 

    They so light and the rocket runner has lasted my like 6 months on less than 6 sharpenings and the blade is still big

  41. Slavo on Wed, 9th Dec 2009 4:08 am 

    Dear Shellie, I did solve the same problem 2 times in this year.. First skates cracked in ankle after 1month and they send me immediatelly new pair without problems.. but after 4 months using these pairs craked as well and for specialy 10 eyelets was fault.. on my surprise I get this year third pair.. I think it will be the same.. because I dont see any different between vector O8 and U+09..

  42. geoff on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 6:10 am 

    Can the rocket runners just be simply replaced with an ordinary blade. Is it just a case of taking the rocket runner out and putting another one in.

  43. Ldawwgs on Mon, 28th Dec 2009 11:29 am 

    I bought a pair of U+s last year, worst skate I have ever had! The outside meshing started falling off and pulling away from the holder underneath. I have had them baked three times and even PUNCHED them because baking was not doing anything. Punching didnt help and needless to say I am going to take ccm up on that recall and upgrade to the U+ pro reloadeds.

  44. Jack The Hat on Thu, 7th Jan 2010 11:58 pm 

    Skating on U+ Pro Reloaded boots. Speced lace locks, felt tongue, some custom sizing, and Rocket Runners. Been skating on R/Rs since Jan 09 – on my Pro Tacks. No other steel comes close. Hard. Clean. Fast. And long life on sharpness. At least twice as long as Proformance Lite. And with a factory-ground profile that needs no altering. The boots molded to my feet on first bake. I play recreational hockey and skate on Tacks since 1961 – these are the best. Buy from a pro hockey shop: they care; and will assist all the way. No going back. U+ Pro Reloaded are the money…

  45. Curt on Mon, 11th Jan 2010 9:57 pm 

    Bought last years U for my son with rocket runners. I think the average skate shop will cut these blades crooked EVERY time.

    These blades will handle a minimum 15 cuts if properly done.

    Two factors, the plastic adds considerable width at the clamping points. The plastic will compress slightly at these points causing an uneven cut if the skates are removed from the holder and not reclamped in the exact same position.

    If your skate-dude clamps in your rocket runner without any adjustment, I GUARANTEE you will have a blade with a single wedge edge.

    Very difficult to deburr the edge with a stone due to the narrow ledge. The stone tends to roll over the edge.

    If your shop is not using a device to measure the edges of the blade, then only luck will give you a good square cut and this is true of ANY blade.

  46. Brian McFalone on Mon, 18th Jan 2010 1:25 pm 

    How do I get the CCM skate in a triple E width?

  47. Big D on Mon, 18th Jan 2010 9:50 pm 

    My son skates on a pair of U+ Pro 2008 model. After about 10 practices and 15 games the skates looked like Dog Sh*t. The tendon gurds were both falling off from the cheap plastic outer cracking. The foot bedd is very thin and cheap with no arch support. The outer 1/4 had more cuts than my 16 year old Vacu tacks have after 1000 games! The inner and outer shell seperated at the boot opening on both skates. After half a season we took them out of service and went with a pair of leftover Vecto V 10.0 SE saktes. He had used the Vector V 10.0 before the U+ Pro and the Vector 10.0 was worlds better in durability. Bottom line is stay away from the U+ Pro, they are GARBAGE!

  48. Bearcat on Thu, 28th Jan 2010 4:38 pm 

    Purchased this skate for Xmas, he skated in 3 practice and played 4 college club hockey games and it is peeling. Called HockeyMonkey for RA number to replace it. They called back indicating CCM will not replace this skate since he can still play without without impact of wear or performance due to bubbling and peeling. I wonder what they said if GM told them the new car’s bubbling and peeling paint has no impact on the ride or performance of the new car!!! Will call CCM on this.

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