Exchanged Vapor 2X for these. Got free steel

I ordered the Vapor 2X skates online and found the fit profile 2 was too low on the top of my foot. So I went to the monkey sports store in Allen, TX to exchange them and found these skates. These skates are REALLY stiff and they are lighter than the 2Xs if I recall correctly. Another thing CCM does better is the steel locking mechanism. For the blade mount, the CCM screw is super easy and feels much more sturdy than the Bauer trigger. If you find a Bauer that fits, that’s great, but the fit profiles are whack. I even tried on the supremes at this price level in the same exact size and fit profile and it was completely different, with the supremes being much roomier. This skate doesn’t have the intrusive mechanism the Supertaks has on your toe knuckle meant to allow for an exchangeable tongue. No amount of baking could ever fix that. I did experience two points of discomfort that were resolved. First, the top of my toe knuckle was hurting not because of an inconvenient mechanism, but just the way they were laced. A store employee re-laced them for me and the issue went away immediately. The issue was the bottom lace that is horizontal was below the eyelets but he laced them to be above the eyelets. This allowed the bottom lace to pull the skate together without pushing down on the top of my foot. Second, I was experiencing pressure on the bottom of my foot, right below my ankle bone. This was resolved by buying a fancy insole for $50. Totally worth it. Also, CCM was running a promotion (idk if they are when you’re reading this) where you get a free set of STEP steel, which are better than the black steel you see on top of the line skates. I think it might be a $100 value but I’m not sure. Anyway, if you ever get a chance to visit the monkey sports facility in Allen, TX, it’s worth your time. Everyone there was super helpful and friendly.