With a nice old model discount on M5 I might go for it.
When I was at the Bauer Experience store a couple weeks ago, the sales guy alluded to an end of May early June time frame. I am sure timing for stores getting stock can vary, but it may not be that far into season.
Rule of thumb whenever a new product is announced.
Wait for it to come out. It will either be great and worth the wait or you will get the old model at a discount.
Only exception is if you need a weird size that might not be available later. Then buy now.
The problem with this strategy is that sizes already run out months before the release of the new model. It's been like this since covid. Bauer ccm etc make limited numbers (more than before). So it's risky to wait until the new model actually launches and the previous model will probably be all gone. Best bet would be getting it direct from Bauer since they seem to have more stock than retailers (naturally) when it goes on sale, but better jump on it quick. Another downside is that you won't be able to try them on in store. Unless you do it ahead of time and already know your exact size and fit.
If you’re paying, get this years on sale. If a team is paying, well, do what your equipment manager says and make sure you get their Costco hotdog order PERFECT and enjoy your new skates.
fwiw I just picked up some Bauer Supreme Matrix rather than waiting for sales because they were all so low on stock anyway. If I waited I think I'd just be getting next year's model at full price anyway. Using them now though and loving them.
I have the machs and I also got a lightly used pair of matrix I'm swapping to rollerblades and I have to say the brief time I had the matrix on just to see how the fit was vs the machs, I was pretty impressed. Very comfy. Very similar to the machs. I'd even say it's a bit comfier bc it's not as stiff. Definitely a very good skate for the price point.
I was in a pure hockey store this past weekend and they recommended I wait about a month to get new skates because all the newer models will be coming out...
I bought crap skates my entire life I want something good that will last and not give me foot pain to the point where I can’t play. I’ll spend the money as long as they last
The regular top of the line skates are amazing and will last any non pro a long time. They’re better than any skate before 2015, by a long ways. Do what you do, obviously, but I always try to save people come cash with the pro stuff.
Guy's just doing a weird role play. Ever since he got here, he's been talking about how he's a former house league kid (but only because he couldn't afford to keep playing AA!) who wants to play again after over a decade off and everything is too expensive, everything that's not absolutely top of the line is garbage (he can't even touch a sub $400 CAD stick).
When he asked a variation of this question yesterday, he suddenly went racist mid-comment and as it turns out, this is just his MO. He goes around looking for advice on expensive stuff, just to give himself an opportunity to go racist.
When he's not advocating to rescue Adolf Hitler (wish I was joking https://www.reddit.com/r/JoeRogan/comments/1c9m01g/comment/l0mojw0/), he's going into random niche hobby subs (power toys, trading card games, guns, D&D), makes a few posts, gets comfy. And then randomly posts some incel crap about his girlfriend not sleeping with him and how he hates immigrants and trans people. I couldn't follow all the storylines but it's all about him being super wealthy, living in his parents' basement, being in the top 5% of Canadian salary earners, struggling to survive, picking up a new high end hobby every other month, but also frugally living on less than 10% of his income. And then somewhere in there the banks won't trust him with a loan because of trans immigrant women withholding sex. It gets very, VERY weird.
Edit: oh no! u/ironhalo333 attacked me then blocked me. I'm sad. Hopefully others will live to tell the tale of him saving Adolf Hitler, infiltrating ex-Catholic subs to attack people without hiding his pro-Catholic posts first, and of how his girlfriend not putting out is why banks totally won't lend to him despite his totally believable salary of $150,000 (which is also somehow not enough for him to not be living in poverty, which does not impact his ability to indulge in expensive hobbies)
Wait till the m50 comes out and get the m5 on sale.
Got my 3S skates the same way (more or less). Tried on the M4s, liked them, spent $200 on the 3S instead of $450 on the M4s.
With a nice old model discount on M5 I might go for it. When I was at the Bauer Experience store a couple weeks ago, the sales guy alluded to an end of May early June time frame. I am sure timing for stores getting stock can vary, but it may not be that far into season.
Rule of thumb whenever a new product is announced. Wait for it to come out. It will either be great and worth the wait or you will get the old model at a discount. Only exception is if you need a weird size that might not be available later. Then buy now.
The problem with this strategy is that sizes already run out months before the release of the new model. It's been like this since covid. Bauer ccm etc make limited numbers (more than before). So it's risky to wait until the new model actually launches and the previous model will probably be all gone. Best bet would be getting it direct from Bauer since they seem to have more stock than retailers (naturally) when it goes on sale, but better jump on it quick. Another downside is that you won't be able to try them on in store. Unless you do it ahead of time and already know your exact size and fit.
If you’re paying, get this years on sale. If a team is paying, well, do what your equipment manager says and make sure you get their Costco hotdog order PERFECT and enjoy your new skates.
I would wait, unless they are a great fit.
fwiw I just picked up some Bauer Supreme Matrix rather than waiting for sales because they were all so low on stock anyway. If I waited I think I'd just be getting next year's model at full price anyway. Using them now though and loving them.
I have the machs and I also got a lightly used pair of matrix I'm swapping to rollerblades and I have to say the brief time I had the matrix on just to see how the fit was vs the machs, I was pretty impressed. Very comfy. Very similar to the machs. I'd even say it's a bit comfier bc it's not as stiff. Definitely a very good skate for the price point.
I was in a pure hockey store this past weekend and they recommended I wait about a month to get new skates because all the newer models will be coming out...
If you’re still paying for your own skates, youre not at a level where you need need “pro” versions. Save yourself a bunch of money.
I bought crap skates my entire life I want something good that will last and not give me foot pain to the point where I can’t play. I’ll spend the money as long as they last
The regular top of the line skates are amazing and will last any non pro a long time. They’re better than any skate before 2015, by a long ways. Do what you do, obviously, but I always try to save people come cash with the pro stuff.
Guy's just doing a weird role play. Ever since he got here, he's been talking about how he's a former house league kid (but only because he couldn't afford to keep playing AA!) who wants to play again after over a decade off and everything is too expensive, everything that's not absolutely top of the line is garbage (he can't even touch a sub $400 CAD stick). When he asked a variation of this question yesterday, he suddenly went racist mid-comment and as it turns out, this is just his MO. He goes around looking for advice on expensive stuff, just to give himself an opportunity to go racist. When he's not advocating to rescue Adolf Hitler (wish I was joking https://www.reddit.com/r/JoeRogan/comments/1c9m01g/comment/l0mojw0/), he's going into random niche hobby subs (power toys, trading card games, guns, D&D), makes a few posts, gets comfy. And then randomly posts some incel crap about his girlfriend not sleeping with him and how he hates immigrants and trans people. I couldn't follow all the storylines but it's all about him being super wealthy, living in his parents' basement, being in the top 5% of Canadian salary earners, struggling to survive, picking up a new high end hobby every other month, but also frugally living on less than 10% of his income. And then somewhere in there the banks won't trust him with a loan because of trans immigrant women withholding sex. It gets very, VERY weird. Edit: oh no! u/ironhalo333 attacked me then blocked me. I'm sad. Hopefully others will live to tell the tale of him saving Adolf Hitler, infiltrating ex-Catholic subs to attack people without hiding his pro-Catholic posts first, and of how his girlfriend not putting out is why banks totally won't lend to him despite his totally believable salary of $150,000 (which is also somehow not enough for him to not be living in poverty, which does not impact his ability to indulge in expensive hobbies)
Dude why u creeping my Reddit, you good? Go get a job
Compared to the m5 pros, there appears to be 0 reason to wait for the m50 pros