CCM Ribcor 50K Skates Review

The CCM Ribcor 50k skates made a huge impact on the CCM Hockey lineup. The release helped to complete the transition from Reebok to CCM for the Ribcor line, and also helped to refresh the entire Ribcor line with new and updated technology. We’re grateful to our friends over at CCM for sending us a review unit of the latest Ribcor skates, and hope you find our CCM Ribcor 50k skates review useful as you look to pick out a new pair of skates.

Specifications:

• Reebok Ribcor 50k Skates
• Size 9.5 D
• 918 grams

Features:

• RibCor Elite Quarter Package
• Next Generation Pump Technology
• Skate Lock
• Dual Zone Liner
• Ankle Padding
• Griptonite Footbed
• Carbon Composite Outsole with exhaust vents
• SpeedBlade 4.0 Holder
• SpeedBlade Black Runners

Design and Construction:

The CCM Ribcor 50k skates offer a tapered design with a slightly narrow forefoot, narrow heel, and low volume. The skate was designed for players seeking better range of motion and tremendous agility, all the while remaining incredibly comfortable.

A brand new pump was introduced in the new Ribcor’s, and an emphasis was placed on efficiency. The new pump requires fewer pumps, and a new shape helps to improve the customized fit and heel lock you receive from pumping.

In order to improve agility, CCM also revised the quarter package used in the Ribcor skates. This all new Ribcor Elite Quarter Package provides not only great agility, but also tremendous out of the box comfort. The quarter package design uses stiff carbon inserts connected to the flexible composite materials to offer stiffness and stability in one package. Of course the inner core of the quarter is also heat moldable to help give you an even more customized fit.

Inside the boot, you will find a nice dual zone liner featuring tacky nash and clarino. The tacky nash portion helps improve heel lock, while the clarino offers great moisture management properties and excellent durability. The addition of thick comfort foams in the ankle help to improve comfort and fit as well.

The SpeedBlade black stainless steel runners are another great feature added to the Ribcor 50k skates. The black coating, which hardens the surface and gives you an extra bite, also adds another design element to the black skates. These black runners help to complete the dynamite look of the Ribcor skates.

Fit and Performance:

CCM hit a home run with out of box comfort on the Ribcor 50k skates. Without even baking them, these skates provided a good fit, albeit a bit wide, and were very comfortable to wear. With some skates, I run into issues with the forefoot becoming too tight after lacing them up, but not with the Ribcor skates. There was plenty of room for my foot to lay even while they were tied tight.

The Ribcor skates also offer a great amount of flexibility and customization with the fit in two different ways. First, you can bake the skates in order to help customize the fit to the shape of your foot. Beyond that, with The Pump technology, you can apply a few pumps to fill any additional negative space and really help keep your foot and heel locked in.

You can quickly tell that the skates are meant for players who see agility as a big part of their game. While there was enough stiffness for a high level of play, it was certainly a more flexible boot than the Tacks or Jetspeed.

The difference in stiffness compared to CCM’s other lines did take some getting used to. I noticed my overall speed seemed to suffer slightly, and I did not feel as quick out on the ice. It also seemed like energy transfer was suffering a bit, resulting in more fatigue earlier in games and what felt like a less powerful stride.

If sharp cornering, turning, and maintaining maximum agility are important to you, I think you will like these skates. CCM has done a fine job of engineering them to really enhance agility and make sure your movements are seamless on the ice.

Overall Impressions:

CCM produces some very high quality skates, and they continue to make loads of progress with new models. The CCM Ribcor 50k skates are no exception, taking nice strides since the Reebok version with an all new pump and quarter package. They’ve continued to incorporate key features such as the lace lock, which is a nice touch as well.

The updates to the CCM Ribcor 50k skates position it well against the competition. In fact, it seems to best the competition when it comes to a providing a more flexible boot for high end play. On the other hand, you may sacrifice some acceleration and speed with the Ribcor as opposed to other skates.

At the end of the day, I’m a player who looks for top end speed when I’m on the ice. My opinion is that another skate is going to deliver better results in that particular area, so I would be willing to sacrifice the agility benefits of the Ribcor in order to get that breakaway speed that I want.

Where to buy?

Like what you’ve read about the CCM Ribcor 50k skates? If so, you can grab a pair from IceWarehouse.com today for only $699.99, and receive free shipping on your purchase!

Ice Warehouse has the best selection of new hockey gear, so head over and grab your CCM Ribcor 50k skates today!

Click here to visit IceWarehouse today!

Don’t forget to drop us a note in the comments and let us know if this review was helpful to you, or share your own review if you have used these skates. You can also let us know if you have specific questions, and we will do our best to answer those for you.