Vaughn GX1 Pro Goalie Skates

We are used to seeing Vaughn brand themselves as one of the best manufacturers of hockey gear. And when we mean by hockey gear we are used to seeing their protective stuff such as helmets, glove/blockers, chest protectors and helmets. But what we haven’t seen from them is a pair of skates…. until now.

Recently, Vaughn debuted the GX 1 Pro goalie skate. And from the looks of it, they are looking for a slice of the pie in the high-end goalie skate market currently dominated by CCM, Reebok, and Bauer. As far as price goes, the GX1 retails for $449.99 which is still cheaper than top of the line skates from their competitor but is more than the mid-level skates offered by their competitors.

As for features, it’s branded as one of tailored skate on the market for goaltenders. According to the Vaughn website, “The GX1 goal skate is ergonomically designed to meet the unique bio-mechanical needs of a goaltender to achieve maximum performance and comfort.” They go on to talk about features such as the boot being pitched forward to put the goalie on the balls of their feet which can give them explosive moves when stopping shots. In addition, the skate features an anatomically correct ankle pocket, designed to keep the foot in place and prevent heel lifting.

The tongue is constructed from orthopedic felt with an Ultra-high density molded inner core to disperse lace bite throughout the entire tongue instead of one area.

The blade is a 4mm removable stainless steel runner. It features three attachment points to keep the blade secure to the holder and to prevent catastrophic blade attachment failures. Two are respectively at the front and rear while the middle attachment isn’t bound to the boot. According to Vaughn, this increases blade strength and reduces flex providing more power to get transferred to the ice for more powerful push offs and stride.

Specs (via Ice Warehouse):

• Quarter Package:
  • Carbon fiber outsole
    • Extremely strong
    • Lighter
    • Added comfort
  • Heat moldable
    • For precise fit
• Ankle Padding:
  • Anatomical ankle pockets with soft comfort foam
    • Forms to ankle

• Tongue Construction:
  • Large tongue that combines orthopedic felt with a high-density molded inner core
    • Spreads lace pressure
  • Gel foam and HD lace bite pads
• Footbed:
  • Forward pitch boot
    • Creates better forward attack stance
  • Carbon fiber liner
• Cowling/Runner:
  • Double-thick toecap
    • Reinforced highest impact area
  • Angled inside edge of cowling
    • Increased attack angle for stronger pushes
  • 4mm removable stainless steel runner
    • 3 attachment points for improved blade strength
    • Incredibly strong steel
  • Custom trim lines on cowling
    • Can reduce size of cowling to fit personal preference

For more information, check out the skate at Ice Warehouse.