Bauer Supreme S170 Goalie Skates
So we know what you're thinking. "That's no goalie skate! Where's the cowling?!" Well, your days of wearing skates that look like Frankenstein's Monster are over, and there are plenty of reasons to love it.
The S170 Goalie Skates deliver the world's most affordable cowling-free goalie skate, and that is nothing to scoff at. One of the innovations that brings you the cowling-less skate is called the Vertexx Edge Holder, a variation of the edge holders we've come to know and love on Bauer's player skates. The Vertexx Edge Holder raises the overall skate height by 5mm, and in the process affords the goalie a 10% increase in attack angle. Some goalies have quantified this to a 2 inch drop difference, meaning two puck widths worth of coverage advantage.
The other notable innovations that allowed Bauer to remove the traditional cowling are somewhat more familiar. Their Curv Composite Technology has been found on their player skates for a couple years now. Just recently Bauer was able to convert it to goalie skates, along with a full composite outsole, which further reduces weight and increases stiffness/responsiveness. The other major factor here is a beefed up Goalie Specific Toe Cap, that provides improved protection through added stiffness and thickness.
Further improvements to the design of the skate can be found in their Asymmetrical Design. The 1S Goalies Skates are cut with an asymmetrical boot profile, where the inside edge of the skate is actually lower than the outside rim. This allows for a deeper more aggressive stance, that will be more comfortable in addition to providing a performance advantage.