Skated the 480 highs I've had on ice for the first time today. Coming off 440s for years, gotta say I... love these. Flick is different, feels sturdier maybe a touch more consistent. Good grip.
Was afraid they'd be like bulky bricks but definitely weren't. Was afraid I wouldn't feel the board at all and did.
Extra room in the toebox made my feet feel less straight jacketed than the narrower 440.
Only con so far is the fit around the ankle isn't as secure as the 440 but I can likely solve that with different lacing strategies. Feel like my entire report echoes what others have said about the 480.
I guess another con is current availability for this shoe, which I find concerning. Really hard to find. Hopefully the Q2 drop has that new cw coming that was mentioned earlier in the thread.
Yeah, I've had a few sessions on mine and liking them a lot. Here are my favorite things about them:
- Tongue bands on top of the lace loop make the tongue stay cantered and in place perfectly. I really love that feature and have missed it for a long time since I stopped skating basketball shoes in the 80's and other tech skate shoes in the late 90s/early 00s.
- Laces or lace holes keep the laces where you set them and they stay tight so no need to double lace or keep adjusting
- Stability - I thought they were too stiff and flat like a 2x4 under my feet at first but not really noticeable while skating and really help keep my feet planted
- Support - snug around the foot but not constricting with room to wiggle toes a bit.
- Not a pita to put on or take off. I hate having to loosen all the laces all the way down just to put on or take of shoes like I had to with Blazer Mids
Overall, I don't think about them much while I'm skating, which is a good thing. They blend into my skating, keep my feet comfy and feel very protected but flexible at the same time. I get the hype for NB# shoes now.
Still not decided on the insole and might swap out for my FPs after popping around a bit and noticing some foot fatigue but want to give the stock insoles a bit more of a chance while I'm still breaking the shoes in. I did notice the stock insoles seem like shitty foam that do nothing for shock absorption like most stock insoles so it's very likely I'll eventually swap them out.
Also, as good as these shoes are, I don't think I'll get them or another conventional skate shoe again. I need some barefoot skate shoes and hope these last long enough for some good ones to come out. I noticed in that upcoming drop that was posted recently that there were no 480 highs included so that sucks for the people who want to keep getting these.
Topic: New Balance # containment thread (Read 1525838 times)