This has been an exciting year for Bauer, and especially for those who’ve been missing the Supreme line as well. Along with its return to sticks, Supreme has also updated its skate line: the Supreme FUSE. The skates feature a variety of tech and materials to fully enhance that power skating style it is known for, along with brand new graphics, construction, and toe cap. We’ll take a look at the skate and see exactly what the hype is about.

Graphics

The skate leans into a technical aesthetic, with the carbon weave visible along the lower boot and across the toe cap. Like the rest of the revitalized Supreme line, the FUSE features teal blue accents that cut sharply along the sides, over the black base. Matte grey finishes over the comfort guard and tendon guards in the back give the skate a cohesive and polished look.

Supreme Skate Style

Supreme is Bauer’s power equipment line, which means it is designed to empower every single stride on the ice. By contrast, Vapor is the speed/agility equipment line; that means Vapor is built for quicker foot speed and directional changes.

The FUSE sits firmly in that first category, as you’d expect from the Supreme line. Its entire build is geared toward maximizing power transfer, and we’ll see that philosophy carried through each material and tech in the next section.

Boot: 12k CURV Composite and AMP Flex 3.0 Facing

For a more powerful stride, you need as tough and stable a base to push off of as possible. If there is too much give or elasticity, some of that power can divert elsewhere, weakening your strides. To account for this, Supreme skates are built with a stiffer lower boot, so your foot can stay stable, even when you’re putting everything you have into your stride. The FUSE uses 12k CURV composite, which is an advanced material that delivers the lightweight, elite-level support you need in a skate like this.

The skate also uses AMP Flex 3.0 facing along the eyelets. Active Motion Performance, or AMP, means the gear is designed to both fully cover you at all times while still being flexible enough to move with you. The FUSE skate boot itself is tough around the eyelets, but the top eyelets are flexible with built-in notches that compress and store energy when you flex. Similar to the Powercoil tongue (as you’ll see), these notches spring a little when you go to extend; it might not be much, but as top-end gear, you would want the Supreme FUSE to include every bit of tech that can boost your skating, even the littlest of things.

Supreme FUSE Skates - Skating Level

All of that being said, it is important to evaluate your skating level before selecting a hockey skate. The Supreme FUSE is designed for advanced and elite-level skaters, and we make that distinction not because we want to withhold a high-end skate from athletes who want the best gear, but because the stiffness might be too difficult to play in for developing and even some intermediate-level skaters.

If you’ve ever worn skates that never seem to break in, even after months of skating and blisters, then you might actually know what this is about. In the past, skates were built with different materials and techniques, which sometimes made them require a long time to break in. Today, however, the technology has advanced drastically—that means, you should be able to skate comfortably after, at most, just a few sessions if you’ve been fitted with the right skate. Skates with softer boots tend to be more forgiving; by contrast, stiff, often higher-end skates are the least forgiving if they don’t fit right away, and high-end Supreme skates require powerful strides to break in properly.

This is a general rule around picking skates, and not just exclusive to Bauer and their Supreme skate line. It is highly recommended to speak to a skate specialist when deciding which skates are right for you, your playing level, and your playstyle.

Powercoil Tongue

This isn’t new technology; we’ve seen the Powercoil tongue back when the Supreme line was releasing the jet black Mach skates. This feature and its variants are still present in Bauer’s top-end skates, and for good reason.

If you’re going for the highest-end hockey skates, you’re going to want skates that don’t just let you skate along the ice, but also help you put power into every stride. That’s what the Powercoil tongue is for. When you skate, you flex your ankle, push off, and then do the same with the other leg on repeat until you are skating. Pretty standard.

But that’s not good enough for Bauer’s highest-end skates, like the Supreme FUSE. The Powercoil tongue is stiffer than a standard felt tongue, with an injected insert that is designed to snap back into place after being flexed. This additional push on every stride 

FUSE X Toe Cap

The Supreme FUSE features a redesigned toe cap that serves both form and function. Aesthetically, it aligns with the pattern along the side of the boot, while functionally, it creates a stronger, more stable base. The new design incorporates X-shaped wings that extend along the facing and down into the outsole, effectively wrapping around the bottom of the skate for added structural integrity.

You’ll notice in sticks too, that you want less torsion along the blade if you want to keep the power in your shots and passes. Torsion means some of that energy is being transferred outward—and not in the direction you want it to go in. It’s similar in skates, and the reason the Supreme FUSE has been built with a stronger base. Although Supreme isn’t the quick feet skate family and uses the toe less frequently than Vapor skates, it’s still the power skate. You still need to be able to push off hard and efficiently from your toe on every stride. With this toe cap, the FUSE lessens that torsion, and is then able to store more energy for you explode forward while you skate.

LOCK-FIT Pro Liner

As the name implies, the inside liner of the skate is designed to lock your foot in, further increasing stability and making it much easier to put everything into your skating strides. To achieve this, the LOCK-FIT Pro liner is made with a grippy lower layer and a snug upper layer.

POWERFLY Holder and Choose Your Steel

The updated POWERFLY holder features variable flexibility, allowing it to adapt to your skating position on the ice.

The stiff front post is built to support quick acceleration and change of direction. The design keeps all that energy in place at the toe when you want to transition, helping you push off right away while keeping that stored power in your stride. A stiff front post keeps that energy from being absorbed or dispersed too much. The back post is a bit more flexible; the reason for this is so it can adapt to your skating stride based on the situation, forming and molding with your position and weight distribution at any given time.

Finally, there’s the hyperbolic stability bar, angled at the centre of the holder. This piece is there to hold the holder together and keep it stable on powerful strides.

Like all of Bauer’s highest-end skates, the Supreme FUSE also comes with a Choose Your Steel initiative, allowing you to pick the FLY-TI steel that works best for you (Canada only).

Note: the Powerfly holder is not compatible with older LS-series steel runners; however, FLY-TI steel is compatible with older holders. If you aren’t sure about compatibility, feel free to contact The Hockey Shop or your local hockey store with any questions you may have!

Final Thoughts

The Bauer Supreme is my personal go-to for hockey skates, and has been ever since I got my first pair of Supreme Matrixes as a kid. As a technique and power-focused skater, I always needed something with a tougher boot that could fully support every one of my strides, and that’s exactly what the Supreme line is for. We’re excited to see the FUSE finally hit the shelves, especially showcasing its new, teal blue look and even tougher power construction.