Redefining the Sport: CCM Jetspeed FTW Hockey Skates Review

Research on Female Hockey Equipment

Last year when the FTW protectives came out was when we first talked about “Shrink it and Pink it.” In particular, we briefly brushed on how this approach—among other similar marketing tactics—have historically made it very difficult for girls and women to find products that truly fit them. Products can range from patronizing, to performative, to outright dangerous.

The Shrink it and Pink it problem extends far beyond style. Much like how a left-handed person may struggle or hurt themselves while using right-handed scissors, women are often required to use equipment that doesn’t fit them, even though doing so may be inefficient and dangerous. In fields like the military and firefighting, researchers found that using gear designed for men can lead to a higher rate of injury for women. In the automotive industry, women face a significantly higher risk of serious injury in crashes, since most safety protocols were designed using crash test dummies with male body types and proportions. This is why simply taking a product and making it smaller does not work for women, which includes female hockey players.  CCM designed the FTW series from the ground up using female proportions and insights from players of all skill levels to create a fit that ensures top-level performance.

Historically, “unisex” has been a paradox—while designed to lookneutral, its actual fit is often based solely on male proportions. This has been a longstanding issue in many industries, including sports like hockey.

Over the past few years, we’ve been seeing manufacturers looking into the female hockey market more and more, especially with studies and statistics finding that female hockey has been growing at a much faster rate than male hockey over the years. With hockey skates, you absolutely do not want to be messing around with fit and safety. And with the release of the skates and the upcoming FTW helmet, CCM looks to be the first manufacturer to come out with a full head-to-toe set of gear for female hockey players. Like the rest of the FTW series, CCM took measurements and feedback from female hockey players across all levels, from novice level all the way up to the professional leagues—all to collect the necessary data to create a hockey skate designed by women, for women.

Graphics

The FTW skates follow the same design patterns as the rest of the line, with black colouration combined with silver and green highlights. The effect both stands out among hockey gear with its unique green hues while also looking sleek, modern, and low-profile on the ice. Beyond the materials and features of the skate itself, the FTW series also put care into the gear's overall look, for a few reasons—the clean, modern graphics paired with the skate's sleek build help boost both the player's performance and confidence. 

As with all hockey gear, when you look good, you play better—and that translates to better performance on the ice.

2D Metaframe Jetspeed FTW Boot

CCM’s primary design goal in the boot of the FTW skate was to balance stiffness for power, stability for control, and flexibility for agility. All three work to offer a more responsive and better-fitting skate. This can be said for any skate—but in the FTW, the balance is centred around a skate  built with female proportions in mind, catering to the shape, flex, and support that would help female hockey players get the edge on their opponents. A few unique key features of the boot include the feel and the outward look; the inside feels almost custom-moulded right out of the box, while the outside is sleek and tapered for a visually sharp look.

Compared to the Jetspeed FT8 skate, which has a CCM stiffness rating of 195, the FTW boasts a stiffness rating of 190, setting the skate at the ideal stiffness to react to the play and explode on every stride.

ADPT Comfort Tongue with Ribbed Centre Channel

The tongue has been anatomically moulded like the rest of the skate to fit the female foot shape and bone structure. Outfitted with CCM’s ADPT memory foam and a new ribbed central channel, the tongue is designed to wrap around your foot for that perfect, comfortable fit. CCM also integrated a Flexmotion design, so the tongue moulds around your foot and with your movements, while additionally increasing forward flexion, like a spring helping you push off every time you stride.

ADPT Memory Foam FTW Insole and Ankle Pads

The footbed of this skate has been anatomically designed to fit female foot positioning and stance, while denser memory foam ankle padding ensures a secure, comfortable lock. This build places a major focus on providing support on the stride, which can help reduce fatigue while elevating your game.

Players who worked with CCM expressed their desire for more aggressive foot positioning while skating, so that’s exactly what they delivered. The boot promotes a more aggressive stance, enabling faster and more powerful transitions between plays.