Aragon 2 Introduction
First off, I want to say that this is an initial review, which means I have just received these skates from Shop-Task and have only skated them once, so I obviously would not be able to write an accurate performance report. Instead, I have decided to dissect the skate and show you every aspect, and point out my likes and dislikes.
Things to take into account: I have been riding Xsjado skates for nearly 2 years
Weight
Alright lets start off with the name, Super Lite. There has been a lot of debate on whether these skates are actually lite or just a gimmick by Razors. Aggressivemall has a size 9 skate weighing in at 4.2 pounds, with a Genysis size 9 weighing in at 4.5 pounds and a Cult coming in at 4.1 pounds. Well I can tell you that they earn their name, on my feet they actually feel liter then my Xsjado’s and in my hand it is virtually impossible to tell which one weighs more. I tested this theory out on my girlfriend and not even she could tell which skate weighed more (I tested it out on other people so it would not just be my mind saying they were liter then my Xsajdo and affecting my judgment, plus my girlfriend is honest) . So If this mold is as lite, or liter then a Xsjado skate, then it has earned its name. Also, I take a size 11 skate, which means that I am on the heavier side for boot molds, and this skate still feels like air, so if your picking up a smaller size shell then the weight issue only improves for you.
Sizing
A lot of people have been wondering about the sizing for the skate, and although I cannot speak for all sizes, I have to say this skate fits true to size. I take a size 11 shoe, and wear a size 11 Xsjado, and the Razor Aragon 2 fits well. My toe almost reaches the end of the boot, but not enough to bash against the plastic. What you have to take into account though is that the size 11 is the biggest of the boot mold (which is from 10-11) so someone with a 10 foot may not experience the same feeling. Overall, great fitting skate that runs true to size for me.
Liner Feel
These skates have a neoprene liner which is just being broken in, so they are feeling quite snug at the moment. However, I have skated neoprene liners in the past (Franky Morales Remz) and once they are broken in they feel amazing. The liner also has padding at the back where your Achilles indents, these are there to provide support, but can be annoying when they are not aligned correctly, which takes some time to do with the neoprene liner. I can see the logic behind this padding, and it probably helps some people, but to be honest I think they are a little too padded and I could live without them. I can only hope they wear down and mold to my foot over time. What you have to take into account though is that I am switching from a Xsjado skate and am used to a shoe, and whatever padding comes from the cloth part of the cuff. This means I am not used to tons of Achilles support from a liner.
Side View
Top View
Achilles Padding
The foot-bed provide a lot of arch support, which is great for people with normal arches, but I have a realty low arch in my foot so they are hurting my feet at the moment. The footbed is made of a hard plastic on the bottom that may make breaking it in a hassle, but I believe once broken in these will mold to my foot and the pain will go away. So if you have low arches like myself, expect a little discomfort in the beginning and possibly a change in either liners or liner set up (if you put the foot bed under the liner I hear it helps) if the footbed cannot be broken in.
Top View
Showing raised Arch
Hard Plastic Bottom
Liner Overall
I really have not skated the Jug liner since the ones that came in the Franky Morales Remz, but there have been big improvements since then. First, there is now a pocket to put the draw-string tab, which saves me tucking it into my skate and is a great idea. Second, there is more padding in the liner, which I already went over with the Achilles support. Third, the neoprene separates so you have less chance of ripping it out of the liner. Fourth, they made the draw string holder stronger, so it will not break on you through repetitive pulling. The one bad thing I found about the liner though, is that the neoprene is only held in from 2 separate points and it seems like it should have been supported all around the heel area. I can only hope that these 2 points will not rip or wear down over time because the point of having a neoprene liner will be lost. Having said all that, this liner is a winner. Jug has paid attention to the small details and have fixed many of the problems I had before.
Draw-String Tab holder / Better Draw-String Holder
No Neoprene All Around Heel. Only Held In At 2 Points
Soul Design
I like the soul design on these boots its flat and really helps when doing shuffles on ledges. I also like that the soul sliders are really cheap to replace ( $24. 90 on Aggressivemall, yet to be priced at Shop-Task). What I do not like is the bolts used to hold the soul sliders in place, they are not recessed enough and seem like after a good couple of months of skate you may be grinding on the bolts, and we all know how fun that is.
Look At Souls Off The Boot
Soul Screws Not Recessed Nearly Enough
Base Plate / Soul Plate Inside
Base Plate / Soul Plate Outside
Soul Feel
I am coming from Xsjado skates, possibly the biggest souls in the skate industry, and I found that the Aragon 2s had less soul space, but it did not inconvenience me in anyway. When skating I actually did not notice the difference in soul space at all. What I did notice that these souls were quicker, significantly quicker then my Xsjado souls. I am not sure if that is because they are new, but from what I felt was a quick solid soul system. On one last note, these souls are great for cess slides because they are low profile, and they are so cheap to replace so you do not have to worry about wearing through a couple of pairs and not being able to afford the reaplcements.
Look At Soul On Skate …Notice the
Backslide Plate
I have only skate the backslide plate that comes stock with the skate. I have not skated the backslide plate that is attached to the boot. The backslide plate that I skated felt really good with my Featherlite frames. Both the backslide plate and the H-block align perfectly, making royal tricks good to go out of the box. Great for Farvs, royals, unities, and savannahs, you feel locked right in. Also, although the lock-in is great these backslide plates are amazing for shuffles, such as royal to any alley-oop topside trick, because the backslide aligns with the souls, making the transition feel like butter. Somehow razors has managed to make a backslide frame that not only locks, but also shuffles very well. These soul are also priced very competitively ($14.95 at Aggressivemall, not priced at Shop-Task yet) .The only problem I would have for the backslide plate would come from the ones on the boot because they are not replaceable if you decide to skate them, and once you wear through those you are wearing through your boot. However, the fact that Razors gives you an opportunity to try 2 different backslide plates is an amazing idea that I am surprised no one has implemented until now.
Boot Backslide Plate
Stock Backslide Plate
Cuff
The cuff is the same thing you have come to expect from Razors with 2 exceptions. First, I find that it is a bit shorter then the old Razors cuff, but not significantly so. Second, they now have a place to put the excess buckle that used to hang out before. Other then these changes everything seems the same.
Cuff Inside
Cuff Outside
Boot overall feel
The boot is made of a thin plastic, and once you take off all the soul system and take out the liner, it is very malleable. However, once everything is put back together the skate feels solid. The thinness of the plastic gives the boot the lite feel and overall it works for the skate quite well. The flex on the skate is great, just the perfect amount for my tastes. The one minor problem I had was there is slight heel lift in these skates, not nearly as drastic as the Genysis or even the Open Shell Remz, but once again you must take into account the Xsjado skate has 0 heel lift. Chances are I will be putting an extra buckle on the skate just to get that familiar Xsjado feel.
Boot With Nothing On It, Side View
Boot With Nothing On It, Side View 2
Top View
Bottom View
Wheels
I am not sure if the wheels that came with these skates are M1 wheels, or just Razors wheels with the M1 logo on them. However, they do not look like a Razor wheel and do resemble a similar feel to a M1 wheel. What you need to keep in mind though is that my opinion on this matter is biased, I want the best of everything on my skates and my mind wants to believe that these are M1 wheels, so I could just be fooling myself into thinking they are M1s. What I can say is that I really like the graphic used on the wheel and the plastic Anti’s that come with the skate work great for Featherlite frames.
Bearings
These wheels come with your standard Abec 5 bearings. I quickly changed them for some Crap bearings.
**If you have any question about the skate, leave a comment and I will add them to this review. I want this to be the most comprehensive initial review of the Aragon 2 on the internet so it will give people a reference if they are thinking of buy them. **
Razors Flow Rider, Dan Davidson-Pilon, Shares His Opinion
I just got my pair and I’ve been skating street spots, and so far they are such a hot boot they are light as fuck and I find that when I land gaps in the skate there is enough flex in the boot to keep me in full control this is what I noticed the most.. but the flex is amazing right out of the box . the only thing I don’t like is that the h-block on the fthrlite sits a bit to close to the boot which feels weird you don’t really feel the frame over the beefy backslide when doing royals but some people like that.. BUT WAIT ! if you do unity tricks or savanas this boot is for YOU all you do is jump and sit, the skates do the rest, holding that front savana on rails is a thing of the past with these skates because it will chafeur you onto the ledge and hold you in that grind like no other skate see for your self ..
Extra Pictures of the boot’s integrated backslide plate
Alright, these pictures were taken for Spang who wanted a little more information and detailed pictures on the integrated backslide plate. In the first picture you will notice there is cut out plastic along the top of the backslide plate, this is where the external backslide plate snaps on to. The cloth you see in outline is actually the liner. These backslide plates create a bit slower, more rubbery feel on the grind (like Al Dolega said on the Revival review of these skates). They also make you bend down lower on tricks because it is closer to the boot. Good feeling backslide plate, and I think it will come in handy if you wear through the external one and need some time before you replace it. The second picture you see shows you how the external backslide plate screws in, but it also shows you the separation of the boot and the soul plate. The backslide plate is a part of the boot, while the separate piece of plastic (with the bolt wholes) is the soul plate that you can remove.
-Nick. D
