Love the retro vibe
After not skating for 15 years my young children are learning to skate and I wanted to get on the ice with them. My old 952 Tacks no longer fit and had seen better days. I needed some rec skates but I also did not want an entry-level skate. I have very wide feet and had a lot of issues finding a boot that fit. Technology, sizes, brand offerings, and my feet have all changed a lot in the last 15 years. After 5 different skates / sizes from CCM, True, and Bauer (would of loved to find some Graf's to try on) in the $350 - $700 range I was down to the CCM 652 Retro and CCM XTRA Plus. I ended up going with the XTRA Plus skates. The tongue / ankle area of the XTRA's were more comfortable for me and I would have to step up to the 652 Pro Retro to get those features in the Retro skate and I was not willing to reach that deep into my pocket for rec skating. The Retros have a better blade out of the box but those can be replace on the XTRA's if I ever have the need. I love the look (inside and out) of the Retros. I can't overstate that enough. However, the feel of the XTRA's was better for me. Do what's right for you. You can't go wrong with either skate. And kudos to Ice Warehouse. The buying / speed of shipping / returns process could not of been any better.