| Bruce puts the new Nighthawk C7 to test!! |
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| Written by Skatebiz | |
| Saturday, 28 July 2007 | |
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Product Review. Fila Nighthawk C7 Skates. The most immediately obvious characteristic of the Fila Nighthawk C7s is the split frame technology. I must say I'm a huge fan of the split frames. They allow awesome maneuverability, without any noticeable loss of frame strength - and I've given these skates a real caning on bike paths, roads, gutters, skate parks, stairs, hockey, you name it. I've never worn a skate that allowed such easy cornering and all-round maneuverability. Another great feature is the lightweight fit. To achieve a similar level of durability, other brands of skates have been made to be quite heavy e.g. Salamon FSK. The Filas are heaps lighter, similar to a K2 skate. In fact I would say that if you like the K2 range of skates, you'll love the Fila Nighthawks. This years Nighthawks offer a similar comfort level to K2s, which is a vast improvement on last years two-piece model which caused a lot of ankle discomfort. So a comfy boot is definitely appreciated - perfect for the recreational skater. Unfortunately, this has meant that some ankle stability has been sacrificed in the name of comfort, but that is the case with any skate - always a trade off between comfort and stability. Still, of all of the more comfortable skates I've worn, the Fila Nighthawks have by far the best stability, so you can still pull off all the usual skatepark stunts if you're into that. I was a bit dubious at first about the larger wheels at 84mm - I knew they'd be faster, but I thought they'd be no good for tricks. However, having worn a couple of different models of Nighthawks over the last two years, both with the larger 84mm wheels, I confess I am now a convert. Large wheels allow for more speed and a smoother ride (they handle bumps, cracks and gutters better than smaller wheels), all without compromising maneuverability which is important for doing tricks etc. Hey, you might not be able to rail grind in them, but what recreational skate can? The Fila Nighthawk C7s also look great on. I've had heaps of comments from people wondering what type of skate they are, and where can they buy them. The split frames fascinate people. They do look pretty racey, and they perform the same.  This year's model has worn better than last year's, although I was disappointed that the outer sheath of the laces came loose after only a few weeks. The stitching on the Velcro straps is also a bit dodgy. While it hasn't resulted in any Velcro coming undone, it does look a bit tatty when lots of little bits of stitching hang loose. The ankle ratchet strap could be manufactured better to allow for a stronger grip of the ratchet teeth - especially if you prefer tighter ankle support. Once again, although the strap hasn't actually broken, I sometimes get the feeling that if I were to really push it any further, It wouldn't hold. Finally, the wheel bolts tend to burr easily, which is an affliction also suffered by K2 skates. Salamon seemed to get the bolt thing right. That aside, I can thoroughly recommend the Fila Nighthawk C7 skates. Light weight, fast, great maneuverability, comfortable, and they look awesome. The split frames have won me over. Easily the best Rec skates I've ever skated in. Cheers, Bruce Check out the C7's in the online store here |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 09 January 2008 ) |