Micron (skate company)
Micron produced Ice Hockey equipment in the 1980s and were based in Canada.
They were probably best known for their 'Mega' range of Ice skates and most notably the Micron Mega 10-90, Micron Mega 10-70 and Micron Mega 10-50.
They were a pioneer of their unique 'Power Clip' technology that claimed to give increased power to the skater. The 'Power Clip' was a white plastic square attached to the sole of the boot on the inside of the foot and had the 1st three lace holes of the boot in it.
The design of the boots made the skater lean forward slightly when skating which meant they were ideal skates for balancing weight when skating backwards. This proved popular with Ice hockey players that played DeFence. Another popular skate of this time was the Daoust 501, which also had a lean forward footbed, although to a lesser degree than the 10-90s.
Micron was eventually purchased by Bauer Hockey in 1994.
The 10-50 versions were the mid range junior skates (sizes 1-5) and 10-70s were the mid range adult skates (sizes 6 and up). They were comparible to the Daoust 301 or the Bauer 200/300 series and used similar construction materials. While the 10-90s were the top of the line, they came in two completely different configurations.
The Mega 10-90 came in two versions: The retail store "street" version and the specialty store "Pro" version, distinguished by the Red Stripe down the side of the skate boot. The Pro versions were priced at $350-$400 in the early 1990s, came with a pro level rear quarter package and a pro extra thick tongue. The Pro version was available with either the one piece ICM holder and carbon steel blade combo or the TUUK holder that provided the option of using V2 stainless blades or standard stainless blades. The V2 blades, which were only available for two years in the early 1990s were AbOUT half the thickness of a standard blade and very similar to that used by Olympic speed skaters. At the front or toe end (1-1.5") of the blade the steel was regular thickness. which provided a unique "kick" when changing direction or starting from a dead stop. Due to high cost (and high selling price) to produce these blades and the poor acceptance at the pro level they were eventually discontinued. The Micron Mega 10-90 pro version also had a unique inner boot with soft lambskin leather and memory-gel ankle padding. The 10-90s were available in a wide range of widths as they catered to the high-end player who wanted an exact fit. They were particularly designed for taller, heavier defencemen. The Mega 10-90 pro version skates remain sought after for play and by collectors even 15-20 years after being discontinued when Bauer Canstar bought out Micron. The replacement skate for the 10-90 was the Bauer Mega Air 90. (The term mega was dropped the following year). Bauer did not use the "last" or basic footbead of the Micron Mega 10-90 in the production of the Air 90.