True's Catalyst Nitro Puts the Real Upgrade Under the Boot
Ice Warehouse lists True's new flagship Catalyst Nitro at 904 grams, 109 below the outgoing 9X4, on a new SpeedShift holder and steel system.
The True Catalyst Nitro is the top skate in True's Catalyst line, sitting above the Catalyst 9X4 that Ice Warehouse now lists as clearance. Ice Warehouse flags the Nitro as new alongside two other new tiers, the Catalyst 5x6 and the Catalyst 3x6. This is a line refresh, not a single halo launch.
The change worth reading sits under the boot. The outgoing 9X4 and 7X4 run Shift Max DLC and Shift Max 9CR steel. The Nitro runs what Ice Warehouse calls SpeedShift Hyper-Polish DLC steel in an updated SpeedShift holder. Ice Warehouse describes that setup as delivering a neutral pitch for better balance and improved control, with the DLC steel credited for reduced weight, strong durability and precise edgework. The number worth holding onto is the total. Ice Warehouse lists the Nitro at 904 grams in a 9.0R, against 1,013 grams for the 9X4 and 1,007 grams for the 7X4. Pro Hockey Life's listing carries True's claim that SpeedShift is 15 percent lighter than its predecessor and adds a quick-change mechanism for blade swaps, but the 109 gram drop at the whole-skate level is the figure you can actually check.
Above the holder, Pro Hockey Life describes a one-piece Polyfusion shell co-molded with PWRCORE, which True pitches as lightweight construction with pro-level stiffness for maximum power and control. Ice Warehouse lists the Nitro boot as 1-Piece Polyfusion PWRCORE, and frames the wider Catalyst line around a one-piece boot, a flex tendon guard and adjustable tongues at every price point.
Who is it for? Players who already get on with True's one-piece fit and want the top tier of it. Be clear about what the money buys, though. Light weight alone is not it. The cheaper new 3x6 and 5x6 come in lighter still, at 836 and 857 grams in a 9.0R, and they sit below the Nitro on price. They run SpeedShift and Stainless SpeedShift runners rather than the Hyper-Polish DLC. The steel is the upcharge.
Ice Warehouse lists senior sizes at $969.99, intermediate at $849.99 and junior at $749.99. Pro Hockey Life has it at $999.99 CAD, but every size and width on that page currently reads sold out or unavailable, so do not count on walking into stock. If the outgoing boot will do, Ice Warehouse has the 9X4 and 7X4 at 25 percent off, which puts the 9X4 between $659.97 and $809.97 and the 7X4 between $487.47 and $599.97.
