Stupid question about custom boots....

[crayonskater]

... why do so many people have them?

I guess this is more a question for the adults.

Some of the girls I skate with started kind of young, and for a long time they only had stock skates.. they joke about how everyone had Riedell Silver Stars, and then... ooh! Gold Stars. And at about some point when they were doing doubles, they moved up to customs.

So I always thought of customs as something more necessary for higher-level stuff.

But then, of course, there's all the adult skaters here... and most of you are a lot better than me, but not light-years ahead, and not everyone is doing doubles or triples....

I have stock Jackson Competitors and baby Mirage blades (I call them baby because there's a girl I skate with with pretty much the same type of set I do, but she's a former Senior level competitor and I have retarded hoppy waltz jumps)... and they seem to suit me fine after we heat-molded the heel... unless there's something I don't know.

So why did you, if you did, decide to get custom skates? Are they necessary for your skating or more just for comfort?

[Cactus Bill]

... why do so many people have them?

I guess this is more a question for the adults.

...So why did you, if you did, decide to get custom skates? Are they necessary for your skating or more just for comfort?

Well, I recently bought a pair of Custom Harlicks. What happened is I went to a pro shop complaining about pain from my old pair or Riedells (this is NOT a slap against Riedell) and he measured my feet and decided I needed a pair of customs. I knew I had two different sized feet (and who dosen't?) but he also mentioned that my left foot was physically bigger around than my right one was. He recommended Harlicks as the best fit for my feet.

Something you may not be aware of is that figure skating is probably the most demanding of a perfect fit (of the boot) of literally any sport out there. You WILL skate better in customs (unless you are one of those fortunate few with two feet which are exactly the same size, and match a stock size). Some companies (such as SP-Teri) offer split sized boots in their stock line. If they work for you, fine. But the nice thing about customs is that they (usually) fit you like, well, they were made for you (which they were...duh!) The reason I said usually is that sometimes they are mis-sized and need to be adjusted by either the shop or the maker. Getting them fine-tuned to your feet can be a frustrating experience. But once it's done and over with, well the next thing you know is that your feet will want to do that axel or lutz (or whatever move you were afraid of). It's really a great feeling...

I really don't know how well your current boots fit...it could be that you can wear an off-the-shelf size without the expense of going to customs. Customs tend to be expensive (which is why you see mainly adults wearing them...we can afford (yeah, right!) them. Check with your fitter or your coach. See what they recommend (since you mentioned that you wanted to ask the adults, I assume you are not an adult...and probably have some growing to do. Once you stop growing, you can feel better about buying customs. If you want to, that is. Remember that most customs are variations of existing stock designs. Some of us buy them because we need the sizing flexibility that they offer. Some of us buy them because we can afford them. And some of us buy them because we want them.

[Perry]

I got customs because I was spending 3-5 hours a day in skates that didn't fit me perfectly. When you spend that much time in a boot, they really, really need to fit your feet. I had had Reidell stock boots since I started (age 4) but when I was 11 or so, and started triples, it just wasn't enough anymore, and I started having major problems with my feet. I haven't had a single blister since I got my customs (Klingbeils).

[crayonskater]

Hehe, thanks. I'm 26, actually -- the reason I asked about adults is because there's plenty of reasons you might not want to get a seven year old custom boots that have everything to do with growing.... And I'm pretty happy with my boots -- they fit, seem to support me, the coach likes em.

Was more just curious than anything. :)

[*IceDancer1419*]

I have a pair of stock boots that I'm relatively sure fit me well. :) I mean, I get slight blisters on my toes and sometimes my heels, but it's not a huge deal. I looove my skates... they're combination width SP Teri's. Thing is that a lot of people don't have feet that really fit into the boot that well... and skating is something where you REALLY feel when it doesn't fit right ;) Esp. when you're a coach (on your feet a lot) or an elite skater (like Perry said)

Yeah. :) I want customs, just because I think they'd be even a bit MORE comfy than my current boots (not for a few years yet, though, as I just got these boots ;) ). Anyways. That's what I think... not that I"m really an adult, but :roll:

Perry... triples. *gulp* At. *gulp* 11?! whoa. lol. Do you compete nationally and stuff?

[skaternum]

Comfort! I wish I could wear stock boots, but they just don't fit my feet. I tried 3 different kinds of stock boots. None of them fit me worth a darn, and one was so badly made (torqued and unbalanced) that it contributed to my lower back problems. I have huge bunions, and I pronate; my feet aren't growing or changing, and I'll get about 3-4 years of wear out of my boots. I spend 4-5 hours a week pounding my feet in my skates. The extra $200 hardly seems extravagent.

Many of us adults have accumulated decades worth of problems with our feet. We work hard for our money. If we wanna spend the $$ on curstom skates, we feel quite entitled to do so. :)

[TreSk8sAZ]

I had to get custom boots (Harlicks) because many companies didn't makes skates in my size. I have long, narrow feet and even the narrow boots didn't fit. Added to that, my toes are shaped oddly because of my years on pointe. The only way for me to get the proper toe box on my skates was to get them custom. My coach couldn't believe the difference the new skates made in my skating!

[dbny]

Mutant feet! I got my daughter custom Klingbeils when she was about 14 because she was always in pain. One of her feet is a full size bigger than the other. She had instant comfort with almost no break in time. My feet are also mutants, and I needed the comfort. I can't afford to have painful feet! If I could afford it, I would wear custom shoes too. As it is, I own about 6 pairs of Birkenstock sandals that I wear for as much of the year as I can. I do get them deeply discounted on eBay and on sale elsewhere too.

[jazzpants]

SHORT ANSWER
I got customs b/c I need it to lower the stress on my body as I'm skating and for injury prevention. I'd rather pay the extra $300-400 for comfort and prevent injuries from happening rather than get a cheaper pair of boots and pay the extra $300-$400 for my visits to an ER.

LONG ANSWER
Well... I have my stories with Riedell stock boots too... It's not any fault of Riedell really... but...

Around February of last year, I had problems with something (I forgot what) and my secondary coach had asked me whether I pronate or not (yes I do!) and whether or not I have low arches. (Again, yes I do. I'm a Nike gal! New Balance has much higher arches than my feet can handle and they hurt after about 10 minutes of just wearing them!) She then sees that my boots are Riedells and she asks if they were stock boots? (Yes they are!)

Then :idea: , she strongly advised me to get new CUSTOM boots... if I didn't, she feels that I would have health problems further down the line. I have no problem taking the advice, since my boots were getting old and I wouldn't mind a new pair, but I was trying to delay the purchase b/c hubby was still unemployed at that point. Well, in March, I pulled my shin while landing on a WALTZ JUMP!!! (It landed, but it pulled the shin at the same time too!!! OWWWW!!!) Was off ice for 2-3 months. While I was recovering, I thought about what my secondary coach said and also something my chiropractor said about getting orthotics for my shoes. I broke down and got myself new PURPLE custom Harlicks w/orthotics! They fit like a dream!!!

Unfortunately in Nov. my first pair of purple boots was lost/stolen(?) and I was stuck having to wear my old Riedells as a backup until I got my second (and current) pair of purple custom Harlicks. (And at the same time, I also changed my MK Pro blade size from 9-3/4" to 9-1/2 to accomodate for the new boots upon Phil (Harlick's) advice!) Pulled the OTHER shin this time around. Pretty much put a HUGE damper on my vacation to NYC!!! :cry:

I am now happily wearing my second pair of Harlicks and though I have my usual back problems, they weren't as bad as before. No feet problems and hardly any painful break in period either!!! And my skating is getting A LOT better now thanks to the new boot!!! I now have the potential again to go to "higher levels" now!!! :mrgreen:

[crayonskater]

That's so sad, that someone would steal your purple boots! (Bit of a conspicuous theft. 'No, no, these are the OTHER purple Harlicks.') They are very cheerful looking -- I liked the pics. :)

My feet always hurt when I am done skating, but then again they hurt pretty much all the time anyway. (extremely low arches + genetic tendency for bunions + narrow heel + any kind of shoe = owie bunions.) Short of getting new feet (eBay? ;) ) I'm afraid there's not much to be done.

Do heel heights vary among boots?

[aussieskater]

Do heel heights vary among boots?
Sure do - and I've heard (not from personal experience) that it can be really hard to get used to a change in heel height. A skater at my rink has just had ner new skates delivered and before the blade was mounted, she took them to the cobbler who added nearly 1 cm (yep, that's right) to the heel height, to match the height of her old skates, which were a different brand.

[vesperholly]

I initially got customs because my feet were so wide it was impossible to find a stock boot that would work. I had Rose's, which was a shop in Cambridge, Ont., but switched to Harlicks when Rose's closed, and now I have Klingbeils. I love them and will never switch.

I remember reading how Kurt Browning lost his triple axel after getting new boots and figured out it was the heel height, so I made sure when I got my Harlicks that they were the same heel height as the Rose's boots, which is 2 inches. This is quite a bit higher than "normal" like on Reidells which most kids in my area wear. I also requested this height on my Klingbeils.

I need to get new boots and probably blades soon... was browsing around the other day and noticed Gold Seals are now over $500. 8O I guess I'm looking at a four-figure investment now.

[skaternum]

My feet always hurt when I am done skating, but then again they hurt pretty much all the time anyway. (extremely low arches + genetic tendency for bunions + narrow heel + any kind of shoe = owie bunions.) Short of getting new feet (eBay? ;) ) I'm afraid there's not much to be done.Sounds like you're a prime candidate for customs. You'd be surprised at how much they can reduce foot pain.

Do heel heights vary among boots?Greatly. I know from personal experience that it's very tough to get used to a different heel height. Side note: in my opinion, it's unfortunate that many manufacturers are going if for higher heels. As if skaters don't have enough stress on the lower back, they have to go and do that to us! :roll: The vain among us think that a slightly better "line" is worth permanent damage. <makes big 'w' with fingers> What. Ever.

[Cactus Bill]

I know from personal experience that it's very tough to get used to a different heel height. Side note: in my opinion, it's unfortunate that many manufacturers are going if for higher heels. As if skaters don't have enough stress on the lower back, they have to go and do that to us! :roll: The vain among us think that a slightly better "line" is worth permanent damage. <makes big 'w' with fingers> What. Ever.

I'm going through that change myself. My new Harlicks have a half-inch higher heel than my old Riedells have. It's throws my center of balance a little forward from what I'm used to, so I'm having to force myself to sit down a bit more when I'm in these.

[luna_skater]

My old Riedells had quite a low heel after years of use (leather getting compressed), and my skate guy had also filed the heels down during one blade replacement because they were in such bad shape! I often felt like my weight was too far back in those skates. With my new Gams, my weight feels just right. The Gam heels are slightly higher than the Riedells, but I'm not sure if that would be the case if you compared a brand new pair of Riedells with a brand new pair of Gams.

[nerd_on_ice]

I started out in (sing along with me) stock Riedells that had never fit right--they were too long and also too "tall," so my thin, bony feet just kind of floated around in there. They weren't uncomfortable, but the more I skated the more awkward they felt--it was like skating with a Playmate cooler on each foot. I decided, since my feet aren't growing anymore by a long shot (I'm 32), that I'd rather lay out for one pair of boots made for MY feet than experiment around with various stock boots that I might still not be happy with. I'd always heard good things about Klingbeil, and when my coach got custom Klingbeil dance boots and raved about them, that sealed the deal. The first time I skated in mine I felt, for the first time, like I was skating on my feet instead of on my skates, and that told me I'd made the right choice. I'm not a very advanced skater, either, so I know I will get years of wear out of my investment.

[dbny]

I need to get new boots and probably blades soon... was browsing around the other day and noticed Gold Seals are now over $500.

Not if you get them from the pro shop at the Cantiague Ice Arena. Mike will ship them to you for actual shipping cost (it was $4 UPS last time we bought from him). Contact info: 516-933-7379 or MIGOLD22@AOL.COM. Not sure how much they are now, but you might well save over $100.

[NCSkater02]

I have stock Jackson Competitors and baby Mirage blades

I have the same boot/blade combination and haven't had any problems with them. They've even remolded to my bigger left ankle in a relatively short period of time. Since they work (at least for the time-being) I see no reason to invest in customs.....yet.

[techskater]

I have a problem in which my heel is too many widths different from the rest of my foot and I get bad heel slippage in stocks. Also, combo widths are near the cost of customs and considering I am working on mid-level doubles (flip and lutz) along with getting new program consistency on the others, I think I am entitled to customs

[Michigansk8er]

I have a problem in which my heel is too many widths different from the rest of my foot and I get bad heel slippage in stocks.

I have the same problem, along with my feet being 1/2 size different. So much so that Harlick gave up (the left foot was perfect, but they never could get the right foot to fit right). I now have SPTeri's (that were a major PAIN :evil: to break in) and my heels aren't going anywhere. :D

[stardust skies]

Well, I think you are right in your assesment that USUALLY, customs are not needed until higher jumps. The reason for this is that before, it is assumed skaters don't spend as much time on the ice, and don't need as much custom-fit support as they will when the pounding from jumps becomes more intense.

But there are special occasions. I do higher level jumps now, but I have been in custom boots ever since my second pair of skates. I had bought stock boots and they were not only not fitting me, they were giving me tendonitis. I have really weirdly shaped feet with bunions from ballet and the metarsal to heel width ratio is really bizzare, so even with split sizes, I could never get something that fit right. I feel that custom boots from my very early days probably prevented me from many, many chronic injuries, and made my skating experience much more positive and easier. I think that people, especially adults, tend to get way more blade than they need. But you can never get too expensive a boot. You can get too STIFF a boot, which if you do get it, will hinder and injure you, because you don't have the muscles and aren't on the ice long enough to break them in properly and in a timely manner, but a custom boot doesn't necessarily mean a stiffer boot than a stock boot (although usually it does, but you can get them as soft as you want them).

I know some elite skaters who still skate in stock boots. Those people are lucky, they have really normal feet, and if they were to order a custom boot, it would probably feel and look exactly like the stock boot does. But most people have irregularities, and the only way to deal with them is to have boots made specifically for your foot. It's like people who are significantly taller or shorter than their weight would allow for them to be....most of them have to get their clothes altered once they buy them, because they don't fit the "mold". Well, you can't alter a boot all that much, and sometimes too much altering significantly cuts the life of the boot, so might as well invest in one that's better for you and that will essentially last you longer and prevent you from injuries which could end up costing you thousands in physical therapy in the end.

Just my thoughts.

[Cactus Bill]

Stardust, I kinda agree with you, and kinda don't. I feel that ANYBODY'S skating will improve with customs. Now while some lucky people have off-the-shelf feet and can wear stocks throught their entire career, and others can do quite well with stock boots until they progress, I still maintain that customs will help virtually anybody. Plain fact of the matter is that a pair of boots that were designed to fit your feet will do just that. And I also think that skating is probably the most intolerant of mis-fit boots.

Having said that I also think if you can't afford customs, and can skate well with stock boots, then, like you say, there is no real need for customs. My new custom Harlicks (for example) are a regular stiffness, which will carry me well for quite a while. Incidently, when I was a kid, and boots (both hockey and figure) were soft, floppy leather, I was blessed with what we called then "good ankles". Lo these many years later (you don't have to ask...I'm now 56) thanks to those "good ankles" I probably don't need the degree of support that some skaters need...not that I won't need support, but my ankles are still pretty good.

Gee...there's something I actually can do! 8O

Bill

[Sk8pdx]

I am curious, for those who started out with stock boots, how long did you wait to switch over to custom boots? And what was the reason for switching?Was it length of time? Skating level? injuries? I have been skating for almost 2 years, highest test passed is Freestyle 1 (ISI) haven't even yet attempted any USFSA tests til I can at least do a single jump of any sort :roll: I currently have Reidells (and Coronation Aces for blades). and from what I am reading in other posts, I am sharing similar disappointments about Reidells (too narrow for me, and in my naivety in the beginning, I think they are about a 1/2 size too large) but figured they are OK to start out with.

[blue111moon]

I have horrible feet - they look fine but internally they're a mess. As a kid, long before I started skating, my bones grew too fast for my muscles to keep up and I used to complain all the time how me feet hurt. My folks put it down to "growing pains"; it wasn't until I developed neuromas as an adult that the doctor took x-rays and saw evidence of multiple healed fractures in the long bones of both feet, which caused the neuromas. I've had one surgery and am looking at two more in the not-too-distant future. Plus I have abnormally high arches, bony ankles and genetically malformed little toes. I have wide balls and narrow heels. These are not normal feet by any means.

That said, my boots are stock Reidells - Silver Star, I think. They fit my feet just fine. I don't have blisters or bunions and my feet are more comfortable in skates than in regular shoes.

Most of the boot companies let you order stock boots in variable widths - mine have a B ball and a AA heel. Then my skate guy punched out the ankle bone a couple times and stretched the area over my little toes for a custom fit without the custom price.

I will stick to stock boots as long as my feet are happy in them.

[skaternum]

I am curious, for those who started out with stock boots, how long did you wait to switch over to custom boots? And what was the reason for switching?Was it length of time? Skating level? injuries?.I switched to custom boots after 6 years of skating in stock boots. To find out why, simply re-read all the posts here: they're all complaining about boots not fitting right. Once you've tried a few pair of stock boots that don't fit, and you look at your feet and see the weirdness of them, you just can't take it anymore. And you go for customs.

I'd also like to comment that custom does not always mean "too much boot." Mr. Klingbeil is fanatical about putting you in the right stiffness for your skating. Customs aren't always concrete blocks!