Decisions, Decisions

[sunshinepointe]

My coach says I need new boots - I'm not in desperate need but I'd like to start getting my information together, especially since I might decide to go with customs which would take some time to have made, no?

Here is what I'm thinking - please let me know your thoughts.

Right now I'm skating in Jackson Competitors. They were purchased in June of last year and I skated on them roughly 6-7 hours a week. I took off for three months between October and January due to my old rink closing. So that was a total of 5-6 months of skating, right? I'm 5'9" and 165 and working on all single jumps with the exception of the axel and spins up through the camel, dabbling with the Bielman and layback. My current coach thinks that the competitors look too broken down for my style of skating - I'm apparently very hard on my skates. Okay. I'll get new skates. :roll: I better be able to keep my blades. :evil:

Obviously since I'm so hard on my skates I need something with a bit more substance. The Jacksons have been nothing but good to me, and the next step up is the Elite, but I just don't think that that's enough and my coach agrees. So we're either looking at the Elite Plus, or Elite Supreme, leaning more towards the Elite Plus.

Elite Plus - 399.95
Elite Supreme - 499.95

I've also read people talk about the SP-Teris Super Teri as being a super stiff boot. My coach doesn't really care for this boot but I'm open to options.

Super Teri - 418.95

My coach suggested that if I was going to be spending this much money :roll: I might want to consider getting Klingbeil customs. I'm not sure how the customs work, or how much they cost but on one website I thought it said something like 550? But I don't know if that's with/without options, or how they even custom make the boot if I'm not there (and can't get there) to have them measure. I'd hate them to make a boot just off of a tracing, that seems dodgy for that much money.

I don't have a lot of problems with the Jackson's other than them breaking down alot faster than I'd like but I think that was the mistake of my previous coach who swore my current skates would last me 2-3 years. :roll:
So I don't NEED to get customs - or at least I don't think I do. Really everything seems to be within a 100 bucks of each other and I want to make sure I get the best boot possible that will serve me well and last a bit longer than 6 months. I feel like I poured 200 bucks down the drain with the competitors.

Any thoughts? I'm open to other brands too, but Riedells do not agree with my feet. Been there, done that, won't try again.

[skaternum]

If you've been happy with Jacksons, stay with Jacksons. Personally, I had nothing but trouble with them (including poor workmanship), but if they fit your foot and you've got a reputable seller who will work with you in case there's something wrong with them, why not stick with Jacksons?

[Debbie S]

The Jackson Elite Plus (3100) is about the same level of stiffness as the Super Teri, so if Jacksons have fit your feet well, I'd say stick with them.

I just got custom Klingbeils (haven't had the blades mounted yet so I haven't skated in them) and I decided to go custom b/c I've had a host of problems with other boots. I started out in the rec-level Riedell model (117, I think) which only got me through Basic 4 or so. Then, I got GAMs (I think the model was 65) which were not good skates - too narrow, and they also were defective in that the soles and heels were uneven, so I was never on the correct edge (and I didn't find this out until I went for a fitting for new skates and took my current skates and the fitter pointed it out to me).

Then, I got SP Teri Super Teris, which are super-stiff - way too stiff for me, I've never really broken them in. This is really my fault - the fitter thought the Pro-Teris would be better, but at the time I was starting business school (full-time) and I needed the skates to last at least 2 years until I could afford to buy another pair. Another problem with the Super-Teris is that the ball area width is a bit narrow (I could have gotten a split width - a one-width difference in the ball vs. the heel - but I was trying to save money and figured the area could just be punched out, which it was - 3 times on each skate - and still too narrow). I bought a pair of Jackson Elites (2700) last April but I had to take them back to the pro shop a week later b/c the heel area was way too big - the fitter shouldn't have been surprised - he measured me as a C at the ball and A in the heel and figured a B would be good enough. :roll:

If you decide to get customs, which don't really need unless you can't find a pair of stock boots to fit, call Klingbeil and ask for the name of a dealer/shop in your area that they work with. What the fitter will do is take lots of measurements that Klingbeil will ask for (which is why you want a fitter who has worked with Klingbeil before and knows their system) and will take a mold impression of your feet (it's a box filled with styrofoam that you step in and your feet make an impression as the styrofoam collapses where you step). When I got my Klingbeils, I went to NYC (I have friends there so I combined the trip with a visit to them, and got free room and board for the weekend :) ) and had them fit me at their shop. I figured I'd had so many problems with boots fitting that I should go directly to the source and make sure they understood my foot issues. (and I never thought I had abnormal fee until I started skating - lol) But many people get fit remotely at a shop and it works out fine for them.

[TashaKat]

I've had two pairs of custom Harlicks (http://www.harlick.com) which I adore. I've heard very good things about Klingbeil though I've never tried them myself. My friend who was always a fan of SP Teri isn't as impressed with the newer boots as he was with the older ones!


They've still got our pic in their scrapbook :) http://www.harlick.com/img/gal/scrap/dsp.jpg

[nerd_on_ice]

I'd agree with those who have said that if you're happy with Jacksons, stick with Jacksons. I see what your coach is saying about being able to get customs for roughly the same money, but on the other hand with the Jacksons you will feel you know what you're getting for that money.

I have custom Klingbeils myself and I adore them--Klingbeil has a list (I think it's on their Web site) of "authorized" fitter/dealers who do the measuring/molding process that Debbie S. described. My feet are not super-weird but they are weird enough that I felt it was worth spending the $$$ for customs.

Again, though, I would say "better the devil you know."

[sunshinepointe]

My concern with the Jackson's is that this model broke down so quickly - I don't know if getting a stiffer boot will matter? I know that seems like a stupid question, but maybe Jackson's aren't built as tough as other skates?

I probably will end up in the Jackson Elite Plus, but I'm still considering the supreme...I've tried those on before and they're SO comfortable. And they'll last forever - I'm just concerned about the break in period...

[techskater]

I have a friend who is very tall (she claims 5'9" but she's more like 6') in Jackson Supremes who is a Bronze level skater and loves them. She also does dance in them.

Yes, the stiffness level makes all the difference in the world

[crayonskater]

I've had my Jackson Competitors since last March and skate about 8 hours a week (with May-August and December off), and it seems mine are starting to break down a bit, at least to the point my ankle seems to wobble on jump landings. I'm 125 pounds though; maybe these boots just break down more quickly for adults.

My point in posting: Let me know how this works out for you!