specialty skates?

[Tomorrow Man]

I have very poor knee, ankle, and foot structure. Basically it result to my feet point out at a 45 - 50 degree angle and being completely flat. I also roll inwards very heavily when I step, so I have to wear very high ankle supports on my hiking boots for my hiking hobbies, otherwise I end up with frequent sprained ankles.

Anyway, a friend took me ice skating yesterday and I had an absolute blast. I can really see myself getting into it, but the problem is that it was physically impossible for me to get my weight on the actual blade of the skate for more than a second. My ankle would straighten up, which for me would send my skate flying directly out to my side. It's not a result of weak ankles, more a result of miss-shapen ones.

Now I went skating when I was 10 years younger and had no problem, my ankles and knees weren't off to such a degree. I had a blast and was going around the rink full speed on my first time. Now I can't even stand up on the skates on solid ground without my ankles "falling in".

Long story short, do they make any sort of specialty skates with extra extra extra ankle support or even skates where the blades are more towards the inside? If they were just a centimeter and a half towards the inside of the skate, I'd have the pressure right on them.

Any help would be much appreciated! Right now I'm reduced to skating on one leg at a time like a flamingo! :P Thanks again!

[sunshinepointe]

If you get your own skates you can have the blades mounted in way that suits you. I'd talk to your local fitter and explain your situation and they'll be able to assist you with boot and blade selection as well as mounting placement.

[flippet]

Absolutely. Rental skates have ZERO support for the ankles (unless they're brand-new, and even then it's iffy), but if you get your own quality skates (NOT from a sports shop, but through a professional skating shop), they'll have much better ankle support. Also, the blades are sold separately, and can be mounted to the boot just about anywhere you want, so a good pro can place them exactly where you need them to be. You'll need to find a good professional fitter for all of this. In fact, if your feet are really the 'mutants' that you describe :lol: , then I'd recommend going straight to the manufacturer to be fit properly, likely for custom boots. Maybe get some opinions about what brand to try from experienced people who can actually see your feet, then see if it's feasable to get custom skates, fitted by the manufacturer.

On the other hand, your feet may not be as mutant as you think, and a stock boot would do you well. That's why you need to have an experienced figure skate fitter take a look.

[stardust skies]

You probably would want custom boots (which run $600-$900 bucks, but even if you did get them, you'd need to go to an orthopedist and get some orthotics to put in them. Perhaps a good middle ground would be to buy a pair of entry-level skates (a couple hundred bucks) and get orthotics to put in them. Honestly it might not be enough from the severity you are describing, but it would be a good place to start. You might want to have the orthotics made, and then go skate shopping with them. If you find that putting the orthotic in the boots you're trying on helps support you completely, perfect! If not, go custom.

Blades come separetly from boots on good equipment, so having the blade aligned properly to counter your problem will help you too. You'll want your blade further to the inside of the boot to counter your tendency to fall inward- having it already inward will push you to the outside of your foot.

[Skate@Delaware]

Are your ankles weak because of an orthopedic problem or just from lack of development of the muscles or were you just lucky to be born that way?

I'm asking because there is a lot you can gain from therapy to build up the muscles of the feet and ankles. Unless they are deformed orthopedically, which would cause all sorts of other problems.

I would suggest getting an evaluation from a physical therapist first, with exercises to build up your feet and ankles. I think your use of tall boots has caused your muscles to become dependent on the support of the boot, instead of developing instrinsically on their own. It's basically "use it or lose it" all over again.

You might also find that you severely pronate and have fairly flat feet. That calls for orthotics which you should have in all your shoes. You should find a therapist that specializes in sports medicine and orthotics. Bring your boots and sneakers to the evaluation. They might want to look at them also.

Ok, I'll shut up now.