risport super diamant..should i buy these.

[beachbabe]

One of my coach's students has offered to sell me a pair of risport super diamants in exactly my size, They have on them Mk proffessional blades ( these are not so new, but they are not completely raggedy, definately have many sharpenings left), she only skated in them 2 or 3 times then had to stop skating for a few months due to bunion surgery. She offered me these skates for $180 and I'm wondering if I should get them.

I'm starting to move up to doubles, and I need more support than my current boots (Jackson Freestyles). I'm just wondering if this is a resonable price for this set?

She says these boot are size C and I have a wide ball of the foot and narrow heel. Can anyone reccomend if Risports would fit my foot type well?

[AW1]

beachbabe
Here's what I know about Risports Super Diamont. In Australia they only import B widths, so if you're in Aus and she says they are C width, she must have bought them in overseas. The Super Diamont is an old model, but a very good stiff boot. I just sold my old pair of them (boot only) for A$150 so what she is asking seems like a good price to me.
Having said that, the reason I sold them is because I have a VERY broad foot and they just didn't fit me. The only way you'll see if they are suited to your foot is to try them on.
Is there any way you can ask if you can try them on the ice before you buy them? In the presence of the coach &/or the other student so they know you aren't going to run off with them? That would be your best bet.

[beachbabe]

well I'm actually in USA, thing is...this lady is currently living about a 5 hr drive south of me, and I doubt my parents would be cool with me going that far jsut to try on a pair of boots (they have no idea about skating...they jsut wouldn't get it). Can you get at home measuring kits for Risport or something?

[luna_skater]

Perhaps you could ask her to send you a tracing of the boot? And pics? Perhaps a tracing of the insole would help as well.

[samba]

I had those and fair play, they lasted me years, but for the first six months it was pain, pain and more pain, quite frankly they set my skating back by 2 years, I think they were simply too hard for me. I found that the kids at the rink seemed to get on with them fine and my son wore them up to his mid twenties with no problem. To me it was like wearing a pair of bricks and I actually had to cut out the so called padding around the ankles as it was causing a burser on them. I suppose it must depend on what you are doing, However if they are not brand new they may have softened down a bit. I was not and never will be doing doubles so I should have stuck to the basic Risport.

[EastonSkater]

well I'm actually in USA, thing is...this lady is currently living about a 5 hr drive south of me, and I doubt my parents would be cool with me going that far jsut to try on a pair of boots (they have no idea about skating...they jsut wouldn't get it). Can you get at home measuring kits for Risport or something?

Probably not a good idea to buy boots of any kind without having first tried that model of boot before. So in general, if you can't get to the boot to try it on, then better not chance it.

[TashaKat]

You REALLY need to try them on. I had them and hated them, they completely killed my feet (before dying themselves) and I ended up breaking a blood vessel in my foot with them. They're not particularly 'strong' boots in the grand scheme of things although they were the 'top' boot in the Risport range. I managed to kill a pair in 6 months and I wasn't even working on doubles then! I had my Harlicks for about 2 years before they were consigned to Dance and even then they were fiine, I just wanted some new boots and it was a good excuse :)

[NickiT]

What level are you at? My coach recommended these to me as the next boot up from the beginner boots I had when I first started skating. I think those were Risport Lasers or something - it was a long time ago now. Anyway I bought the Super Diamantes from our rink shop, but they were difficult to break in and very stiff. I also found them to be a little on the big side. Some time later (like 4 years) following my nasty ankle fracture, I took my boots along to the skate fitter as they were hurting my ankle where my screws stick out and I wanted to get that area of the boot punched out. The skate fitter looked at the boots and was surprised to see absolutely no break-in crease at all. He then checked the size and I was right in that yep, they were too big. I ended up with new boots. In a nutshell I learned that Super Diamantes are a higher level boot for skaters working on doubles and are too stiff for lower level skaters like myself just on singles. I also found out that they come narrow and that was why mine were too big. I'd ended up going for a longer boot to make up for the lack of width. My skating improved almost overnight once I'd got myself into the correct boot for my level, and the correct length. My blade went down in size which meant that finally the ball of my foot was over the sweet spot, rather than my big toe and suddenly I was spinning with no problems at all.

This is just my experience of these boots. I'm not saying they are a bad boot, or that that may not be right for you, but it's good for you know how others have got on with them to help you make an informed decision.

Nicki

[beachbabe]

if i were to get new boots should I get sp teris? Someone said they are good for wide feet.

and apparently i actually break boots in too fast, my 4 month old jackson freestyles are already practically useless support wise

[CanAmSk8ter]

She says these boot are size C and I have a wide ball of the foot and narrow heel. Can anyone reccomend if Risports would fit my foot type well?

That's exactly how my foot is, and I had Super Diamante C's at one point. Frankly, they didn't work. They are wider than a lot of boots, but at least for me the forefoot wasn't still wide enough, which caused bunion problems, and the heel was actually too wide, which meant that I was never quite able to get it to stop moving around. They might work for you, but I wouldn't take the chance myself, not without being able to try them out.

As far as SP Teris, I thought they were supposed to run narrow. I'm in Jackson Freestyles now and I'm having the same problem you are- I've only had them for six weeks but they broke in so quickly that I'm worried about how long they'll last. I really like the Jacksons though, so next year I'll probably just go up to the next boot. I haven't found anything else except custom boots that works for my feet.

[TashaKat]

if i were to get new boots should I get sp teris? Someone said they are good for wide feet.

You really, really need to try boots on. We can all tell you what WE like and what we don't like but our needs may be different to yours. I, for example, hate, loathe and detest all Risports except for the Lasers, hate Belatis, quite like Wifas and love and adore Harlicks. Others will tell you that Wifas stink and that they love Risports!

[beachbabe]

ok, so I went to the closest risport dealer to me, and tried on some super cristallo boots, and i hate them.

The trouble is, most of the pro shops around here only sell one or two brands and you have to order them..plus no decent fitters. I need to know what brand would be good for wide ball and narrow heel, b/c I would have to go to a particular pro shop for that brand around here.

[CanAmSk8ter]

ok, so I went to the closest risport dealer to me, and tried on some super cristallo boots, and i hate them.

The trouble is, most of the pro shops around here only sell one or two brands and you have to order them..plus no decent fitters. I need to know what brand would be good for wide ball and narrow heel, b/c I would have to go to a particular pro shop for that brand around here.

Ugh, that must be an annoying amount of travel just to try skates on.

Are you having problems with your Jacksons other than the fast break-down? If not, I wouldn't bother trying to find another brand you like the fit of; like I said, my feet are similar to yours and Jackson is the only stock boot that's ever worked for me. There may be another one out there, but at this point I don't care ;) If the Jacksons are basically working for you I'd stick with them and just go up to the next boot.

[beachbabe]

Ugh, that must be an annoying amount of travel just to try skates on.

Are you having problems with your Jacksons other than the fast break-down? If not, I wouldn't bother trying to find another brand you like the fit of; like I said, my feet are similar to yours and Jackson is the only stock boot that's ever worked for me. There may be another one out there, but at this point I don't care ;) If the Jacksons are basically working for you I'd stick with them and just go up to the next boot.

I find that the heel is a tad high, the super cristallo might have been a crappy fit, but at least the heel is lower. The higher heel was especially a huge annoyance after I first got them and kept scraping my toepick all the time. But what is the next boot up? I wanna make sure I order the right one at the fitter...cos they make you pay for the shipping that pro shop has to pay to get the boot...yea, I'm not kidding

[EastonSkater]

Probably better off going on a little flight to a city with a good pro shop and go check out their boots right there.

[renatele]

I find that the heel is a tad high, the super cristallo might have been a crappy fit, but at least the heel is lower. The higher heel was especially a huge annoyance after I first got them and kept scraping my toepick all the time.

Very strange about the heel height - I found it to be the opposite... Maybe Risport has lowered the heel in the last 3 years or so? My RF3 Supers (formerly Super Cristallos) have 2" heel, and Jacksons have heel lower heel than that for sure, and either the company is going to make the heel higher for me (I'm getting split-width Jacksons, so they have to be made for me), or my boot fitter is going to make it higher, closer to my RF3s.