Upgrading to new skates

[kimberley801]

I currently skate in Glaciers (made by Jackson), and have been skating in them for almost 4 months. I bought them from a sporting goods store, and just wanted a basic recreational skate at the time, since I was just starting group lessons and had no idea if I was going to stick with skating. Well, I'm hooked, and I'm thinking of upgrading. My skates are too big and don't offer enough support in the ankle (lots of slipping, and side-to-side movement), plus they are too narrow in the foot, causing discomfort. I want something that will get me through my single jumps. I am currently in adult levels of USFSA LTS.

I will be going to Denver next month, and will go to a skate shop there for a fitting. (The Pro Shops where I live only do limited fittings with jackson skates). I would just like some ideas and advice prior to going.

What brands should I consider other than Jackson? I have a wide foot, narrow heel, and pronate (right pronates more than left). My right leg is malaligned causing significant "out-toeing". I'm 5'2" and 160 pounds - it's muscle, I swear!

How much money would the skates for my level cost?

What should I take to a skate fitting?

Should I consider custom or semi-custom boots because of the pronation and out-toeing?

Any other toughts or advice would be greatly appreciated!

[SkatingOnClouds]

I'm sure you will find lots of good advice on these boards by using the search function. Here is my humble and not all that well-informed opinion.

Jacksons are actually meant to be good for wide feet, and you can choose a mixed fitting, to accommodate the narrow heels. I know a lot of our skaters who are moving up to their first non-recreational skate go with Jackson Mystique to get them through single jumps. Most will wear these out before they get to axels, as it will probably take more than a year from beginner levels to those.

If you have a pronation problem, then I suspect this may be best corrected with orthotic inner soles - as your feet are different, this may be something you want to discuss with your podiatrist, you may need custom orthotics rather than custom boots.

Some custom made boots can help with special inner soles, however it is rather early days to consider custom made unless you really are passionate about skating, as they usually cost quite a bit more.

Can't advise on price, as I am in another country. I am sure some kind person here can advise on where to go in Denver. Good luck with your search! And with your skating obsession!!!!:lol:

[dbny]

Do you have a particular pro shop in mind? I was just told that there are no pro shops in CO 8O. It doesn't seem possible to me, and I hope it's wrong.

ITA with SkatingOnClouds about Jacksons and about customs. IMO, a good skate for your level would be the Jackson Freestyle, which can be bought with the Ultima Mark IV blade for about $180, and is heat molded to your feet at the shop. If you need orthotics, the SuperFeet (Custom Gray) (http://www.superfeet.com/products/Custom_Grey.aspx) have been recommended by others for figure skates.

[Morgail]

My best advice is to try on as many different brands as possible. If you go to a good skate fitter, he/she will be able to advise you on which boot within a brand is appropriate for your level and weight.

I drove to a skate shop in Chicago and tried on 3 different brands - Riedell, SP Teri and Jackson. I think they also carried Grafs, but I'd heard some not-so-good opinions on those, so I didn't try them. It's amazing the differences you can feel when you try on multiple brands. The Riedells felt too tight around my foot, while the Jacksons had a rounded toe box that squished my toes (even when I went up a size). The SP Teris fit like a glove, and that's what I ended up getting. All I'd ever gotten as a kid were Riedells, so this was a new brand for me. I also got a split width to accomodate my skinny heels.

Also, be sure the fitter punches out the tight areas on the boot for you (like the ankle area), and heat molds the boots to your feet. That makes them so much easier to break in.

Just be sure to bring whatever you wear on your feet when you skate (tights, etc.). And a credit card with a big limit:lol:

[Rusty Blades]

I too have a wide foot and narrow heel and was a beginner in January '06.

I started with Jackson Competitors, which I had punched WAY out. After 5 months I went to Jackson Elites in a custom boot which fit MUCH better but were too stiff for me. Because they were stiff and I couldn't get enough knee bend to suit me, I used to lace just the first hook and leave them quite loose which eventually contributed to a sprained ankle and VERY slow healing of the sprain.

This spring I went to Jackson ProFlex in a custom boot and I LOVE THEM! I get as much knee-bend as I want and gobs of ankle support because I can actually do them up snug. I wish I had skipped the Elites and gone straight to the ProFlex! I wouldn't part with my ProFlex for ANYTHING now :mrgreen:

[Morgail]

This spring I went to Jackson ProFlex in a custom boot and I LOVE THEM! I get as much knee-bend as I want and gobs of ankle support because I can actually do them up snug. I wish I had skipped the Elites and gone straight to the ProFlex! I wouldn't part with my ProFlex for ANYTHING now :mrgreen:

Is the ProFlex the hinged skate? I'm actually thinking those are a good idea now after what happend to me this weekend!

[Rusty Blades]

Is the ProFlex the hinged skate?

You be'cha! My sprained ankle wouldn't heal ('cause I wouldn't stop skating) but when I switched to the ProFlex my ankle healed right away and is actually stronger on skates than in shoes.

[kimberley801]

Thanks for the advice guys! As for skate shops, I found a website for a place called "Pro Skate" and they have a location in the Denver Area. There are NO skate shops here in UT. So Denver is my best bet for now. Has anyone ever worked with them before? You can PM me with any specific opinions on them if you don't want to post them.

[twokidsskatemom]

Thanks for the advice guys! As for skate shops, I found a website for a place called "Pro Skate" and they have a location in the Denver Area. There are NO skate shops here in UT. So Denver is my best bet for now. Has anyone ever worked with them before? You can PM me with any specific opinions on them if you don't want to post them.

Salt Lake has a training center, Im suprised they have no pro shop.
Hope you find your skates !!

[double3s]

IMO, a good skate for your level would be the Jackson Freestyle, which can be bought with the Ultima Mark IV blade for about $180, and is heat molded to your feet at the shop. If you need orthotics, the SuperFeet (Custom Gray) (http://www.superfeet.com/products/Custom_Grey.aspx) have been recommended by others for figure skates.

This is *exactly* what I've been skating in, including the SuperFeet insoles and me and my wide feet have been very very happy with them. They (the SuperFeet) made a big difference with helpign me not pronate. I must admit that I *hated* the Jackson blade because of the large lower toepick and upgraded to Coronation Aces after a year or so of tripping over said toepicks at least once a session. I'm upgrading to Jackson Elites, but would stay in this set up for at least another year if my feet hadn't shrunk so much.

[kimberley801]

Salt Lake has a training center, Im suprised they have no pro shop.
Hope you find your skates !!

I have looked into a few pro shops around, but they only seem to have Jacksons. I'm sure they could order other brands, but I want someone who can fit me accordingly for different brands. And i wasn't very impressed with the shop I was referred to by my instructor. He didn't really take me seriously in terms of being an adult skater. For example: "how often do you skate? once a week?" my reply "um, No. Three times a week for about an hour, plus a half-hour class." I lost all faith at that point. Just because I'm an adult new to the scene doesn't mean I don't take skating very seriously!!! :x

Back to the topic: I'm looking to go to a bigger city for more variety. If I decide on Jacksons, then I may just go to one of the pro shops here. But I thought I'd explore options outside of this small town. :D

[sue123]

This might be slightly OT, so I'm not sure if this should be a new thread or not, but regarding the pronation, I was told once by a podiatrist who's daughter is a serious competitor in figure skating, that if your boots are properly fit, then you wouldn't need orthotics in the skates? Not sure if he was referring to customs, which you shouldn't need orthotics in, or all skates in general. I didn't really ask muhc of him regarding this, because it was just mentioned in passing, and I didn't realize what he said until afterwards. I have orthotics in my skates (no brand I guess, but made by dad's office and they're fine for me) and I noticed a world of difference with them.

[dbny]

if your boots are properly fit, then you wouldn't need orthotics in the skates? Not sure if he was referring to customs, which you shouldn't need orthotics in, or all skates in general.

That's true for customs only.

[wasabi]

That's true for customs only.

Used to be true for me, but not true anymore. If I skate without my orthodics now, I get a two-inch long blister (which eventually turns into a giant hole in my skin) on the inside of my foot. And I have very well fitted custom Klingbeils.

[dbny]

Used to be true for me, but not true anymore. If I skate without my orthodics now, I get a two-inch long blister (which eventually turns into a giant hole in my skin) on the inside of my foot. And I have very well fitted custom Klingbeils.

Klingbeil builds the orthotic into the footbed, so if you are having such a serious problem, you should have the boots fixed, which will be free.