Hold Out or Buy New?

[singerskates]

Well, I've almost lost 30 lbs since the summer and since I bought my Gams but now, I'm sloshing around in my skates from side to side. I've tried adding more padding in my skates but it doesn't hold up very long (7 jumps and I'm at square one; way too loose skates). I've done the hockey tape and my feet still move around in the boots and what happens is that I then because of the tape can't bend my ankles yet I'm sliding inside.

What really bugs me is that for about 5 minutes today, I was landing my loop jumps clean and then the boot got overly loose again and gone was the loop jump again. I'm tring to figure out how I can get my boots to work for me up until after my club's skating show which is two weeks after Adult Canadians. Or do you think I should bight the bullet and buy new skates and try to break them in with only 5 weeks to Adult Canadians? What to do? Help!

singerskates

[aussieskater]

I don't have the answer, but do have a couple of questions: Do you have 5 weeks from the time you could actually get your hands on new boots to your competition; or does that 5 weeks include delivery time? Do you also need new blades?

Good luck at the comp, whatever you decide!

[smelltheice]

I have to be honest that if it were me, the adult nationals would be my priority, instead of trying to find something to make my boots fit that may or may not work on the day when you need them the most, would be to know that my boots would be fine. As I am sure you are well aware, there are so many things that can go wrong at a competition but your boots should not be one of them except in extreme circumstances. I personally would say to hell with it and go for the new boots. I would go for a pair of Graff edmonton specials. They are easy to break. A russian guy I used to know who was show skating at the time and he used to get those if something went wrong with his boots mid season because he could break them in a week plus they are good boots. That is what I would do personally.
I hope this helps.

[Sessy]

It took me about three weeks to break in my Graf edmontons, and another two to get all the dent-outs I needed after that (they were dented out thrice). Noted be that I was breaking them in not long after getting my cast removed and I was not able to jump at the time, nor get a very deep ankle bend either. Another girl I know broke them in in 2 weeks.

[Bill_S]

It takes me 5 weeks to GET new skates...but that's for men's skates.

Five weeks is enough to break in a new pair as long as they aren't top-of-the-line stiff. If you can get them quickly, I'd buy new skates and have one less thing to worry about.

But don't delay!

[smelltheice]

It takes me 5 weeks to GET new skates...but that's for men's skates.

Five weeks is enough to break in a new pair as long as they aren't top-of-the-line stiff. If you can get them quickly, I'd buy new skates and have one less thing to worry about.

But don't delay!

I know what you mean about breaking the stiff boots. I have been sakting in my Klingbeils for a year now and they still aren't fully broken but when I got them, I had a partner at the time and required the support for the both of us!!

[slusher]

At the end, before I got new skates, I had four, yes 4 insoles and had the toes stuffed too in my Jackson Competitors. I was sliding forward in the boot and the ball of my foot wasn't over the rocker point of the blade. Putting a chunk of foam in the toe stopped the slide. I skated a year like that.

I also wet my socks before I skated, the wet sock would stick to the inside of the boot and keep my foot from moving. And, I kept my skates in the car, frozen because they would stretch out when they warmed up. I'd be good for about an hour.

If you could get new skates and exactly the same blades this week and skate three times a week, you could do it. I suggest you do it !!!

[Mrs Redboots]

If you can't face breaking in new boots so quickly (should be fine - depending on the boot, and how often you skate, of course, but most people seem not to need more than a couple of weeks), try new laces and perhaps some insoles to help your present pair fit better.

[singerskates]

I don't have the answer, but do have a couple of questions: Do you have 5 weeks from the time you could actually get your hands on new boots to your competition; or does that 5 weeks include delivery time? Do you also need new blades?

Good luck at the comp, whatever you decide!
4 and half weeks from time of delivery, putting the blades on at the proshop and starting to break in my feet (I mean break in the skates) to competition time. I bought my new boots today and no I didn't need to buy new blades as I had both my Ultima Elite and John Wilson Pattern 99's with me at the pro shop. Turns out that my Pattern 99's were a 1/4" too long but the Ultima's were just the right length. I had them heat molded before getting the blades on but when I brought them home and wore them around the house, I was finding that the right heal close to the foot bed only was a bit too tight, the rest of the heal was good though. On the left foot part of the tongue is a bit too long towards the baby toe and is cutting into the top of the baby toe and the toe next to it. Otherwise, I'm really, really happy with my new boots. I mean, they put the blades on and got it right the first time. I was able to balance in my skates with blades on (no guards) and do a decent spiral for 15 seconds on each foot at the pro shop. Never been able to do that before. When I got home and wore my skates to break them in at first I tied my skates to the top but then after 15 minutes I remembered to undo the top two hooks and was able to bend in my boots and started to get a nice crease in the tongue of each boot. I'll be skating in my boots with the top notches not done for a day or two. Next Wednesday I'll only have the very top notch not done up.

singerskates

[SkatingOnClouds]

Yay, you made your decision ! Hope the lead up to the comp goes well for you.

[smelltheice]

I'm glad you are happy with your new boots and at least you won't have to worry about a temporary fix not working when you go to nationals. What boots did you buy in the end?

[singerskates]

I bought Jackson Elite Plus DJ3100. I ordered them on Wednesday and got them on Friday but didn't get to skate in them until Saturday, March 1st, 2008 because by the time, the blades were mounted on it was after 7 PM on Friday and my session was over at 5:30 PM.

I wore them around the house when I got home for about 2 hours and then I had to get them off. Today when I skated in them I noticed that I needed to have a bit of my right skate punched out in the heal close to the footbed and a tiny bit of the tongue trimmed. So after skating I went back to Brian's Custom Pro Shop and had the adjustments done. What a difference!

I have to wait until Monday to get in touch with the only orthotics place in town that does skates for an appointment. I don't know how long it's going to take for the orthotics to get back to me once ordered.

Today I was having my feet broken in by my boots. With the top two hooks not done up, I was a bit shaky but not too bad and PA'd on CanSkate and PrePowerSkate. At the end of PrePowerSkate, I joined the PowerSkaters in a hockey game but I couldn't run down the puck like I use to do when I was wearing the other skates. But I did notice that I could turn anyway I wanted on one foot in the Elite Plus. The only jump I did today being that they are no where near broken in was a two foot forward jump. And the only spin I could do without bending my needs normally was a two foot spin. But boy was it centred and fast. Now if I could just get those orthotics soon and the boots break in enough to do at least my lower end jumps.

Well, I'm a bit to fall asleep. good Night.