help? new to figures and buying skates

[mr.small]

Hey everyone,

Just needing some help/advice with skate fitting. I'm in Australia and it's kinda hard to find a place that fits skates properly and doesn't overprice compared to Europe or America. Basically, I started taking a few lessons down at the rink and decided I'd like to try figure skating, but I have a pair of hockey skates, and am being told by my coach that I will need to get a pair of figure skates to start learning jumps and spins soon.

I have a relatively wide foot, so I thought I might go for the Edea Overture, but no-one sells them here. Considering buying them online, but I'm worried about the fit inside the boot - my feet are 23cm long (well, slightly shorter) and the Edea website says for a non-growing foot I should leave a max of 5mm. Does that mean if I were to order a pair, that I would go for 230 or 235, or some other size?

How long are your feet in cm, and what size skate do you wear?

[aussieskater]

Hi Mr Small and welcome! Where in Oz are you? There are quite a few of us on the forum, scattered all over, so between us we may be able to find you a fitter ...

You absolutely should not buy skates online without trying them on first, especially if you haven't had them before - like street shoes, one brand will fit you better than the others (square or pointed toes, high instep, small heels, narrow or wide ball etc); but unlike street shoes, skates need to fit very closely. Ill-fitting skates, whether too small or too large, will hold you back, probably be painful, and possibly cause injury.

Maybe you could ask to try on the skates (in different brands) of some of the skaters at your rink. (Don't forget to try on the children's sizes too if that's possible). This would give you a feel for what brand is likely to fit you best. If your foot is wide for length, I would guess that Jacksons might be a better match for you than Risports, but you never know. The only way you can find out is to try them on.

Also don't forget the preloved option - secondhand but still OK boots can save you a bomb! Especially since you are just starting out, you might not need the support of someone doing double jumps.

For the record, I'm a female with a very wide and large foot - I wear Jackson size 9E. I just stood on a ruler and it's a bit hard to read but it looks like my foot is about 270 mm long.

[mr.small]

Thanks for that. I kind of move between Adelaide and Canberra, in the uni breaks I am in Canberra but during uni, back in Adelaide, which is where I was taking lessons.

I did check the pro-shop at the Adelaide rink, and talked to the guy there about skates, but it seems pretty pricey to get a pair there. He did say Jacksons were probably best for wider feet but I haven't tried on any pairs yet because I am not sure I want to buy there. I don't see the shop listed on the Jackson website...

My hockey skates are a size 4 CCM, the fit seems to be a bit narrow but it's actually quite comfy (the skates are however a little longer than I would like my figure skates to be).

I guess it's not really such a popular sport here, but then again, that means more rink space for the rest of us :)

[katz in boots]

...I am not sure I want to buy there. I don't see the shop listed on the Jackson website...

There is (as far as I know) one importer for Jackson Skates in Oz, Iskate Canterbury. Other rinks place orders through them, usually by the size required, but also by measurements or even tracings of your foot if an unusual shape. The local rink may or may not have a good fitter - talk to local skaters about this.

It is true that Jackson can be good for wider feet and can accommodate width modifications at small extra cost (small in comparison to custom boots).

Be aware that Jackson don't have a range of men's boots though (assumining your moniker means you are male). The lowest model is the Marquis, the next after that I think is Competitor - unless this has changed? If you don't mind a white boot (you can always wear a black boot cover), there is a much wider range to choose from.

Buying on line can be much cheaper for us in Australia - as long as you know exactly what you want. Try on skates or get measured for them, then buy the right size online. If you need modifications, you won't be able to buy online.

How long are your feet in cm, and what size skate do you wear?
My feet are 25.5 inches long. I wear Jackson 7.5 with width modifications.
I have not seen Edea, so can't comment.

[katz in boots]

...I am not sure I want to buy there. I don't see the shop listed on the Jackson website...

There is (as far as I know) one importer for Jackson Skates in Oz: Iskate Canterbury. Other rinks place orders through them, usually by the size required, but also by measurements or even tracings of your foot if an unusual shape. The local rink may or may not have a good fitter - talk to local skaters about this.

It is true that Jackson can be good for wider feet and can accommodate width modifications at small extra cost (small in comparison to custom boots).

Be aware that Jackson don't have a wide range of men's boot models (assumining your moniker means you are male). The lowest model is the Marquis, the next after that I think is Competitor - unless this has changed? If you don't mind a white boot (you can always wear a black boot cover), there is a much wider range to choose from.

Buying on line can be much cheaper for us in Australia, - as long as you know exactly what you want -especially with the current good exchange rate, but always check the shipping charge first, some places will charge over $100US for postage. Try on skates or get measured for them locally, then buy the right size online. If you need modifications, you won't be able to buy online.

How long are your feet in cm, and what size skate do you wear?
My feet are 25.5 cm long, I wear Jackson 7.5 with width modifications.
I have not seen any Edea, so can't comment on those.

[aussieskater]

Mr Small (love the name!), it sounds like you're just starting out, so a good person to ask would be your coach (you mention in your initial post that you have one). If you can try on others' boots around SA or ACT, then you might get an idea as to what brand is more likely to fit.

Also, if you can get to Canterbury on one of your trips to Canberra (it's *only* 3 hours up the road!!), you could talk to Margaret in the skate shop at Canterbury (you'd want to call her first to make sure she'd be there). My husband was fitted by her for his boots about 18 months ago (?), and says she got it right. Sadly, I don't know of any fitters in Canberra or Adelaide?

As far as the Jackson range goes: AFAIK, the men's range starts at the Marquis, then jumps straight to the Elite (then the Elite Plus then the Elite Supreme). Jackson stopped making black Competitor boots a while ago. I believe the Marquis is roughly equivalent to the Mystique in ladies, so it's a beginner boot, and may be all you require (again, ask your coach for guidance). The Elite is a *much* stronger boot, good for heavier and/or stronger skaters - my husband who's almost 190cm tall wears these!

You can always get white boots painted black, (or as Katz suggested, wear black boot covers) if you end up with white boots.

[RachelSk8er]

Don't rely on your hockey skates for guidance because hockey skates have a very different fit (particularly in the toe box). I have worn a 6B in Reidell skates since I was 11 years old (I'm almost 29, eek), but my hockey skates are either a 5 or 5 1/2, not quite sure (they were actually my friend's from when he was a kid). You may be a different size in different boots, too. I briefly wore Risport boots at one point when I was 16 (hated them) and had to go with a bigger size in those.

I don't know much about Edeas, I've looked at them at competitions but they seem weird to me. They don't seem to be very popular in the US yet. There is only one skater I know of who I can think of off the top of my head who wears them (Lauren Zell, one of the adult skaters here who I love to watch and think "holy crap I wish I could skate like her"). I only strayed from Reidells once (see above) and learned my lesson, and I haven't thought of switching again since. Sometimes I wonder if another boot would be better for me, but I don't want to take the risk when I've never had a problem with Reidells.

Skates are strange creatures. What one person swears by may not work at all for someone else.

[sk8tmum]

Jackson skates for guys go Marquis/Freestyle/Elite. It's the Competitor one that is skipped. The Freestyle is a pretty popular one for guys, but, it's also not that geared for the bigger set, i.e. a decent sized male adult would probably break it down fairly quickly, however,it' s a reasonable quality boot and the Mark IV blade that it comes with is decent for beginning figure skating.

I'd think your coach, if s/he wants you to get figure skates, might be a good one to check with in terms of what is wanted and needed - ????

[aussieskater]

Jackson skates for guys go Marquis/Freestyle/Elite. It's the Competitor one that is skipped. Oops - sorry about that - should have checked the website first! Thanks st8mum.

[Isk8NYC]

I bought DH a pair of Jackson Marquis last year for Christmas and he really likes them. He said that he wishes he had agreed to the expense sooner - the rentals were killing his feet, especially the hockey skates.

DH is a happy rec skater that gets on the ice a handful of times/year, so the PVC soles were fine for him.

[katz in boots]

Jackson skates for guys go Marquis/Freestyle/Elite. It's the Competitor one that is skipped.

Yes that's it! Thanks sk8tmum. Around here adult ladies sometimes start in Jackon Mystique then progress to Freestyle or Competitor, depending on their weight and whether they're jumping much. So depending on the OP's standard, weight, and whether their feet have stopped growing, Freestyles might be a better option.

[Query]

Please see my

http://mgrunes.com/boots/boots.html

including the recommendation you send the bootmaker a cast prepared as in

http://mgrunes.com/boots/BootExpert.html

[londonicechamp]

Hi Mr Small

I use Harlick skates.

As to size, I think that figure skates might be different to hockey skates, and so you should try them out in the shop, to make sure that they fit your feet, before buying them.

I use size 5 (UK size) in hired skates, which is equally to a 37 or 38 in European size.

londonicechamp

[mr.small]

Hey again,

Well, like the stubborn person that I am I went out and ordered them online, shoe size uk4 (Edea size 245) which arrived in the mail... and they fit perfectly, like a glove (well, not like toe socks, but you get the idea.) Ha? (N.B. in retrospect, not a smart thing, but now I know my exact size...)

They made a mistake with the colour though, they sent me the white ones (yes, as the pseudonym suggests, I am male), so I'm waiting for the black (grey??) ones to arrive. Oh well, the rink is closed from christmas to new year's, so no chance of trying them out... yet.

[Mrs Redboots]

Could you not just dye them? In the meantime, boot covers are the way to go!

[doubletoe]

Whatever boots you settle on, just make sure you push your heel all the way back in the boot as you lace each one. The heel must be absolutely snug so that your foot cannot slide back and forth and your heel cannot lift up in the boot when you point your toes. If you have any extra room in the front of the boot after pushing your heel all the way back and lacing snugly, you should probably go down half a size.

FYI, I'm sure Jackson must make figure skates in boys' sizes, which would be short enough for your 23 cm. feet, but wider than women's boots (and they would be black, not white). If you are just beginning, you should not have stiff boots that are made for a 200 lb. man anyway, so boys' boots could be perfect.

[londonicechamp]

Hi Mr Small

Mrs Redboot's suggestion of using the boot cover, to cover up the wrong colour of your boots, is a perfect one.

londonicechamp