My husband surprised me with figure skating lessons for Christmas. I have always wanted to do this (I'm 52!). Since I am going to be skating at least 2x a week I thought I might want to buy my own skates. Anybody have any ideas how much a good pair of recreational skates would run me and where would a good place be to buy them?

hmmm..I'd say you'd want a decent pair of leather skates, nothing too fancy. Skates run anywhere from 30 bucks to thousands. I'd be looking at a pair of Jackson's. I think they run around 150 or so.

Look in your phone book for a figure skate shop near you. Don't go to a department store and buy them. You should really get them from a local figure skating dealership.

I second jp1andOnly's recomendation of Jackson's. The Freestyle model is heat moldable, which means a firm and comfortable fit. They run from $165 to $180. Be sure to wear tights or knee highs, not socks for the fitting and when you skate. Your big toe should be almost to the end of the boot and your heel should be held firmly in place. If you are in doubt of the fit, ask the salesperson to pull the insole out so you can stand on it. That should help you check the length.

I'm sure $180 must sound like a lot to you now, but if you are in pain or uncomfortable on the ice, your progress will suffer, not to mention the rest of your life. I'm in my 50's too and can't emphasize enough the importance of foot comfort.

Be sure to also buy a pair of blade guards for walking off ice, and a pair of soakers (soft, terry covers) for storing the skates when not in use. Something else you may want is a pair of soft knee pads. You can get the elastic pull on ones at any sporting goods store, usually in the volleyball section.

Welcome to the wonderful world of figure skating. Please come back and tell us about your new skates and your lessons and progress.

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thanks guys for your helpful information
I think I would do better not having to rely on rental skates

Before you buy any skates no matter if they are just for learning to skate or for learning to figure skate, find out what type of foot you have and then try to find the boot brand that has your foot type in mind. Jacksons don't fit all feet. All the good skating boot bands have lower level boots. Do go to a figure skating pro shop.

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Here's a good thread to read where recreational skates are discussed:

http://www.skatingforums.com/showthr...threadid=11585

hi! I recommend Jacksons,you can get them at Rainbo for less than $100 and since you are starting out they are a very good beginner cause they have alot of padding in them,wait untill you are further along till you get high priced boots,because they are a pain to break in,no matter what kind you get but these Jacksons aren't AS bad as breaking in the real good leather ones. I have a pair so I know....I am going to sell my beginner Jacksons as soon as I break in these new boots.

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I don't suffer from insanity I enjoy every minute of it.

Hi

ITA with leather boots, you may be a beginner now but wait until you're hooked

Another point I would make is NOT to buy boots that have the blades bolted on, you SHOULD be able to move or change the blades even on beginner boots (I pronate and have to move the blades slightly to the inside. I only found out when I was having trouble with mohawks, THANKFULLY the skate guy picked this up, moved the blade and VOILA!!).

Also (last point honest ) don't 'overboot' yourself, the top of the range ISN'T suitable when you're beginning because they'll be too strong for you to break in and you won't be able to bend at your ankles. There's nothing worse than painful boots and, having gone back to my super-concrete boots after 18 months off (they felt like slippers before I stopped skating) realise that my feet aren't as tough as they used to be!

Good luck, try lots of boots on because everyone has slightly different shaped feet and what suits me may not suit you, and have fun.

L x

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The best whisper is a click

Everyone has been so nice. Reading all that is here I think the Jackson's would be my best buy as I do have a wide foot. When I started snow skiing a couple of years ago I had the same problem with finding a proper boot to fit my foot. Once I finally did it was wonderful how much better they felt than the rentals. I really appreciate all your comments. I found out there is a skate pro shop not too far from the rink-Skaters Choice in St Louis. That will be my next stop!

I just bought a pair of Jackson Mystiques for beginner skates. They are really nice and fit my wide foot well. The blades are mounted with screws so they could be adjusted if necessary. They are $80.00.

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Sasha Fan
Supporter of Alissa and Amber Czisny

Umm well my first pair of Risport Beginners were only $100 and they lasted about a year?

What's important isn't what brand you buy - but, since you're having lessons, don't get "department-store skates" if you can help it. But do have them properly fitted. Go to a specialist skate shop, or even to your rink's shop, and ask for a good entry-level boot and blade set. You will probably want to upgrade to Coronation Ace blades in a few months, before your boots have worn out, so make sure you have detachable blades.

Make sure, above all, that they fit - not all brands are suitable for all shapes of foot, so it's worth trying a couple. And yes, your feet probably will be sore at first - that is not, alas, something that diminishes with time (my coach had his new boots on yesterday, and was vocal in his abomination of them, but I know, and he knows, and so does everybody else, that in a week his ankles will have stopped hurting and he'll love them!).

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

I really want to thank everybody for their input about buying skates. I wound up going to a store in St Louis called Skaters Choice and got a pair of Riedells. Today was my first day to skate in them. I was truly amazed at how long it took to fit me into the skates. The owner of the store was very patient and knowledgeable. There was just one little spot that was a little sore after skating for an hour so I guess I have a good fit. The skate shop owner told me to come back anytime if I needed any parts of them stretched out. I didn't seem to get the feel right away of what I learned so far. I guess it just will take awhile to get comfortable.

Good to hear you've started skating!! It's always great to have your own pair of skates.
I want my mom (almost 58) to learn how to skate just a little, but she's not so sure. She never even learned to roller skate. I guess I shouldn't bug her about learning to ice skate, because if she got injured I'd feel really bad.

I too use a pair of Riedell's (intro freestyle level), which I got in October 2002. At first they were more supportive than I thought and took some getting used to, but now they're a lot softer.

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Andrea

Congratulations! It sounds like you did find a good pro shop, since they spent a lot of time with you. It does take some time to break in new skates, and you did quite well to last an hour the first time. What model did you get?

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