Hi all...

I was wondering if I could get some feedback on what a good pair of skates would be to get for an adult beginner. I skate a few times a week, and participate in a weekly adult class.

Thanks!...oh and if there are any folks in Dallas let me know...
Sonia

My vote: Riedell Silver Stars and Coronation Aces or MK Professional blades. They're a little above your level I'm assuming, but they'll last you a long time, and I wouldn't feel right reccommending a blade below that level anyways. The boots, I wouldn't reccommend the same to someone who was 10-12 years old, but as an adult, you need more support so while they may be a little (though not much) advanced for you, they will be fine with your adult body. If they're too stiff, I believe they make Bronze Stars, and if they aren't stiff enough, they make Gold Stars. Never go too stiff though, especially in the beginning.

Anyways, that's my suggestion, but of course you will not know if these boots are for you until you try them on. Not every boot make fits every kind of foot. If they don't work for you, I'd look into custom Klingbeils cause they can make soft ones, and they are the only other brand I'd really reccommend. I'm sure others will reccommend other brands, but those are really the only ones I like.

its not good to get blades far above your level...

ask around more like at the rink or a shop....
club 2k's are good for ur level

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Most starter boots come with beginners blades already attached and these are usually more than adequate for a beginner. Once you progress you will then be able to move up to a better blade, but I don't see any mileage in going straight there. Here in the UK, a lot of beginners start out in Risport RF4 skates which are a good basic skate for anyone starting out.

Unless you're particularly hard on your shoes, or rather heavy, I don't think I'd recommend Riedell Silver Stars right off the top. I'd probably go with the Riedell 320 level (not sure of the name...are those the Bronze Stars now?). They'll last you in the vicinity of a year, maybe two (depending on how often you skate, and how hard you skate, and how hard you are on shoes/boots generally). The Aces or Pros would probably be an okay blade--I can't remember what I had on my Riedell 220s, it wasn't that, and they were okay, but I moved up into the MK Pros with my next pair of boots.

This is something to run past your coach--they can help you decide what boot level will be best for you, given your skating style and the other surrounding factors. But most beginners start out in a lower-level Riedell, or Jackson (which I don't know much about).

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Good call--my mother is a recreational skater who has been in Silver Stars for years, and loves them! They're a great boot that will last a long time.

Is your mother's Silver Star heat moldable? Prior to that version, the Silver Star was a much lighter weight, less stiff boot with a gel lining that gradually molded to the foot with the body's own heat. I think it made a great recreational boot or low level freestyle boot. I think the current Silver Star is far too stiff for beginning skaters. Even the current 320, Bronze Star, is a pretty tough boot to start out in. A lot depends on the skater, though. An athletic beginner, with strong legs and not too lightweight, could probably handle the 320, but I've seen middle aged women under 150 pounds who simply could not break them in. It's a pity, because they do come as sets with a decent beginning freestyle blade.

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When did boots first become heat moldable? I don't know much about head molding, so I'm guessing it wasn't an option when we bought her skates--we bought them around '97.

There were no heat moldables back then, and the Silver Star may not even have had the gel liner. You can easily tell by pressing your thumb into the liner and if it gives ever so gently, almost like putty, then it is gel. In either case, it is a much softer boot than the latest Silver Star version.

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Interesting! I didn't know that Silver Stars had changed so much. In that case, to respond to the original posting, I can recommend the older version of Silver Stars but don't know too much about newer versions.

The only reason I know is that my younger daughter started in Silver Stars in 1997 (just did the calculation now, so your mom's probably do have the gel liner unless they were old stock). When I got my first pair of skates in 2000, I got used Silver Stars, but when I took a friend to look at them two or three years ago, they had been beefed up way beyond beginner level, and now have the heat moldable liner.

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Hmmmmm that may be something to consider. To be honest I haven't looked at those models in a really really long time, and am probably thinking back to the older model, which is what I had years back. I had no idea they changed anything about those boots.

You know, something that doesn't get said enough here, is that it varies so much according to your foot. Some have wide feet, some narrow. What is comfortable to one person can be agony to another

What I have learned:

Riedell run narrow. Risport are narrow across the instep, I believe they are quite high in the arch too. Graf & Gam are wider. Some brands are wider at the ball, narrow across the heel and vice versa. You really have to try some on to find out which suits your foot type best.

And after that, consider recommendations here as to what model. What I tend to do (and this is only me, not an expert) is look at what is recommended as appropriate for my level, then go one step up from that. That's just me. But yes, you can waste a lot of money buying a boot or blade that you aren't going to be ready for until your next set.

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

Excellent advice! Glad you thought of it. I can add that Jacksons tend to be wide.

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