They are Jacksons and seems to be a decent skate for someone like me who is a recreational skater taking begining lessons. I figure if I need to get a better skate later, I can do that. Do you guys think these will be decen skates for the type of skating I will be doing? I don't plan on doing jumps...

http://www.paragonsports.com/Paragon...kates_ice_Gear

Angie

I have these exact skates! They will work fine for a beginner, but Glaciers don't hold up well for adult weight. I got mine back in June and was already upgrading by October because they were wearing down. They got me through Adult 4 USFSA LTS classes, though 3turns were difficult with the blade having virtually no rocker.

For moves like crossovers, mohawks, edges, glides, and maybe 2 foot spins, these skates will be OK. If you plan any jumps or spins or getting into any freestyle levels, you'll need a stiffer boot and better blade.

These skates were a huge improvement over rentals and if you skate enough, having your own skates will save you money.

FYI, if you have wide feet, these skates will squish your toes. ouch!

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Just keep in mind that Scott Hamilton always wore off-the-rack skates. He never had custom skates, not even for the Olympics. If skates like these are good enough for Scott Hamilton, they're good enough for the rest of us

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deannathegeek
"It's like trying to do a toe loop in hockey skates-you have to have the right tools for the job."

Skates like those were not good enough for Scott Hamilton. Although elite skaters can do a lot in low end skates, they all wear top of the line. Elite level skaters wear out their boots in 6 to 8 months, and those boots are like concrete blocks. The Glaciers are like papier mache by comparison. Jackson and most other companies make a great many models of boots. Glaciers are entry level recreational skates that come with blades already attached. High end boots do not come with blades, as each skater chooses the blades they like best. Not everyone needs custom boots. More important than the level of skating one does, is the type of feet one has. If your feet happen to differ in size, even a little (length or width), you might need a custom boot to provide the close fit necessary for even mid-level figure skating. Another reason to get custom boots would be if your feet just didn't feel good in any of the stock boots available. I got my daughter custom Klingbeils as soon as her feet stopped growing. One of her feet is a tad longer than the other, and custom Klingbeils cost only a little more than the stock boots she needed anyway. Riedells were not a good fit for her, and we couldn't find high end boots of other brands in her size locally.

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Thanks!! There were a couple other models of Jackson skates at the store I went to, but I decided to start with these. I figure if I get into skating more, I can upgrade my skate later. At this point, I'm not planning on jumps but time will only tell how far I will want to go with this. Last week we skated as a family, 3 times and we'll do the same this week. I will start my LTS class next week and I imagine we will skate on Monday and probably Saturday next week too. SO, I will probably skate anywhere from 2-3 times a week. For now, I think these skates will be perfect. Thankfully I don't have wide feet... so I think my toes will be spared. :-) Oh and I agree, these are MUCH better then rentals.

Yup, these seem perfect for my needs right now. All I was looking for is an entry level skate to get me out of rentals(BLECH). I've worn them twice and they are definately better! If I continue beyond basic classes and recreational stuff, I will be getting a better skate. For now, these are perfect for me. I would have liked some Riedell's(my daughter wears Riedell's), but I cannot find them locally. I could have ordered some from the rink, but I wanted my own skates sooner then I would have gotten a pair of skates from them. SO, for now, I will use these. If I decide later that I need different skates, they will probably be Riedell's.

That's is interesting about Scott Hamilton! My daughter wears Riedell's. I really wanted some Reidell's but I was only able to find Jackson skates in stock, locally. I could have ordered some skates from the rink, but I didn't want to wait for them to come in. I will start my LTS class next week and I did not want to do that in rentals, soooo I bought the Glaciers. If I end up doing more then basics and casual recreational skating, I will need to upgrade later. For now, these skates will be perfect. :-)

In my experience, entry level Jacksons fit more people than entry level Riedells. Riedells run narrow and the lower level models seem to be even narrower, whereas Jacksons are closer to average, and even a little on the wide side. I recommend the Jackson SoftSkate (Glacier series) to almost all of my beginner students.

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I tried the Softskate and I didn't like it, so I went with this one. So far it seems to be a decent skate for me. We'll see how it goes! I will add that I do think it is a bit on the wide side. I don't usually wear a regular width shoe and these do feel a little wide. I lace them extra tight and that seems to help. I do wish they fit a little more snug... but I must say they are much better then the rentals! LOL. I do like how the ankles are in this skate. I haven't had an issue with them bothering my ankles yet. I've worn them for about 3 hours so far. Anyway, thanks for your comments. :-)

We had a bit of a fiasco here recently, Risport RF1 super (top of the risport line) shoes were kicked out of the stock of the main/best shop in the Netherlands, and they went for like... 90 euro. That's the same price as Risport etoile, Risport's entry level skates. Some beginners took those RF1's and they're *all* up on marktplaats.nl because nobody could break them in or even learn to skate in them.
Plus, bone growths.
Sometimes there's something to be said for paper mache. Well as long as people remember to upgrade once in a while.

Sounds like they'll be perfect for you, at least for the first few months; if and when you need a new pair (and depending on all sorts of factors, not least of which is how sore on them you are, that may be anything up to two years) you may need to upgrade, but they'll be perfect for a first boot. And by then you'll know where other people at your rink go to buy their skates!

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Oh, Angie! How many of us said that when we started out, and are now working on axels and doubles and spending hundreds of dollars a month?!? Never say never.

Yeah I was one of them (except the doubles)

My opinion only: don't let people scare you away from them. They will do fine for a while, but wear them tight, and do something about it if they hurt. Eventually, if you do deep edges or jumps, you will want something better.

The main advantage of your own boots is that you can modify them to fit snugly and painlessly, and can customize the way you interact and balance with the blade. Also, you get the same feel week after week.

I had a coach once with a world class competitive history, who happily skated in what he must have competed and toured in 10 or 15 earlier - very thin flexible boots.

I don't know the precise model you are using, but they are probably either not very stiff (most likely), or are very very stiff (ughh).

Most entry level skates come with a blade that doesn't let you easily roll into the toe pick. That's nice at first, but if and when you get into 3-turns and spins, you use the toe pick.

There are variant opinions regarding how tight the top of the boots should be, both by fit and lacing.

A lot of people never realize they can modify their boots to fit. They hurt all the time, or slip and slide all over, or need to use a lot of muscle to hold their legs vertical when they balance over one foot.

If you wear boots in a way that you never touch the sides on top, they may never wear out - but they won't do you any good, in terms of ankle support. Pretty pointless.

If you modify your skates to fit you very tightly and uniform all over, there is no space to form a breakdown crease. They pretty much won't ever break down completely. It will take a few days to break them down enough to skate comfortably. You can make do with relatively soft boots, because the ankle support comes into effect immediately. Also, there is no slippage and no bruising. Eventually they get softer and softer, until they provide little ankle support, but that typically takes many years or decades. I like that style, but it's a bit old fashioned.

But if you want the top part a bit loose (e.g., so you only come in contact with the sides of the boot as you approach the limits of your flexibility), you will get creases, because there is space to form them. You want a really stiff boot to slow that breakdown, and they may do so in a few months anyway. You may want some type of pads on top inside to cushion your feet against abrasion and bruises. I think most people now choose that style, or something in between this and the prior one.

Regardless, skates should fit snugly all over the foot below the ankle (though you probably want to be able to wiggle your toes, and not have them bent up or down) to control the blade. If you slip or rock as you tilt one way or the other, that means you lose control for a moment, frustrating and/or dangerous.

If they still feel a bit too wide, you can get a foam insole and cut off the heel part...so you just have the part from your arch to toes. Stick that inside your boot. They are very thin and don't take up too much room so it should not feel tight. Try that or you could wear very thin socks (if you skate barefoot) or slightly thicker ones than you currently wear.

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Thanks so very much! I may try that. :-) I appreciate your advice.

[QUOTE=Query;355231]My opinion only: don't let people scare you away from them. They will do fine for a while, but wear them tight, and do something about it if they hurt. Eventually, if you do deep edges or jumps, you will want something better."

Thanks! I'm pretty happy with them so far. I will have to "tweak" them a bit, but like you said, I will be able to customize them for my feet. I'm certain these aren't the stiffest boots, but they are definately not flimsy. There was a model that was 30-40 more then these skates and I considered those, but before plopping more money down on skates, I wanted to be certain I would use them regularly. The last couple of weeks, we've been skating quite often, so only time will tell if these will be good enough for me. :-)

Thanks again!

Hee hee... considering how much we're spending already, I can totally see how that is possible! I can't believe how much I spent last week on skating. Between paying for my daughter's and son's private lessons and ice time, going to 3 public sessions and buying skates for myself and my dh, we shelled out much more then I expected. :-)

There is a community center near me that has an ice rink, dh and I have decided to become members because the public sessions are included in the membership. They have so many activities going on... swimming, rock climbing, weight training, running/walking, basketball, raquetball, ect. I want to join just for the ice time... LOL!! Public sessions aren't always the most ideal place to practice, but it definately gives my kids the chance to improve.
Plus, itis so much fun to skate as a family!

Anyway... I'm babbling now. But I can see how it is possible to spend more on skating then you ever thought was possible. Who knows, maybe I will want to learn more then the basics!

Thanks! I think they will be perfect too. If I need to buy a different set of boots later, I will. :-)