HI Everyone this is a long post sorry
I need to buy figure skates but here is the problem the more i find out the more confused i become lol, my feeet are wide i was fitted for Riedells and am off the chart in width, 8 1/2 mens (i am female but these are wider to start with) just wider than the widest possible fitting, so since then i have been reading some of these posts on boots, what i would like to know if anyone could help me is what anyone knows about Edea, Riedell, Jackson, Edmonton, Klingbeils, regarding what the approx break in time is, do they break down easily, etc and costing. I am heavy and am learning as much as i can i can do forward spirals, and am learning bunny hops, toe taps and anything else i can. I am heavy around 100kgs (one day i a may lose weight but not in the near future) I would like skates that are going to last as i cant afford to buy a new pair anywhere in the next few years, all suggestions will be greatly appreciated Thank you all

First of all, when you say "Edmonton", are you referring to the Graf Edmonton Specials? (Edmonton is not the brand name, Graf is). If so, those skates are waaay too advanced for someone at your level (beginner). Elite skaters doing triples and quads wear them.

I understand your wanting your boots to last a while, but the worst thing you can do is buy skates that are too stiff or heavy for you. Take it from someone who's been there, done that.

If you have wide feet, Riedells are not for you. There is no way some fitter should have put you in a men's skate if you are female.

Jacksons and Risports are good for people with wide feet. I think Grafs are too but you will want a much lower-level skate in their line than the Edmonton Specials. Jacksons tend to be cheaper relative to other skate brands, but they are good quality skates. Just make sure you don't get more boot (strength level) than you need.

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Terri C is a Bronze lady!
Gold Moves, here I come!

ITA with Debbie S, and would add that Klingbeils are custom only, are $545 and worth every penny. If you can find Jacksons that fit, I would suggest you go with them first, and hold off on the customs till later.

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Well, if you're "off the charts" width wise for Riedell, you are probably off the charts for most boot companies because the width definitions from one boot to another varies a little but not *that* much, meaning you will be requiring customs. Therefore you can go and try on as many boots as you can find (you'll probably have to try some on in the wrong width but you can still get an idea of how they feel) and then order customs from the company and model you like the best. Another reason you might need customs is because according to your weight, your ankles might be a bit larger than stock boots would allow for. I know this happened to a girl who was going to buy a pair of used boots from me (when I still wore stock boots). Her ankles were larger than mine by a bit, and she just couldn't lace up the boots all the way. Stock boots are all cut from one last and can't fit everybody's ankles, and even a little extra weight can be a deal-breaker regarding that sometimes.

I also agree that you don't want to get too much boot. On the other hand, skates are mostly designed for 80lbs 8 year-olds, so you probably don't want to go by your level ONLY, as you will probably be a little bit heavier on your boots than what would be assumed for a beginning level (for reference to anyone else giving advice, 100kg=220 lbs). Sure there are many beginning adults these days, but the lasts of stock boots haven't been "upgraded" to factor that in. The stiffness of beginner boots are meant to accomodate kids (recreational skates excluded from this generalization). They work with most adults, too, but the more weight or height you add to "the norm" the more boot you'll need to compensate for it.

The companies that make custom boots are Harlick, Riedell, SP-Teri, and Klingbeil. I don't think I missed any? Not sure about Jackson. People often say that Grafs make customs, but that isn't the case, at least not currently. I know nothing about Edea, but someone from Europe probably will. To give you a ballpark, I would think that for Riedell you might want to try on a Silver or Gold Stars, a Pro-Teri for SP Teri, and a Competitor or High Tester for Harlick. I know nothing about you so these are of course just suggestions to get you started. If you like a particular boot, you can order the exact model as a custom which means they'll be made to fit you perfectly. So see how the stiffness of these boots feel, and move down if they're too much. I wouldn't go above the levels of the boots I listed, though. You don't want to hurt yourself and boots that are too stiff are a disaster waiting to happen. Good luck!

If Its any help I know that Gam offer D width if you order them especially and they only cost about $30 more than the stock boot, I know this as I have just bought the ultra 095 model in a 7 1/2 D. I'm not exactly light either
(I'm in th UK so I had to import these)

Thanks for the replies, to buy Jacksons i am looking at over $700 they do a custom width, i can get Riedell Silver or Gold stars cheaper even with the custom extra charge over $100, thanks for the heads up on GRAF Edmontons, i have tried Risport but they are way too narrow (i am currently using a mens RF4 which are too long for me I know this is the best way but i cant fit the hire skates either i need a 10 in those and they still squish my foot and are much longer than these. My first skates were recreational Dominions which were ok for for stroking around the rink but cramp my feet way too much when doing edges trying to keep them on the edge etc. So the Risports are a step up from them still get the feet cramping but not so much, and edges are so much easier in these.
What is the issue about the fitter putting me in mens skates? is there a big difference? he said that mens skates are made on a wider last that was the reasoning behind it.
thanks again to everyone for your help i really appreciate it
Sam

Risports are known to have a high instep, which can lead to cramping. Riedell are also quite narrow. Gam are a more generous fitting across the ball of the foot.
I have a pair of Graf Galaxies, but am currently looking into Jacksons.

My feet are way off the chart, whatever the brand. Jacksons can do a modified wider ball fitting. I was quoted an extra $55 AUD for getting that done, despite the enourmous width of my feet.

men's skates tend to be a little more expensive than women's I think, and are usually black.

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

Why so much money on the Jacksons and why custom made?
I have a wide foot and the C width in the Jacksons works great for me! Paid less than $150 for my Classiques including guards and tax, and have a pair of 9C Freestyles on order for $150 (not including guards and tax).

If you are willing to pay $700 for Jacksons, then I say there is no contest - get Klingbeils, which will be made to fit your very own feet, down the least detail.

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Like SkatingOnClouds, I'd suggest you look into Jacksons semi-custom as they seem to run much cheaper than full custom. Mine are size 9D+ ( OK so I'm a yeti) Competitors, and are just lovely around the front of the foot. The extra width cost me AUD 50 about 3 years ago, and it looks like they haven't increased their prices much since then.

Now, about the heel which is rather too loose ... Not sure if Jacksons does a mixed-size boot, but it would be worth it if they do!!

Well Love you and I are about the same weight and I have "duck feet" (wide across the toes). My first boots were Jackson Competition in 10C and I had the sides punched out a few times around the toes. It took maybe 20 hours to break them in - I'm a re-beginner so I am not doing anything advanced. They have almost 90 hours on them now and are quite comfortable. I think they cost me about $450 Canadian.

I had a second pair of "semi-customs" made recently by Jackson. They did a "combination last" with a C-width heel, a D-width toe, and some extra build-out in the toe for $50 above stock price. They are going to be REALLY comfortable but aren't broken in yet. These are Elites.

The MOST important thing in getting boots is to go to a fitter who knows what he/she is doing. A good fitter will be familiar with the differences between brands and can work with the manufacturer to ensure you get a proper fit. If they could fit my duck feet, I think they can fit anybody!

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

Thank you all again i really do appreciate all the advice, i am off the chart in Jackson skates as well in the width (a D fitting is way to small), i have no idea why the price is so expensive but that is what i was quoted by our proshop.
Thank you all again, Rusty Blades if you have duck feet i think mine must be elephant feet.

Thank you all again i really do appreciate all the advice, i am off the chart in Jackson skates as well in the width (a D fitting is way to small), i have no idea why the price is so expensive but that is what i was quoted by our proshop.
Thank you all again, Rusty Blades if you have duck feet i think mine must be elephant feet (although everything but the width seems normal (according to the Riedell fitter)).

I believe jackson goes up to a double or triple ee in their boots but have to be special ordered. I was fitted as a ee but got a d and punched out the toes and they fit great. You might be able to go a little smaller and do punch outs and stretching with the toes to make them feel right.

That was the same for me - a 10C heel width was perfect so the widened 10D toe box will (I hope) work out well and, at $50 over stock, it's cheaper than full-custom.

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

I did basically the same thing, I have a b/c width heel but the ball of my foot is more like a c/d, so I got the d width and had them heat molded. When we heat-molded them, the fitter squeezed in the heel area with his hands while the boots were warm to make the heel cup a little narrower. The fit is perfect.

One thing to remember, since you said someday you might lose weight, is that when your weight goes down your foot may well get narrower. That's what happened to me, and that's why I had to start looking into different boot brands. I was only 19 at the time, so the whole shape of my foot wasn't quite done changing yet anyway, but keep in mind that at some point you may be able to wear a narrower skate.

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Shae-Lynn and Victor: We knew you were champions, and on 3/28/03 the whole WORLD found out! Thank you for twelve wonderful years!

Why not? Since men's boots run wider, this might actually be a great solution. It gives her more width without having to go with customs. And every other feature of the boots should be just the same, except for the color (which is generally black for men's boots). But you can always wear boot covers if you don't like the color. Also, the required stiffness for a boot isn't a function of what jumps you are doing in that boot; it's a function of how much weight you put onto the boot when you skate (which just happens increased if you do double and triple jumps because of the jump height). The heavier a skater is, the more support he/she will need. But of course it's important for someone at a lower level not to have *too* stiff a boot because otherwise it's too difficult to get a deep enough knee bend.

I wouldn't get a narrower boot until this actually happens, but if you are in the process of losing weight now and it's a toss-up between widths, maybe get the narrower one.

My feet shrank when i lost weight. I didn't switch brands though, just went down in length and width. I am going to be re-measured by a reputable fitter soon and will see if I am actually in the right brand/model for my feet.

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

My ankles actually became thicker after skating for 5 months! Oh, the bony part is still the same but from there down my ankle is wider than before I started skating. It's so noticable that I thought I was retaining water but it's not soft and puffy but firm - I guess there are some muscles there that have responded to skating.

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )