there is always so much discussion about skaters wanting to know what type of boot and blade they should get..my question that I pose is how do I know when it's time to purchase a new boot and/or blade, should I just wait until my coach tells me??

trust me, you'll know when you need a new boot. You'll fell like all your landings are jsut not that secure anymore. The skate does not make you feel stable.

I don't know about blades though, either when they are fully nsharpened down, or if your level greatly increases. I would ask my coach for that

i just bought new boots this week. you will definitely know!!! i felt "wobbly" when i would do moves and my landings in jumps were pitched way forward because of the decreased ankle support.

i'd ask the person who sharpens yr blades for advice on when you need new ones.

-t

Kind of a "Me Too!" post, but I concur. You will know. If you're rather recent to the sport, like me, you may not trust that you know. When my Reidells started breaking down after only a week and a half, I thought I couldn't possibly be correct. However, sure enough, I was wreaking havoc on beginner boots that weren't made to stand up to the punishment I was throwing at them. So although I didn't have prior experience, even I was able to recognize when I went from "breaking in" to "breaking down". Since the damage is mostly internal, I'm keeping my old boots for autograph purposes. I think it's a smart idea.