Having been cursed with both wide & long feet, I had modified custom GAMs made for me and for almost $700 CDN, they are the best investment I've made in my skating. They give a lot more support to my ankles and the G3 blades are wider & have considerably bigger picks than my first pair.

Now, having said that, I can't suggest a particular make one way or the other as I have a bias here - LOL. Has your coach suggested anything in particular? She/he may be able to make some suggestions. Also is there a particular maker of skates that has served you well previously?

In addition I'd do what another poster suggested and make sure you are fitted properly for boots & blades. When I had mine fitted I went to a particular shop that had been highly recommended by other skaters and has served me well in the past.

So, you have to go with what works best for you. When in doubt I'd ask my coach or other skaters what worked for them, it might give you a better picture.

Question: I'm thinking I might go with Klingbeils since the shop is only an hour away and I could go there and talk with them directly. Anyway, when I switched from my Riedell's to my Sp teris, the teris were amazingly lighter than the Riedells. Is that because I went from a beginnerish boot to a better boot, or is it just the brand? Because I love how lightweight they are. Are Klingbeils light too?

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I have Klingbeils because I have extremely wide feet and a high arch. They're pretty heavy, but they're also almost 3 years old, so they might have lightened them since then.

I think you ought to go with a combination width/heel unless you have truly bizarre feet. Customs aren't any better than stock boots. Most of the skaters who get their gold medals at my club, which is pretty big, are in stock boots. At your level, a good stock boot should cover your needs. You need a good fitter more than you need a custom boot. Are you near Ice House at all? I would imagine they would have an excellent skate shop.

Oooh there's an idea. I'm only about 25 minutes away from there.

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I just got my new Klingbeils and they are noticeably lighter than my old ones.

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Harlick and SP Teri are very similar and Harlick has just come out with a lighter boot, I think the KT2 and KT3 from SP Teri are also pretty light. My Harlicks are heavy but not terribly so...my friend had Klingbeils and they were just a mess, 3 tries at getting them right didn't work and finally she gave up and went to SP Teri. I got custom SP Teri's got measured by George at Sectionals, they fit my cats, like AAAA in the front and AAAAAAA in the heel. I could not actually get my foot into the skate. Made them over A in the front AAA in the heel really heavy gave them to another skater who loved them. In the end, a custom product requires tweaking, don't expect it to be right the first time....

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I just got Klingbeils and they are lighter than my current Riedells! They are amazinggg. Like half our rink has custom Klingbeils and we all adore them. If you can go directly there you should!!

Sometimes you can get certain special features to stock boots, rather than full custom boots, and save a bit of money. For example, my Harlicks are semi-custom, in that they are basically the stock boot, but a combo width. I take a B at the heel, and a C in the toe box. I suspect you may need similar. I think you may be able to get away with a stock boot, but with a combo width, and perhaps some other special features. I also wonder if having a model of boot that's heat moldable won't fix your ankle fit issues?

The Ice House in Hackensack has a very good skate fitter, Jim. Another good fitter is Richie, who I believe is now at the Mennan Arena pro shop in Morristown. Call first and make an appointment, since both men have great reps and thus are extremely busy.

My new Klingbeils are about the same weight as my circa-2001 Klingbeils; maybe a half-pound HEAVIER.
That could also be because of the different blades. (Old=Patt99; New=Gold Seals.) *shrugs*

ETA: I wonder if my new skates are lighter because the boots are medium-strength Freestyle boots compared to my old extra-warmth "Instructor" boots? Hmmmmm....

I second the Jim @ Ice House (although he's hard to get an appt with and often makes you feel like he's doing you a favor. LOL) and Richie @ C&L in Mennen Arena. At Mennan, another great old-time fitter is Al, who is outstanding but you MUST have an appointment because he's not there a lot. (C&L fitted me for my first pair of figure skates, when they were the pro shop at the old Sky Rink in Manhattan.) I use/have used both Jim and Richie recently and highly recommend them both. Klingbeil's dealer sheet only shows C&L at Mennen, but both sell other brands of customs and semi-customs.

You might also want to check out Joe Delecki at Eastern Ice Sports in Summit, NJ (Beacon Hill Club.) Don't let anyone else do the fitting there - he's outstanding and unique. I don't *think* he sells/fits Klingbeils anymore, but he does do SP-Teri and Harlick customs.

Whatever you do, make an appointment beforehand with the right person. Too many of my students have been fitted improperly by well-meaning salespeople who didn't know what they were doing.

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I thought the whole point of these self-moulding sock thingies, intricate, exact measurements, photos etc, and the extra money was so the boot would fit right, first time. It worries me that I could go to all that expense and extra time involved to get custom boots and still end up with something that required didn't fit right.

I guess it isn't such as issue if you live close to a factory, but I live on the other side of the world. Sending skates back and forwards from Australia to USA is expensive (if you don't want to wait up to 6 months one way by sea mail). I would be 'spitting chips' if I had to send them back for 'tweaking'.

Is this a common experience, having to send custom boots back for adjustments?

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

It really depends on your fitter. My boots have always been perfect the first time and I attribute it to my fitter.

Mine, although not custom, were perfect right off after the heat molding, again due to my pro. I'd gone in thinking I needed SP-Teri due to my wide forefoot. Richie took one look at my feet and recommended semi-custom Harlicks. I was surprised, but willing to try, and he was right.

I just sold my custom Harlicks. After years of perfect fits, they didn't fit and I couldn't wear them. I sent them back, and nothing improved. The young girl who got them tried them on - with my old phantom blades (she has pattern 99), and went out and did an axel.
I'm glad they made someone's feet happy!

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Just made an appointment for tomorrow with Richie, since I have a lesson and will be there anyway. Thanks guys.

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