Hi all. This is my first post on this board so let me say in advance I'm grateful for your help in this matter. I only recently started skating again after about 30 years(I'm 50 now). I try to skate at least once a week. I consider myself a serious recreational skater and I want to get better! So heres my question.
I have decided the best skate for me at this time is the Jackson freestyle.
But should I get the complete skate package which seems to have a less than steller blade, it an ultima mirage, or just buy the boot and have my exhisting blades, MK single star, installed? The blades I have are old but in good shape and getting new blades and new skates is not at the moment an option. Or is there something in the $250- $300 range I'm missing?
Thanks
Paul

I don't know a lot about Jackson skates, but if you have a decent pair of blades that have life in them and you like them, go ahead and use them. If blades are properly cared for (covered and not put where they can rust), they can sit around for years. I just slapped a pair of blades I've had sitting around the house for 10 years onto some new boots. You can always replace the blades later on.

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2010-2011 goals:
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Don't break anything

MK Professionals are like $240.

http://www.mkblades.com/

The Jackson Freestyle can be purchased boot-only, but most pro shops have to place an order for the boots because they don't keep them in inventory. If you think about it, that makes sense since experienced skaters know to order and lower-level skaters want immediate satisfaction, lol.

Order the boots you want and wait until they come in before addressing the blade situation. You might find that your old blades are the wrong length for your new boots. Blades should be the same, or 1/4" shorter, than the boot sole length.

I have purchased Jackson Freestyle boot-and-blade sets for my DDs because the price was right. I had the blades pulled, the holes plugged, and a better blade mounted by a good skate tech. It left me with a pair of stock blades that I had no use for, so they sat in a box until the girls outgrew the boots. I swap the blades back before I find a new home for the skates and either reuse the better blade or sell it separately. (I've never gotten better prices for skates with upgraded blades on eBay.)

If you do have blades replaced later on, be sure that the fitter plugs the holes and makes new ones for the new blade. When the fitter reuses holes, it can torque or bend the blade. (As I found out the hard way.)


MK Pro and JW Coronation Ace blades usually retail for around $215, but there are bargains to be had for as little as $180 new.
http://www.tidewaterice.com/blades.htm

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No recommendation on skates, but I love your screen name (Bowie fan, I assume?)

If you're male, which assumption I'm making from your name at the end of the post, sorry if I'm in error, you likely have to have them ordered in anyways, as it's rare to find guy boots in stock. So, order the boot only ... and that way you won't have problems with existing holes, etc.

Why, out of curiosity, have you chosen the Freestyle? The price you are listing there, is the price for the boot and blade combo and I think you're on the high side, depending on where you live.

Oh, after getting some sleep it looks like the OP is looking for a boot+blade combo for 250-300 USD.

Hrm, I don't know much outside of recreational skates that cost that much.

I know the Reidells I started in were like $200'ish, but their recreational boost tend to be soft and break in extremely easily (and break down in the process) for the male models. I wouldn't recommend them.

If you do get a rec boot, try to find a fitter, and try to get something a bit stiffer than Reidells, that way you won't break them down so hard, as fast.

Lighter people who skate very little tend to have less issues with them, though. If you don't skate a whole lot, maybe they will work for you.

Yes I do agree I feel I need (and want) a stiffer boot. Thats why I'm thinking about the Jackson freestyle as opposed to a recreational skate. I also have a medium width foot so I don't think reidells are that good for me. I do believe I found someone good to fit me in Manhattan. West side skate and stick. And while I now I can find the boots, or package online cheaper, Fromm all I've read about West side I think they will do the most professional job with fitting and blade advise. I just want to go in there prepared with as much information as possible. Thank you all again. Keep it coming. This is most helpful!

Yes, he showed me to look to the future and always stay curious about everything.

Actually - the best advice is to try on a few different brands of boots. Since you are going to a skate fitter anyhow, this is your most sensible choice. As a coach, I ALWAYS ALWAYS suggest that my skaters try on a few brands in the price range they feel comfortable with -- and then decide which boot feels the best. A good fitter shoudl always suggest the best fitting boot for you - not the brand they have in stock...at least if they want to keep their good reputation.

You may find that Riedell do fit you ....or even Graf ... or Wifa.....but unless you try, who knows?

Jackson fit fat or thin feet - it just means the fitter has to order the correct width....and same for Riedell. Different models of the same brand often have different features aka - wider or thinner toe box, or ankle cut-out for bending etc.

I can't imagine how anyone gets the correct fit and size by ordering online.....even with the size charts that Harlick, Jackson, and Riedell have online, my skaters have ended up with a boot either bigger, skinnier or wider than the recommended size on the charts.....and have loved their fit.

I wouldn't necessarily rank single star over the mirage... I had double stars on my first "real" pair of skates (which were Risport Super Cristallos and all wrong for my feet, but that's another issue) and I quickly moved up to professionals with my next pair of boots. There just wasn't enough toe-pick on them for me on the single stars. I loved the professionals.. those were great blades (I moved up to Phantoms when I was doing doubles).

I wanted to say though, I moved to Jacksons from custom SP-Teri's and my old blades fit my new boots which are almost a full size bigger (my feet changed after 3 kids). If I had stuck with SP-Teri and gotten boots in the right size, I would have definitely needed longer blades. I lucked out with the Jacksons needing the same length blade as what I had.. I was prepared to buy new blades, but since mine still had a lot of life left I'm glad I didn't have to.

There is a chart on Kinzie's Closet that lists the blade lengths for various boots. https://www.kinziescloset.com/Jackso...ng_Charts.html

I skate in the Elite Plus, but I *love* my Jacksons.. I wish I had known about them earlier in my skating career

I'm talking about the Riedell recreational skates. They are horrible.

I don't think I know anyone here who upgraded to Riedell Freestyle boots from their recreational skates. Almost every skate tech within a 300 mile radius says to stay away from them. To quote one. "no one serious about skating wears Riedell boots."

Maybe they're great for someone who weighs 80 lbs, but for adult-sized males they won't last long. Unless you're willing to skate on risky equipment, you'll be spending more money rebuying those skates every 3-5 months than you would if you had just gone with a decent lower-end freestyle boot. Then you will hae 100 issues and habits to correct, which you picked up from skating in those flimsy things.

The male models give nothing but issues to those I know who have worn them (including myself). On top of that, Riedell has a problem with sending out stock boots with the blades off-center (and once you sharpen them, there is no returning them). I had to drive 5 hours each way to get to someone who was willing to move a blade that was very obviously off-center to the naked eye. I know of others who have gotten their skates that way.

Trying costs money, unless the skate shop is in the rink (or next to one) and they are willing to let you go skate around in them. Sometimes you have to go by reputation. 7/10 times they have to order the male models in, anyways.

My old coach wore SP Teris. Her boot was dated 1996, and they were still strong (even tho they looked a bit rough). $500 for a boot that can last upwards of 10 years, or $200 for a boot that will last 6 months before they began putting your health at risk? Seems pretty cut and dry to me!

WOAH! Riedell is one of the better of the skate brands out there. Johnnie Weir, Joannie Roachette, Kurt Browning ... those are just a few of the top skaters who wear them. They have a wide range of models, from entry level ones at less than $100 to ones that - well, you can spend a few rent payments on them. Are the factory mounted blades sometimes off? Yes, as they are in most boot and blade combinations, IMHO. It's just a fact of buying blades that are not mounted by hand by experts - and, actually, I''ve seen a few mounted by expert ones that are also off centre!

Freestyle is not a Riedell boot, by the way. It is a Jackson boot.

I see that West Side Sports advertizes it stocks or sells Harlicks, Graf, Gam and Jackson skates. You should have a good assortment to try on. Someone of your age should look for a very comfortable boot in the mid price range, as your foot has quit ( I hope) growing....and a good boot will last you forever as a recreational skater. Stiffness is not all its cracked up to be...find a boot that feels snugly secure but allows flexion, and fit it with a Coronation Ace or Four Aces or MK Professsional or Ultima freestyle blade.

BTW in reference to the above poster- GoSveta ---I have skaters from the beginner level to the national level in Riedell and Jacksons...male and female... and have never had major issues with the Riedell or Jackson that the companies have not fixed. However, I don't overboot my skaters and prefer to have the boots rebuilt rather than inflict hip, knee and back injuries that too stiff a boot can cause. We learned the hard way. Parents would rather pay for a well fitting softer boot and then have it replaced or rebuilt -- than to pay for doctor, physio bills and time off the ice with boot inflicted injuries.

The Riedell 1500 is a fabulous boot for both international and other skaters (Joannie wears it...you can tell by the slot holes over the baby toe!). Sure it breaks in easily, which is why I have some of my adults at the bronze level wearing it -- as well as my triple jumpers!

Also: any skater who weighs more than about 120 lbs will eventually break down a skate.....and if you are a male skater of any sufficient height and weight...you will definitely break down just about any skate simply by wearing it, therefore a recreational skate on a 5'10" male who weights about 180 lb (for example) will break down their boot in a short time....Don't blame the skate all the time!

Before my Jacksons I was still skating in my 1997 Sp Teri's. My right boot was twisted and both were too small for me... but sure, they "held up" if you want to put it that way

At this stage in my life, I'm happy to spend $400 on boots that may not last me as long as my $800 SP-Teri's did, because I don't need that much boot anymore. My Jacksons were WAY easier to break in too.. which is important to me now that I'm a bit older and have other health concerns which prevent me from WANTING to potentially damage my feet for life...

I never said Freestyle was a Riedell boot, and I don't wear Jacksons.

I was using the terms Recreational and Freestyle to differentiate between two boot types.

The way you would say "Dance Boots."

And I've still not heard anything great about Riedell skates. Most people move out of Riedell around here after they break apart the cheap ones.

The great thing about Riedell boots are that they aren't too difficult to break in.

Those skaters mentioned don't skate in stock boots.

@ VirtualSk8r: I didn't say to overboot the OP or any other skaters. I said to look for better entry-level skates than Riedells. A flimsy boot is just as bad a one that is way too stiff for a skater.

Double Post :/

Well, maybe that is exactly where the problem is.

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--renatele

Cheap skates are cheap skates---- you don't figure skate with pond skates and you don't pond skate with your figure skates. Recreational skates are designed to be used a few times a year by skaters who have little experience or skating skills. To skate round and round during public skating, for example, as a social thing.

Figure skates are built be be used by skaters - recreational or not - who want to skate more than just laps and more than once or twice a month. Anyone with a desire to learn basic figure skating skills and is planning to skate for an extended period of time learning the skills - should not buy cheaper recreational skates, especially adults. Better to pay a bit more and get a pair of skates designed for the abuse frequent figure skating demands.

Dance skates are lower cut boots, with shorter blades, designed for ice dancing -- not jumping. Some synchro skaters use dance boots and blades as well. No one makes a recreational dance boot....and the softer the boot, the better for dancing, especially the compulsory dances.

Young children can get away with using cheap recreational skates during the first few badges on a learn-to-skate program. They need the flexibility and smaller toe picks. Especially those that take a once-a-week lesson.

RE: Riedell boots falling apart.....all my top national level skaters use Riedell STOCK boots!!! A stock boot is availabe with modifications for everyone. Some of my skaters have narrow heels and wider toes, so they order a 2A 3A boot, which is still a stock boot. A custom boot is made using drawings of the foot, then a mold is made and the boot is constructed using that foot mold of the specific skater. This labor-intensive produce costs more than a stock boot, and the construction is generally still the same, except the boot fits the skaters foot exactly (usually if they have problems like high arches, one foot narrower, bunions, etc.).

I think that the issue you have with Riedell skates is that the models available to you in your country are strictly recreational low end, that adult skaters are purchasing with the expectation that the skates will provide the same service as a pair of real figure skates. Perhaps you should be asking your skate supplier to import figure skates designed to support adult skaters rather than the occasional pleasure skater.

ITA. We have numerous competitive skaters locally; Riedell is rapidly becoming the boot of choice, especially since the company has markedly improved their boot line in recent years; I've not heard a single complaint about them, including from coaches who were hardcore Klingbeil/Harlick/etc fans but are now agreeing that the Riedell product is excellent.

Their entry level rec boots for LTS are also excellent, as they give a range of price and type that allows someone to start at a reasonably good price and then move up (or not) as their needs and interest changes.

My DD has just replaced her GoldStars with the new 875 model; after 2 years of hard skating in a fully adult body, her skates are still in good shape but are starting to hit the end of their lifespan. She's keeping the GoldStars for coaching and for public skating but putting the new boots on the ice for training and competing.

We also get the split width, and it works well. The 875 is very impressive, and we are pleased to see that we get "included" features that we have to pay big $$$ for our other skater, who skates with a different skate make in a fully custom skate that costs us a great deal more than "stock" Riedells! (As we all know, different brands of skates fit different feet ... my skating crew are perfect examples of that ...)

Umm, my husband, who is 6'4 and weighs over 200 pounds, has been in Riedell Gold Stars for the last three years. Whilst not their elite model, they're definitely not a recreational boot either, and they show no sign of breaking down. He's been skating in them 3-4 times a week, on long sessions. I have Riedell Gold Medallions myself, which are at the lower end of their 'freestyle' range. I don't do jumps, admittedly, but I'm no lightweight either, and I've also had no problems with them. They were easy to break in, but I was going down from a boot that was too stiff for me, so that was pretty much inevitable.

Lots of people have had a bad boot experience, for one reason or another, that puts them off that particular brand (in my case,this would be Gams), but that doesn't mean that brand is automatically bad for everyone. Everyone needs to find a brand of boot that suits them, and sometimes this might fly in the face of general advice. For example, I've read many times that Riedells don't fit wide feet thing, but my wide feet find them perfectly comfortable. You can't tell without trying - and sometimes buying skating boots can be a bit hit and miss, particularly if you don't live somewhere where you have the luxury of trying several different brands.

If you haven't figured this out by now, boots and blades are matters of strong individual preference, so don't expect agreement. I've met people who were happy with boots from all the major manufacturers, and people who were very unhappy with boots from all the major brands, I believe mostly because they used a fitter who did a poor job. Finding the best fitter you can find (ask around!) up front is the best way to reduce problems. Push the fitter as far as he/she will go to make the boots snug but comfortable, then see my page below to make them perfect.

TVC15, you are a close drive to the Klingbeil factory store, where you can get fitted and adjusted (and if desired, custom boots made) by the master boot maker, which is usually the best way to go. But last I checked, they charged $650/pair.

You have told us nothing about how good a skater you are. E.g., will you jump in the next few years, and to what level? Will you ice dance with deep edges?

My skates have lasted 10 years and thousands of hours of skating, and are only starting to break in (not down) - and that only because I took extreme measures to make them break in - repeated application of heat, moisture, chemical and mechanical means - because my boots are way too stiff for my skating level. It is better to get boots that will only last you a few years, but which your skating level will break in enough to conform to your feet as you move. Going too stiff or getting misfit could give you a lot of pain and blisters, and maybe arthritis, burst muscle tendons, or malformed feet, etc., as well as difficulty skating. Getting everything right will be almost perfectly comfortable, will create no medical issues, and you will skate better.

If you get a good boot fitter, he/she can tell you whether your old blades will fit the new boots, and whether they have a enough life in them to be worth while. If you are happy with the blades you have, you may be able to make do.

Your coach, if you have one, should also be a good source of advice on boots and blades, specific to your skating level and style - but coaches develop strong personal preferences too, which might not match the way your feet are shaped.

By the way, in addition to trying multiple brands, also try multiple models within each brand, as different models have different shapes. If you find something close, try several pairs of the same model - they are hand made and fit differently.

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I didn't know that I mentioned living in another country.

I live in the United States.

I also have good skates (Klingbeils), so the Riedell business is all but history to me. My fitter can order in almost any Riedell, Jackson, SP-Teri, and Graf boot - among one or two other more obscure (at least to me) brands.

Thank you all again for the educated and passionate views on boots and blades. Its funny how easy it is to get caught up with all of your enthusiam for your equipment. I started to consider a trip to Klingbeil! then I realized my position and budget. Query, thank you for for very helpful post. To answer your question about ability. I am 50 years old. 5'8" 150 LBS. In pretty good shape(but not great shape) I skate once a week, twice a week maybe 4 or 5 times a year. I doubt if I will ever jump, but hey, you never know! I was once speaking to an instructor at a local rink and he said I seemed to have a good grasp of the basics. I can crossover forward and back. tee stop. I would land do a fair 3 turn. I would love to get better at edging! while I don't want to buy cheap, I also don't want to buy too much boot for my potential potential. So I'm still mulling my options. Any other ideas I would love to here them. Also, anybody know a good fitter in or near Manhattan? Or is my choice of manhattan skate and stick a good one?

Unless your budget really cannot accomodate custom Klingbeils, don't rule them out right away. Something to consider is that Klingbeil customer service is superb, and their boots are a fixed price, so you can get all the bells and whistles you want or need at no extra charge. You can go back any time for tweaking, also at no extra charge.

That said, do go and try as many different brands/models as you can, since there is no one boot that fits everyone properly. West Side Skate and Stick has a very good reputation, and the Jackson Freestyle, if it fits you well, is a good choice, either with or without the blade package.

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