Can anyone tell me about this boot? My coach is really wanting me to get new boots, because mine are too narrow in my toes, and he thinks it is affecting my skating. Although it bothers me, I've gotten used to it- but after my toe turned white last night I'm thinking he's probably right. If I don't have to get new blades, I can afford the boots better.

Anyhow he suggested the synchro boot because I have a short achilles tendon, and he says it will help my extension.

Does anyone know anything about this boot? I'm in a Jackson Competitor right now, and besides being too narrow in the front, it's been perfect. Good strength, good heel height, etc. Will there be much of a change to this boot? Will the synchro boot still support the level of freestyle I do? (I assume it will because a good synchro skater is probably putting way more pressure onto a boot than a lousy freestyle skater).

Is there anything else different about it?

I imagine I'll be getting it in split widths- as since it's a Jackson, I'd assume the insole will be the same as the one I have.


EDIT TO ADD: If anyone has information about the coach's boot he is also recommending I look at that one.

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

What you may want to do is to go and talk to a good boot fitter. I was also having problems and had asked about the synchro boot because I had tried it on previously and it was comfortable. After lots of try-ons and discussions I purchased a Jackson Dance boot. It was the same stiffness as my fs boot (one of the top jacksons) and had the benefit of an elastic cuff in the back, and shorter on the top (one less hook). It also had dance scallops, and I usually order them anyway. I really like being able to point my toe and they are great for edging.

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Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

I've emailed my coach with my questions too, but wanted to gather some opinions- as he is the only boot fitter around here, and only does Jacksons. If I want to go to a proshop I have to drive out of state.

If the synchro boot is similiar to the dance boot, then it's probably too stiff.

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

As someone who suffered for awhile with too narrow boot, I have a different suggestion - instead of going for new boots, could you send yours out to be punched out in the ball/toe area?

My boots, even though they are semi-customs (split-width), were still mercilessly punched out by the boot fitter in the ball area - not just in one spot, but the whole toe-box. It wasn't exactly precision job, so I think it can easily be done without you present.

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--renatele

I sent mine out to be stretched, and I think that was a waste of $20, as I noticed no difference.

I will ask my coach if he knows of somewhere who can punch them out. The woman who stretched them said she can't punch the front out, only the ankle bones. But it sounds like you definetly had the front punched.

Spending postage and cost of that would definetly be preferable to the money for the new boots- so I'll see if I can find a place.

(Essentially, when you look at the insole of the boot I have now, my entire big toe is not on it. If I ever go to a pro-shop again, I'll actually take it out and look at it. But when I got these, they felt tight, but not bad- until I skated then it was agony. But too late to return them. And even now, after a year of wear, and much much better feeling, they feel comfortable if I'm not skating, but if I skate, the feeling changes completely. Which is part of the reason I'm so wary to get new skates. They just get way more expensive from what I'm at now, and it seems like just trying them on gives me no way of knowing how they will feel on the ice.)

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Jessi - Meg wears the Jackson synchro boots.

And your coach stopped by with a 3D boot last night after you left.

Yeah- he just emailed me about it. I'm so mad I missed last night, but I got really sick.

The 3D is a freestyle though, but it's CHEAP so it might be worth downgrading.

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

The skating director where I used to work has that boot, and we wear the same size. I was considering it, and asked her about it. She said it is the most uncomfortable boot she has ever had and almost never uses it. I tried hers on, and they fit, but I had to agree with her that it was very uncomfortable. It seemed to have very little padding and come up too high on the shin.

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Mine were not done in just one spot - though I know many pro-shops will do just that, the spot-punching. What my boot fitter did was this: he started close to the widest area of the foot, then would move the punch about 1/2 of it's diameter so the areas being punched overlapped, punched there, again moved 1/2 of diameter, etc - all around to the other side of toe-box... He does it quite quickly. It was terrifying to watch, but since the boot doesn't stay on the punch long, it didn't end up as wide as I feared it would (I was sure he was going to ruin the boot when I was watching it ... LOL) I've done it once more about a year later, without any hesitation whatsoever the 2nd time (leather does shrink back a little with time and constant wet/dry cycle).

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--renatele