This is a bit of a rant, maybe, but I am extremely frustrated right now, and would appreciate any advice (especially if you have had similar problems).

I am currently skating on 2-year old (or 2.5 year old?) Jackson Elite skates with a Pattern 99 blade. [The Jackson Elite is the cheapest "good" boot sold without a blade attached, if you don't count the Competitor, which can be ordere with or without a blade].

Anyway, I love(d) my boots until, well, about a month ago, when I started feeling quite a bit of pain along the top of my ankles (where the top of the boot meets the ankle).

So I stopped lacing them all the way up. That helped a bit. But not for long. And then, I started wearing Bunga ankle sleeves on both ankles. Now, I am wearing Bunga ankle sleeves and discs on both feet, and my ankles STILL hurt.

My feet hurt more when I am walking than skating (the 15 feet from the benches to the rink kill me). However, landing jumps are starting to hurt a LOT. I fear that I am starting to anticipate the pain, and that I'm changing my jump technique. Hence, I am now falling out of my lutz and flip, and my axel keeps pitching forward. Other moves that require a lot of ankle flexion (like sit spins and hydroblading) also hurt a bit, although I feel like I can "prepare" myself for them a bit more. My right ankle generally hurts more than my left--that's my landing foot--unless I am doing flying sit spins. So, I definitely feel like this has something to do with impact.

My ankles do not hurt when I don't have my skates on. I have full range of motion, etc., so I have ruled out ankle injury. It feels like I have bruises all along my ankle, but there is no actual discoloration.

Like I mentioned earlier, these boots are two years old. They have never given me problems before, and they don't look particularly broken down (maybe they are, but I don't know it? The funny thing is that they are starting to feel STIFFER than before, and I know that's not possible). My coach looked at them, and said that I should probably think about getting new boots after nationals in April (more as an upgrade as I am starting to work on doubles), but that they didn't look broken down yet.

What should I do?? Is it possible for boots to be actually broken down when they don't look broken down? Is it possible that there's no padding on the inside of the boots anymore, but that the outside structure is still rigid? Should I be getting new boots BEFORE nationals?? I am worried about losing training time...either way.

(Sorry if I sound a bit panicked. I am just wondering what the heck I've gotten myself into, sending my nationals applications and everything. Somehow, the prospect of competing at a nation-wide competition is completely freaking me out, and it's still 4 months away!)

...off to down a few Advil and hop into bed...

It sounds like your boots may not have broken down on the outside -- where it would be visible.. but on the inner layers, where you can only FEEL it now (and it sure sounds like you are feeling it!). You may be seeing it soon though. You don't say how much you weigh or how much you skate, so it's hard to judge how much longer it might be before there are visible signs of break-down. And you could be feeling it in your ankles because that's where the pressure comes when you bend your knees... including when you walk from the benches to the ice.

As for getting new boots before Adult Nationals... that's a hard one. But if you think you might be getting new boots: DO IT NOW! I put off getting new boots one year thinking I could make it through AN... and ended up ordering new boots in late February, getting them a month later.. and competing in early April in boots that were only partially broken in (I still wasn't lacing up the top hook! What WAS I thinking? WAS I thinking? ) I was just starting to work on my flip combinations and lutz at that point. I will NEVER compete on partially-broken-in boots EVER again. I'm not sure if it was the physical reality.. or the psychology of "NEW BOOTS" but I was very tentative going into EVERYTHING... and needless to say, I did not skate well. On the other hand, I could not have skated in my old boots.. because they were so broken down by the time my new boots arrived, I had very little support. So now I know I should have ordered new boots as soon as I started thinking I might need them -- but I was concerned about finances and paying all that money for new boots right after sending in entry forms for AN, etc.

Good luck!

Pennybeagle, where do you live again? I think I met you at Chelsea Piers last year, so I'm not sure exactly what area you are from. I know a guy in Connecticut who is wonderful with fitting boots and dealing with problem boots, but if you're too far away that won't help. If you want his number, let me know and I'll send it in a PM.

Or, if you have a good shop nearby, maybe you can go there and have them look at your boots?

Pat

Hi,
Mine also broke down from the inside out. I had been having some pain in the ankle, and had taken them to the fitter to see if they could be punched out. I did not realize they were broken down, or even as old as they were (5 years). Punching out would have further weakened them, so I ordered a new pair. Of course this pair has been killing my feet, so I'm back to the bootmaker on Friday.

Hmmm...okay, this is scaring me. (Very informative, though!) Is it a common problem for boots to break down on the inside first?? I never heard of it until now.

Right now, I'm skating anywhere from 4-7 hours a week (and it will probably be closer to 6-7 per week as it gets closer to nationals), and I weigh about 130.

I am just very alarmed at the fact that my boots were fine in November, but that they've started turning on me so quickly. I thought that maybe I'd started growing extra bones in my feet, but my other shoes feel fine, so...

sk8pics, thanks for your offer--I no longer live on the east coast, though, so getting to Connecticut wouldn't work out so well

Get new boots now! As many hours of skating that you are doing, you should be able to break them in. I'm able to break in skates and be comfortable within a month (4 hours of skating per week) and I skate in Harlick Finalist.

When they break down, they seem to go fast. I've tried to wait it out because of nationals and I was having to tape up my boots with hockey tape to get some added support just to be able to compete at AN. I wont make that mistake again.

Good luck!
Patty

Well, I probably can't help you too much here, but I'll say that when I was skating, it was 4-7 hours a week, and I also weighed about 130. (Oh, for those days again! ) I also had NO lutz, axel, sit or flying spins, and a really cruddy flip. I just know that with what I was doing, a skate as low-level as you describe would never have lasted me 2 years....I was skating in Riedell Silver Stars, and those only lasted me just over a year before they began to break down. You've got so much more in your bag of tricks, I can't believe your boots have lasted you this long!

Apparently, some people never really do see creases on the outside of their boots. I don't know whether it has to do with the particular boot, or a person's individual skating style, but some boots just don't show breakdown like you'd expect. It doesn't mean they aren't broken down, however. I'd definitely say that it's time for new boots for you.

__________________
"The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
--Thomas Jefferson

www.signingtime.com ~sign language fun for all!

My 2 year old Klingbeils started getting really bad about three months ago. The outsides look great - but the insides were not providing any support whatsoever. It seemed like they went from being fine to being bad overnight.

I finally just got my new Klingbeils a week and 1/2 ago (long story on the delay - not Klingbeil's fault). I'm competing a week from this Sunday. I can do all my singles, including the axel, although it has been a bit wonky. I'm practicing the doubles in them too. (I don't leave the top hooks unhooked - it makes me too nervous - so I just lace them loosely all the way up and skate with really, really tiny bows. ) I am confident that I will have no problems with the boots by the DBNAI, which is in the middle of February.

Depending on the boots you order, and how long it takes you to get them in, you might just have enough time to be comfortable by AN. Good luck - it's horrible having boot worries, especially this close to the major comps.

__________________
"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

I too have had boots break down on the inside (Klingbeils). I needed boots in a hurry (it was a February before AN).......so zipped to Canada to pick up some Grafs. Hope you have some options in your area for good stock boots you can get in a jiff.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

Okay, this probably sounds redundant, but every pair of boots I've had have done this same thing. I finally figured it out the third or fourth time it happened. Three different brands too, SP Teri, Graf and Klingbeil. If you are afraid to try to break in new boots before nationals my coach recommended that I tape my feet in the boots to get a few more months of life out of them. Unfortunately I didn't try this because right after she recommended it, I was off the ice for a while and got new boots before I started skating again. It might be worth a shot though. Good Luck

Upon the advice I've received, and after trying to skate today and not lasting the full 45-minute session, I have decided to go ahead and get new boots NOW.

I am comforted to know that other skaters have gotten new boots after the New Year, going into Nationals.

The pro shop at my main rink stinks big time. They do stock Jacksons, apparently, but when my husband tried to order a pair of Freestyles a couple months ago, they made a mess of it (as in, they didn't put in the order, and we didn't find out until four weeks after we placed the order, and then they didn't return our calls, and if we went there in person, the "manager" was always "gone for the day.") Needless to say, they will never get my business.

I heard that there is a place in (or near) Cleveland that has a large selection of stock boots. Does anyone on this board know of the place I'm talking about? I'm new to the Ohio area--I live near Cincinnati, but will drive anywhere that I can get to and home again in a day if it means that I don't have to wait for skates to come in by mail...so that means anywhere in Ohio, Indiana, or Kentucky, I guess.

Thanks everyone!

Yes, we used to drive up to Cleveland to get our skates, and it's "The Skater's Edge". They have 2 locations, and we used to go to the one on Lorain Ave. You go up I 71, get off at W. 150th St., turn left off the ramp, go about 1/4 mile, turn left on Lorain, and the shop will be on your left.
Call in advance and they will order your boot in if you know what you may need.

(216)252-3986

16211 Lorain Ave., Cleveland, OH 44111

Edited to add.......we get our skates from a supplier in Lexington. I don't have the info offhand, but can try and get it for you. Lexington is much closer, and this person often drives up here to the greater Cincinnati area....

PM me if you want this info....I have to run for now. Off to the doc.

I just purchased the Elite boot about 6 weeks ago. I was hoping for a little more like 4 or 5 years out of them. My wife wants to know why they can't last until death.

No outwards signs of break-down?? Gee.

Oh well. Thanks for the heads-up. I'm sure I don't use them as much as you (September to April I skate 5 or 6 times a week, for a hour+ each session). On the other hand I'm 160 pound guy.

I'll guess I'll hope for 3 years life.

From what I understand, the average boot is built to last the average competitive skater one year. We adults tend to skate less, or put less force on our skates, than the competitive kids, so we can get more. I used to last a year as a kid - lasted two years in my last pair (avg 6 hours a week all year round, and unfortunately I weigh more than you ) - but I know a Bronze level adult who is in her 6th year in the same boots. It depends on the skater and the brand of boots.

Pennybeagle - I pm'd you.

__________________
"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown