Hello all, I probably should have found a forum to do research first but I just had to buy some new skates. I am a REALLY inexperienced skater and have been trying to get by with some cheapo dept store hockey skates, two pairs of thick socks and still loose. It is bad enough I skate so horribly, I get off the ice every ten minutes to try and tighten the skates, my heel bone hardly even stays in contact with the boot. Anyways, I went to the skate shop and now I have a pair of mens Riedell "Bronze Medallion 280's on order, for which I paid a bit over 200 bucks with heat fitting adjustments and blade sharpening. Now that they are on order I cant find any messeges here from anyone who has them, so I hope I didnt make a mistake. (I have my wife a pair of Riedells on order too, she fell in love with a pair a bit more expensive, but that is a different story). Hopefully the skates will be good enough so that I can go find some adult basic lessons, the rink only has childrens group lessons available. Anybody out there have any experience with these 280's?

hutchndi

Over $200 for a pair of beginners skates is a lot, they better be good!!!

I can only hope. Part of the reason is I figure having spent the amount for skates I will have that much more enthusiasm for getting on the ice, and getting some lessons. Its not like I have alot of money, but after wasting the money on dept store skates, I guess I just wanted something nice, that I can actually use for awhile.

hutchndi

I have riedell's silver medallion and I'm happy with them, I'm been wearing them for a little over a year without complaints. enjoy them!

I've posted a few times about Riedell Bronze Medallions (model 280/28). The Medallion series is intended for Intermediate skaters, which means jumps and spins. The blades are held on with screws, which allows for alignment adjustments, very important for adults in my experience. They're sturdy boots that you won't have problems breaking in, based on my experience. I wouldn't have recommended the (Gold/Silver/Bronze) Star line, you'll never break those in unless you blossom overnight into a Senior skater!

My twins are on their second pair of them. I had wanted the current pair to be Jackson Freestyles, which my older daughter wears. (Jacksons have a higher heel, which I think will be better for my little flat-footed, wide-footed skating monkeys.) The Jacksons weren't in stock and the pro shop couldn't order them, so I stayed with the same model of Riedells.

Riedell just revamped the Medallion series last year. The OLD Bronze Medallion model number was 275/27, which is comparable to the current model 200: PSA Medallion. Now it's heat-molded and the the lining/innersole is much warmer, according to my kids, which I wasn't expecting.

My kids had both the old version and the newer version. I don't see much of a difference, other than not needing any punch-outs or adjustments because of the heat-molding.

The Bronze Medallion stock blade is okay for a beginner, but it's not really a high-quality blade. Since it's unlikely you'll outgrow the skates anytime soon, plan on replacing the blades as your skills increase in the next few years.

I think $200 is in line for a large adult skate of that model. Adult skates always cost more. I paid slightly less than that for each of my kids' skates.
You're not buying the bargain basement model, but you're also not purchasing the top-of-the-line model. Consider it an investment; the skates will last a long time.

MAKE SURE YOU:
1) Check the blade alignment; they can be adjusted if needed.
2) Purchase SNO-SEAL and seal the soles before you use them.
3) Remember to have fun!

Good luck,

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It sounds all right to me, too. Maybe someone who knows Riedell a little better can answer, but my pure guess is that the Bronze Medallion might correspond with what used to be Riedell 220 or 320? I started out in 220s, and my hubby started out in 320s (I wish I had too), and they turned out to be just about right for an adult beginner taking lessons--i.e., getting enough skating time and practice to be able to break them in well, and sturdy enough for advancing through the basic levels.

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Not necessarily true -- I started ISI Alpha in a pair of Reidell Gold Stars and have not regretted it for a minute. I have extremely loooong Achille's tendons and literally folded every boot from the Bronze medallions to the Bronze Stars when I tried them on. The Silver Stars were so comfortable they felt like bedroom slippers, so I went with the Gold Stars. I had absolutely no issues breaking them in -- no blisters, no need for Bunga pads, nothing.

Just out of curiosity, how long ago did you buy the Gold Stars?
I saw a new pair a few weeks ago that were like iron.

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Good point. Riedell upped the stiffness of their boots a few years ago, and the Silver Stars, which used to be a great intro to freestyle boot is now way too stiff for that.

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