Yay for me! I need new skates because my feet shrank and my skates are too big now, my heel is slipping and my toes are sliding around in the front. But money doesn't grow on trees. So my grandparents (awesome people) are going to give me half the cost for new skates and blades that fit, as my current blades are too long and aren't anything great (came attached to my current skates, Jackson Competitiors).

My coach recommended that I get Riedell's or Harlick's, depending on which fits better. She said she personally prefers Riedell's, but says that Harlick's are better for really narrow feet. She said if I go for Riedell's, that I should get Silver Star, as she thinks I might soon "grow out" of the Bronze Star. Add to that I'm not exactly tiny, I'd rather have a bit more support. But is there really that much a difference between the Bronze and Silver Star's? I'm just worried that the Silver might be too stiff. I know I should listen to my coach like most people will tell me to do, but then I hear all these horror stories about people who get boots that are too much for them.

One more question, but if nobody knows, I guess I'd find out when I go to the skate shop. What size do the kids skates go up to? I can fit into a kid's sneaker size 6, and so if I can get kid's skates, it would save some money, but I think kid's size 6 is equivalent to an adult 7 or something? So I wasn't sure if kid's skates would go up to a 6, or stop at where the kids and adults overlap.

Kid's boots may not be such a good idea. They really are not so strong as the adult versions and may not last you as long.

__________________

Even though they're the same model? I would've thought they would be built the same way, but then again, I guess kids are lighter, and not many adults have kid sized feet without being kid sized themselves. Oh well. Guess it'll just cost more. I'd rather pay more and have them last longer anyway.

hmm, careful. Jacksons are wider than riedells or harlicks as i've heard. You probably got skates that were not tight enough from the start. Thing is, if you get the right size they may feel very tight at first, but as they stretch out they will be just right instead of too big. I'd make sure your feet really are narrow before changing brand, b/c you don't wanna end up in uncomfortable skates. if the jacksons are too wide and you like them, jsut get a narrower boot next time. I've also noticed that mostly the younger girls here wear riedells, so I don't know if they are as tough as other boot manufacturers such as harlick. So definately concider your weight and how tough you'd be on the boots. Don't change brands if unless you really are dissatisfied, b/c they all have different fit and you may need an adjustment period, ok im rambling..but the point im getting at is that you need to make sure you actually had the right size in the jacksons, b/c if you didn't you can just get the right size and stay with them.

I don't know about kids sizes, but i don't reccomend it, b/c youll just get confused and end up with the wrong size and pay more for returning it. better just get an adult size and be sure about it.

Don't get a kids' size. They have a shorter ankle and heel and won't give you the support you need. With most skates, there is a 1 1/2 size differential between your shoe and skate size - if you wear a 6 shoe, you wear a 4 1/2 in skates. Riedells are cut big so you will probably need a 4, and a 4 is the smallest adult size Riedell makes (I wear a 5 1/2 shoe and Riedell 4's are too big for me). Make sure the skate fitter measures both of your feet at both the heel and the ball (like any good fitter will do). He/she should be able to tell you what brands and sizes are good for your feet. Beware, though, of a shop that only sells 2 brands (ex: Jackson and Riedell) and only wants to sell you one or the other. There are many brands of skates - it's never an "either/or" situation. Ask your coach or other skaters or skating parents for pro shop recommendations in your area. You may want to go to the Ice House in Hackensack as they are a high-level training facility and I would imagine their pro shop will be well-stocked (thoughts, anyone?). It might be a hike for you (I'm not sure where you are in NY) but if that's the best place around, the trip might be worth it. Ask around.

Yeah, if I listened to the "pro" in my pro shop, I'd be in a new boot that was still too big!!

Shop around and don't be in a hurry to rush into a boot. Take time to get properly fitted.

__________________
Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Hackensack is a bit too far, but my coach did recommend a place for me to go. They sell many different brands. And I guess I'll have to scrap the kid's skate idea. I just asked my coach which skates because she knows my level better than I would and how much of a boot I would need, probably better than I would. The plan is that I go tomorrow. My first pair fo skates were Riedell's, although they weren't the right size because I went a sports shop that didn't know a thing about fitting. I'll let you guys know which skates I end up getting.

Update:

I GOT MY SKATES!!! AND THEY FIT!!!! My coach recommended the Silver star, but he ended up selling me the 1500. I thought it was going to be too much boot, but the way he told me, it was basically the same boot but with more support. He sold it to me for the same price as the Silver Star, so he wasn't just trying to make money. He was telling me adults would need more support (maybe he just thought I was fat?). But I walked in them for 10 minutes, they felt good. I bent my knees in them, they are so soft on the inside.

I really was worried about them being too much, considering i haven't even tested Bronze yet, but he was convinced they would be fine. Especially because they fit so well. I also got Coronation Ace blades, the pro shop doesn't seem to stock MK, but from what i"m told, they're the same blades. Those were also discounted. And he threw in a free pair of soakers.

He didn't sharpen the blades too much, just a light hand sharpening. He said it's because he wants my coach to make sure the alignment is good (the ice was being used for sled hockey at hte time) and he said if I skated on them with a true sharpening right away, I'd be so unused to the different center of balance from the blades and the boots that I'd go flying. So he just did a little sharpening, and then after a few hours of skating, I'm supposed to go and get them sharpened. He checked the alignment in the store, but things might be different on the ice.

Grand total for boots and blades: $570 US. And a half size smaller, and width narrower. I looked on the Riedell website, it says the boots themselves go for about that much.

But somebody tell me I'm not going ot break my neck in these boots. I really was concerned about it being too much, but he told me they were the same as the silver, just lighter and with some extra stuff. I have no idea about this stuff, so I believed him. And he gave me a great price on them. I dont know whether he was just trying to get rid of them, or if he gave me such a good price because he knew I wasn't going to be able to pay the retail price. Someone convince me I'm not screwed.

im sure you'll be fine, personally ive never ever had a problem w/ a boot being too stiff, b/c im pretty hard on boots and like to walk in them in the house to speed break in. If they are too much, there are ways to speed break in so don't worry about it. Extra support is always good.

THANK YOU! That is just what I wanted to hear. I'm actually wearing them right now, and I tried marching in them down the hallway, the leather is creaking. I wish I had the fitter with me now, he laced them up so nice and tight, I can't seem to get it as good as he did. I actually got a hole in my finger from lacing them.

1500's from what I understand are designed for folks doing triples? Seems like a lot of skate if you ask me, but I'm not a fitter and I've never seen you skate. You did seem to get a good deal though so even if they don't work you can resell them for at least that much.

Hopefully, some people with more experience with Riedells will chime in here. From what I know, 1500s are a very high-level boot designed for doubles and triples. I don't think they are "the same" as the Silver Star. They're the same brand of boots, so they probably have the same basic cut and sizing, but there are many differences between them. Support is part of it, and that's key - do you need the extra support? I haven't seen you in person or seen you skate, but based on what you post about what you're working on, I wouldn't think you'd need that much boot. The next step up from the Silver Star is the Gold Star, then the Royal, then the 1500 (or did the 1500 replace the Royal?). The problem with getting too much boot is that not only does it impede your skating progress, but it can also damage your feet (bunions, bursa cysts, etc).

I don't agree with the assertion that adults need more support - that statement is too general and often incorrect. Support is based on physical size and what jumps and other elements a skater is working on, not age. If he feels you need more support b/c of those other factors, then fine, but to put you in a stronger boot just b/c you're over 18 strikes me as misinformed.

And I've never heard of not sharpening new blades like any other blade. You'll "go flying" if you can't get on your edges and grip the ice. Nothing wrong with checking the alignment, but you really can't tell how the alignment is working unless you can do the things you would normally be doing.

Try skating in the skates and see how they feel and if they allow you to bend and do your elements.. Ask your coach for feedback on this. If the skates don't appear to be working, take them back.

I was in my local skate shop today and two girls where there getting new skates. One was being fitted for 1500s and one for 900s (Royals). I was eavesdropping, and the skate tech said that the 1500s are only slightly stiffer than the 900s, and the main difference was the added features such as the heel lock and "vents" near the toe. As Debbie pointed out, there are 3 models between the Silver Stars and 1500s, so they are definitely not "the same." However, they may be fine for you. A friend of mine just got the 1500s, and she will only be using them for synchro. She's used to SP-Teri's, and likes a stiff boot, but didn't like the new models so they fitted her in 1500s instead. So they can still suit you if you aren't working on high level jumps. The girl in the skate shop trying on the 1500s today was a slim teenager, and wasn't having trouble bending in them.

__________________
~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

I upgraded to a 900 out of a Silver Star when I broke my Silver Stars down in 6 months despite their being on a pro-shop recommendation. Even though the pro shop did not recommend the 900 and it wasn't designed for someone doing singles, I've found the model to be perfect for me. The extra support that a lighter skater may need for doing doubles or triples can help adult skaters doing singles.

I have the 900 with the Coronation Ace blade, and love both. I think you've made a great choice!

Ummmm holy crap. The HLS1500??? That's what *I* skate in. I work on triples. It takes me over a week to break those things in, skating everyday 3 hours a day. How anyone could have sold that to you is beyond me, but return them. PLEASE. If not, then start signing up for physical therapy because the tendonitis is only a few months away.

Pro shops disgust me. They don't even know what to sell to someone. The Silver Star is SO SO SO far from the 1500. They have the ribbon series, which are the beginner skates, then the Bronze/Silver/Gold stars, then the Elite 900s which I was in until just a couple years ago, and THEN the HLS1500. A Gold Star would have been perfect from what you were saying about your height/weight/skating level, a 900 would've been pushing it, a 1500 is just plain ridiculous. I'm very sorry this person decided to sell you this and didn't even consider your well being. I'm sure he WAS trying to get rid of them, there's no other reason he'd sell you a boot that costs $600 for the price he apparently sold you them for. Just be clear: the HLS1500 is about 4 times harder and 4 upgrades UP from the boot your coach reccommended. I skate everyday 3 hours a day and do a lot of jumps, and they last me the whole season, and they're not dead by the time I switch them. I don't know how often you skate, but unless it's everyday, you'll be lucky to have these broken in by next Christmas. You should absolutely tell your coach, and take them back. What he did is wrong. He went against your coach's EXCELLENT advice and pushed on you something ridiculous.

PS: Anyone who knows anything knows that you are supposed to give brand new factory blades a FRESH sharpening. Not "a little hand sharpening" for a few hours. What would throw you off your balance? And what does it matter? You're keeping the blades, aren't you? So even if they weren't aligned correcly, what would that have to do with not sharpening them? You're going to go flying because you have really dull factory-ground blades, is what it is. Also, I don't know what radis of hollow you're used to skating on, but the coronation aces are ground at 7/16. If you're used to something else, THAT will throw you off too. Perhaps he should've checked with you to make sure the factory grind was the same as yours.

Tell that to the people who've had the have bursars surgically removed from their ankles. Tell that to people who sprain/break their ankles because they can't bend their knees. Tell that to the entire team at UDel who designed the hinged boots because they know boots nowadays are too stiff and don't allow skaters to bend their ankles and thus all the pressure goes to the hip joints and lower back, which is why so many skaters have had hip surgeries and live with chronic back pain.

Extra support is always BAD. You should never have more support that you absolutely need. Call Riedell, that's what they'll tell you. Any boot company will tell you this, so will doctors and coaches. It's common sense.

Gah..one last thing (this topic really has me fuming against whoever sold you these...) the reason you think you can bend now while walking around in them (which you really shouldn't do too much because walking and skating are different motions and if you walk around in them a lot before they break in, the crease will develop in the wrong spots and then you're stuck that way) is because the HLS1500 has two slits right where the ankle bends. This is to help the skater bend properly while the skate is breaking in, to speed up the process if you will. That's why you feel they're OK to bend in. Wait 'til you skate. You'll realize that the extra support you got isn't in that area at all. It's along the sides of your ankle and around at the top. You'll only feel this after skating a bit. Those slits make the boot appear much more pliable at first try than they really are. Please don't be fooled by it.

Well, I'll be going skating this weekend, so I guess I'll see how it feels then. I have basically no ligaments left in my right ankle so maybe extra support won't be so bad? A few years ago, I managed to completely tear 2 ligaments and partially tore the third and so I've constantly had problems with my ankle ever since. So maybe it won't be so bad?

I didn't really walk in them, more marching really. I never thought I was heavy, unless you compare me to a Sasha Cohen type. I'm 5'6 or 7 (gotta check on that) and 155. That sounds like a big number, but I think I look fine. I guess I could at least try the boots, see how they feel before deciding what to do.

Stardust skies, I know a few people in the 1500's who are no where near working on triples, and don't have a problem with the boots. I am slightly suspect of the person who sold these as well, but I don't think it's immediate cause for panic. The boots I'm in are designed for triples, even though I only do singles and synchro in them, and I love them.

__________________
~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

I was going to get my daughter the 1500's because she is a big girl and tough on her stuff (she is almost 17 and weighs about 155) but we ended up with Gams (the top ones-can't remember the model, just waiting for them to come in). She is starting on her doubles though.

__________________
Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Just for information: it's bursa, not bursar.

A bursar is an officer in charge of funds, such as a treasurer. If you attend college, then you know that you pay your tuition and other charges to the Bursar.

A bursa is a small fluid filled sack between a tendon and a bone. The plural of bursa is bursae.

__________________

I think its difefrent for everyone, but I've always found more support to feel better. I am working on double salchow and axel and recently upgraded from jackson feestyles to jackson elite plus. Even though my coach said it was too much, I've found the boot to be great and it gives me all the support so i never have to worry about buckling ankles in broken down skates.

so i think its matter of your personal preference, some people like hard boots,a nd some people like softer boots. The problems of a more advanced boot to me, seem greatly exxagerated, I know countless people who skate in more boot than they need and are perfectly happy w/them.

OK, but that boot is actually designed for what you are doing (the 3100, right?) - axels and doubles. The boot that Sue123 got is designed for skaters doing double axels and triples. Now, of course, a person's individual size and comfort level are important and can rightfully lead a person to be in a different boot than you might think they need, but I think what is being emphasized on this thread is that even if her coach's recommended skate (Silver Star) was not ideal, there are other boots available that were not offered to her, and the way Stardust Skies (and I) read it, it seems that the pro shop guy in this case didn't seem to give specific reasons why the 1500 was better.

FWIW, when Jackson offered a free pair of boots to U.S National medalists a few years back, Sasha Cohen was one of the skaters that took them up on the offer (she did not stay with the Jacksons after the initial tryout period) and she chose the 3100/Elite Plus, which would seem to be less of a boot that she needed (since she's doing triples, it would make sense she would want the high-level boot, the 3500/Supeme). But Sasha is small, and maybe prefers lighter boots (obviously, she's got the money to replace boots multiple times in a season if they break down quickly). As I said, it's a combination of physical size and skill level that determines the support a skater needs. If a fitter isn't going to or doesn't know how to address those issues when fitting skates, you're probably not getting the best advice.

(Sasha got her Jackson boots through a well-known boot fitter in northern VA who has an affiliation/partnership with Jackson, and I went to this guy for a boot fitting at about that time, and he chatted about which skaters were trying the Jacksons, etc, so that's how I know of Sasha's tryout boot of choice - I don't have any special connection to her - lol)

Oops. Sorry 'bout that.

As a general comment..I don't think stiff boots are bad, don't get me wrong. I just think it's odd to give someone doing singles the hardest boot a company makes. What are you gonna do when you actually get to doubles? Stay in the same boots you learned your singles in? That doesn't seem right, to need the same amount of support for doing singles as when doing triples, to me. Maybe some people who are not doing triples have these skates, and maybe they work okay for them, but that really doesn't mean that they don't have more than they need. Maybe they just don't realize it. Unless you're 300lbs, you don't need a boot as stiff as the 1500 to do singles. Maybe some people are sadistic and like brick hard boots and months of break in time, but liking and needing are two separate things. The problem with liking more than you need is risk of injury. Of course this is a personal choice and if people don't mind that risk that is fine, but I don't think it's for a pro shop salesperson to make this decision for the customer.

You can go harder than a Silver Star without going to the 1500. And either way, even if the 1500 ends up working out OK (which I personally doubt), the point is that the guy who sold these to Sue said they were THE SAME as the Silver Star, except for some "add ons". They are not the same. It's pretty much like saying that driving in snow is the same as driving on dry ground. The only thing similar about the two boots is that they're made by the same company. But they're not the same, so that's false advertising, and I personally think it's wrong to put someone in a boot other than what the coach reccommended, and on top of that telling that student that it's the same boot as the coach reccommended, and completely misleading her. I'm sure that if the seller had told Sue what kind of boot the 1500 was and what it was intended for in the first place, Sue would've thought twice about buying them and would've probably at least asked to try the Silver or Gold Star.

I'm angry because that guy lied and went against his customer's coach. It's wrong, and I really hope the coach goes and puts him back in his place after she sees what Sue ended up with. It's unacceptable and unethical, even if the boots end up working.