Wait for better skates to start lessons?

I have started skating again after a many decades pause. For a variety of reasons, its taken me a while to work up to just simple forward stroking and beginning crossovers, but I found my feet were in a lot of pain and that I couldn't really stop properly. After a while, I figured out that the skates themselves were part of the problem.

I was skating in a boot/blade combo (not lowest level recreational, but intro level instructional) with plastic soles. I realized that the blades were not positioned consistently on each boot, which may be part of my challenge and explain why my left foot is more tilted to the inside edge than my right foot. They were also just not very comfortable, even though I had gone to the well-known skating boutique in our area to be fitted.

I decided the skates weren't working for me, so I recently got fitted for full custom boots at Harlick with orthotics, which should alleviate the myriad of complaints I had about the existing boots, especially the arch cramping due to excessive pronation and tongue twisting.

I would like very much to start proper learn-to-skate lessons as I feel I need proper instruction to get back into it and make some progress. However, I'm not really able to skate properly in the current boots and frankly I am in excrutiating pain in my arches after about 15 minutes and I need to get off the ice. i don't expect to get my Harlicks until mid-late September and then I'll need to take some time to break them in, so it will be probably October before they are fully ready for lessons.

The seasons usually start in early September, so if I sign up for lessons, I'll have to start on the crappy skates that I have. Given that they are confirmed to be a poor fit for my feet (and the blade positioning is wacky and can't be fixed on plastic bottom skates), would I be making things worse by trying to to do lessons on messed up skates? Should I just wait until my new skates arrive, break them in, and then start with the lessons (understanding I will have missed the first few weeks and have to pay for them anyway). I don't want to get into bad habits because of the bad skates, but maybe its not too much of a concern? Your thoughts would be appreciated.

I'd use rental skates if you want to skate now. They might not hurt as much and are usually incuded in group lessons. To break in skates you have to skate so why not brush up on basics? I have taken adult lessons on rentals - I have sent skates back for being too broken down or dull. But it worked out.

I don't think it'll ruin your technique, or give you bad habits if you start with sub optimal skates. However if you're in pain after 15 minutes, it just doesn't sound like you would enjoy yourself very much. I would personally wait until you get the new skates. But, you probably don't have to wait until your new skates are fully broken in before you go to a group lesson - you'll probably be doing things in the group class that they recommend for the break in period anyway such as stroking, crossovers.

Wait for your Harlicks, but don't wait until they are broken in, that's not something that's going to be necessary for learn to skate basics. Good luck!

loopy said:

I'd use rental skates if you want to skate now.

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Unfortunately, the lessons around here don't come with rentals and not every rink has rentals anyway. But that would be a great idea if I could!

Ic3Rabbit said:

Wait for your Harlicks, but don't wait until they are broken in, that's not something that's going to be necessary for learn to skate basics. Good luck!

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That's what I'll probably do. Can't wait to gwt my new skates!

Ask the rink managers if they order skates. My rink does and they help find the perfect skate

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OP, I am a little confused by this. Am I reading it correctly that you went from a super-cheap recreational boot/blade combo to custom Harlicks? Did the fitter suggest/have you try out different models and brands that were a step above what you previously had before determining custom skates were the best approach? It seems very unusual that someone in LTS would be placed in this kind of boot.

theoreticalgirl said:

OP, I am a little confused by this. Am I reading it correctly that you went from a super-cheap recreational boot/blade combo to custom Harlicks? Did the fitter suggest/have you try out different models and brands that were a step above what you previously had before determining custom skates were the best approach? It seems very unusual that someone in LTS would be placed in this kind of boot.

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It appears that the OP's fitter discovered that they had either an oddly shaped foot or foot health needs that required a custom fit boot. It does happen.

Ic3Rabbit said:

It appears that the OP's fitter discovered that they had either an oddly shaped foot or foot health needs that required a custom fit boot. It does happen.

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I'm well aware of that, as someone who has two differently sized feet and a myriad of foot issues. My point remains.

theoreticalgirl said:

OP, I am a little confused by this. Am I reading it correctly that you went from a super-cheap recreational boot/blade combo to custom Harlicks? Did the fitter suggest/have you try out different models and brands that were a step above what you previously had before determining custom skates were the best approach? It seems very unusual that someone in LTS would be placed in this kind of boot.

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There is no downside to getting custom boots when you start, except for the hassle and the cost. If the OP can afford it, what's the big deal?

If you haven't skated in decades, know that boot technology has changed, and modern boots don't require nearly the break in period that older boots did. Your Harlicks should be able to be heat molded as soon as you get them, which takes away (at least for me) all that break in period. You should be able to skate in them, and take lessons immediately. It may be that you'll still need to have an area or two punched out, but you should not experience that old fashioned "break in" that you used to have. So don't wait to take lessons - take them as soon as you get the Harlicks.

I agree - if you can't get rental skates where you are, and your current skates hurt so much that you have to get off the ice after only 15 minutes, don't take classes now. Wait until you can skate without severe pain.

theoreticalgirl said:

I'm well aware of that, as someone who has two differently sized feet and a myriad of foot issues. My point remains.

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So my feet are really janky and I went through a serious injury a few years ago (requring me to re-learn how to walk), so lets just say things aren't the same anatomically as they once were. I decided that if I was going to get back into this, I'd better get the right equipment.

I'd had bad luck at a well-established skating boutique in my area, so decided to try going right to the Harlick factory while I was on a trip nearby (my skater's coach recommended this as well for people who have atypical feet or fit issues). The original skates were not "super cheap" skates - they cost me about $300 and were billed as entry-level instructional (not recreational). They probably should never recommended these in the first place, which is why I decided to try a different direction.

Yes, I spent a lot of $$$$ on this, but I had planned for this financially (it is a 10th anniversary gift from the husband) and also plan on having these skates basically forever. I'm not overbooting or going crazy on features that don't matter to me as I basically re-learn how to skate, but I am getting something that I hope will be as comfortable and well-fitted as possible. The folks at Harlick totally understood what I needed and are making something that is going to suit my goals.