Boot recommendations - new adult ice skater

[SevAleyna]

Hi! I’m a new adult figure skater. I’m 5’9 in height and weigh 76kg and live in Kent UK. I have good flexibility (if this is relevant haha). I am looking to buy skates but I’m stuck on what I should be looking for as a lot of the recommendations I’ve seen are aimed for teenagers / children.

I would love a pair that can take me through the learn to skate program and if I’m good enough- I will be able to perform single jumps with. I have heard the Edea overtures might be good for me.

Please help! I am also nervous to go to a skate shop as not many are around here and I do not want to be pushed to buy things when I have no knowledge on prices etc.

 

[bostonskaterguy86]

Hi! I’m a new adult figure skater. I’m 5’9 in height and weigh 76kg and live in Kent UK. I have good flexibility (if this is relevant haha). I am looking to buy skates but I’m stuck on what I should be looking for as a lot of the recommendations I’ve seen are aimed for teenagers / children.

I would love a pair that can take me through the learn to skate program and if I’m good enough- I will be able to perform single jumps with. I have heard the Edea overtures might be good for me.

Please help! I am also nervous to go to a skate shop as not many are around here and I do not want to be pushed to buy things when I have no knowledge on prices etc.

Welcome to the forum!!

You hit the nail on the head - a lot of boot recommendations are tailored towards young skaters. Even when manufacturers label a boot as rated for singles / doubles / etc., they are often making that recommendation with children or teens in mind. Thankfully, some companies are starting to change how they do this - most notably Jackson, which has a guide that uses skill level and weight as factors.

Also very important to note - the different manufacturers shape their boots very differently from each other, so not all manufacturers are a good match for everyone's feet. For example, I have wide feet with low arches, so while Jackson and Risport boots tend to fit me pretty well, I can't wear Reidell or Edea at all (and believe me, I tried...I just got fitted for new boots and I tried on the Reidell Vega, which I thought was a gorgeous boot - but even the wide size was too narrow for me!).

There are plenty of very knowledgeable folks here who can help you narrow down your choices, so that when you go to see a fitter, you'll have enough knowledge under your belt to be sure you're getting pointed in the right direction. Not all fitters are created equal, unfortunately - so it's definitely helpful to go in with some ideas about what you need/want!

For starters - it'd be helpful to know a bit more about your feet, such as size, width, arch height, the shape of your foot, and whether or not you pronate/supinate (whether your weight tends to land on the inside or outside of your feet). You'll probably have a rough idea of your size and width from buying regular shoes - but here is a really helpful article that talks more about arch height, foot shape, and pronation/supination. Regarding foot shape - as the article notes, when talking about foot shape, people use terms like "Egyptian foot" or "Roman foot" to describe them. There's no actual scientific evidence that ethnic ancestry determines foot shape - but, the terms are still helpful as descriptors! This page has a chart to show you the different foot types.

As far as picking a boot model to get you all the way through Learn to Skate and into single jumps - this might not be possible, unfortunately. You'll need a decently supportive boot for single jumps, but if you're brand new to skating, that level of support could be so stiff that it could make learning the basics really challenging. In my experience, most adult skaters, especially if you're on the taller / heavier side, might need to start with one boot, and then upgrade when it's time to start jumping (or before that, if your first set of boots begins to crease or feel unsupportive). As an example - I'm a man, 5'7" and 90kg, and my first boots were GAM Concepts, which for kids are rated for singles through axel, but for me, started to break down when I first learned the waltz jump. I upgraded to the Jackson Debut, which I'm still in now, and using for toe loops, salchows and loops.

I hope this is helpful for you, and keep the questions coming!

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Hello and welcome to the forum from another UK member!

Good skate shops and - especially - fitters are few and far between in this country. My usual recommendations are Everglides in Gosport on the south coast, or Alison Holden at Al's Skate Shop in Blackpool, but both are a long way from you in Kent. I have heard good things about Love Ice Skating in Chelmsford, if that's any help, and certainly their customer service is great. I've not been fitted there but haven't heard anything bad.