Choosing figure skates | Golden Skate

Choosing figure skates

SarahJoy

Spectator
Joined
Jul 10, 2018
Hello! I am looking at new skates and this is my first pair or skates that aren't beginner. I am in freestyle 1 level and need new skates because mine are much to large and have little support. I have a wide ball and narrow heel. My toes are tapered and I have very high arches. Which brand of skates would suit my feet best?
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
Look at the Jackson boots listed as formed on the "Elite" last. These come stock in split width, with the ball one width greater than the heel. If you need more than one width differential, it would be a special order. They also have a rounded toe box. You'll probably need to swap out the stock footbed though; it doesn't provide much arch support.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Look into Jackson and Risport. I have a foot almost as you've described and I've had the most luck with those two brands.
 

DanseMacabre

Final Flight
Joined
May 27, 2018
Country
Iceland
Hello! I am looking at new skates and this is my first pair or skates that aren't beginner. I am in freestyle 1 level and need new skates because mine are much to large and have little support. I have a wide ball and narrow heel. My toes are tapered and I have very high arches. Which brand of skates would suit my feet best?

Obviously, the best thing to do is get properly fitted, but I know that isn't always possible depending on where people live and what's available in their region.

My feet are pretty similar to yours. Of the Jackson boots I tried on, the ones that fit my narrow heel (much narrower than my metatarsal area) and high arch/instep best was the Premieres. The Jackson Debut might also work but they were a little too constraining over my instep. The Premiere has a more generous cut for high insteps if that's an issue for you. They're both built on the Elite last, like tstop4me mentioned.

Ultimately, I wound up going with Edea Concertos but if you want a more traditional boot than Edeas (which aren't everyone's cup of tea), I would definitely recommend checking out Jacksons.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Hello! I am looking at new skates and this is my first pair or skates that aren't beginner. I am in freestyle 1 level and need new skates because mine are much to large and have little support. I have a wide ball and narrow heel. My toes are tapered and I have very high arches. Which brand of skates would suit my feet best?

Make sure you go to a good, reputable figure skate pro/fitter and get yourself fitted correctly. If you do decide to go with Jackson boots, the Premiere and Debut would work for you. The Elite is way too stiff and high level for you, so disregard that recommendation. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

Be aware that these are just boots and you will also have to buy blades.

Good luck! :)
 

Jh9772

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 14, 2018
Make sure you go to a good, reputable figure skate pro/fitter and get yourself fitted correctly. If you do decide to go with Jackson boots, the Premiere and Debut would work for you. The Elite is way too stiff and high level for you, so disregard that recommendation. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

Be aware that these are just boots and you will also have to buy blades.

Good luck! :)

The recommendation was for boots built on the elite last, not the elite model itself. The Premiere is made on the elite last, not sure about the Debut though.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
The recommendation was for boots built on the elite last, not the elite model itself. The Premiere is made on the elite last, not sure about the Debut though.

I'm aware of this but I was pointing out because the OP will NOT know this. And the last thing they needed was to be in an 80 stiffness rated boot for triples and quads.
 

Sibelius

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 28, 2017
Look at the Jackson boots listed as formed on the "Elite" last. These come stock in split width, with the ball one width greater than the heel. If you need more than one width differential, it would be a special order. They also have a rounded toe box. You'll probably need to swap out the stock footbed though; it doesn't provide much arch support.

The Jackson Elle Fusion, Freestyle Fusion and Debut Fusion models are all built on the Elite last now. At least that's what Jackson told me.
 

DanseMacabre

Final Flight
Joined
May 27, 2018
Country
Iceland
I'm aware of this but I was pointing out because the OP will NOT know this. And the last thing they needed was to be in an 80 stiffness rated boot for triples and quads.

That's why I mentioned that the Debut (the newest model of it at least) and Premiere are built on the Elite last in my reply. The fit between the two is very similar, except for the cut across the instep. The Debut has a little less allowance for a high arch/instep than the Premiere.

SarahJoy, both of those boots are heat moldable so if you can get to a good pro shop, that would be in your best interest because they can help shape the boots to fit your feet/ankles more precisely which can make a world of difference.
 

Mamamiia

Medalist
Joined
Feb 28, 2018
Sorry I am not able to help but I have another skates related question that seems to fit this thread. I am thinking about getting a new pair of skates and my first choice would be Jackson because that's what Nathan wears.:luv17: However, Rediell seems to be the most popular brand in my local rink and the coach I consulted with preferred Rediell to Jackson. I haven't seen much mentioning of Rediell in this forum, or know any athlete wearing them. How is this brand?
 

DanseMacabre

Final Flight
Joined
May 27, 2018
Country
Iceland
Sorry I am not able to help but I have another skates related question that seems to fit this thread. I am thinking about getting a new pair of skates and my first choice would be Jackson because that's what Nathan wears.:luv17: However, Rediell seems to be the most popular brand in my local rink and the coach I consulted with preferred Rediell to Jackson. I haven't seen much mentioning of Rediell in this forum, or know any athlete wearing them. How is this brand?

Riedells are widely available in North America but popularity (or a coach's general preference) doesn't really matter. What matters is what works for you. Riedells can run pretty narrow, especially in the toe box area, but again, you'd have to try some on to know what works for you. You might find that Jackson has a model that fits you better. I wore Riedells as a teen but after skating in pain because the toe area was too tight, I discovered that the generous fit of some Jackson models fit me better. And then discovered that Edeas fit me best. So it's a journey of discovery. Of course, it's normal for coaches to have input on their student's boots but I'd side-eye anyone telling a skater to get a certain brand no matter their specific needs because they happen to like that brand.

I wouldn't recommend picking a boot because it's what your favorite skater wears since their feet may be nothing like yours. When I was a kid I absolutely insisted on trying SP-Teris because that's what Michelle Kwan wore and boy were they a terrible fit.

Riedells aren't as popular with elite level skaters as Jacksons, but I'm pretty sure Elena Radionova and Johnny Weir wear them so they're not unheard of at that level for what it's worth.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
That's why I mentioned that the Debut (the newest model of it at least) and Premiere are built on the Elite last in my reply. The fit between the two is very similar, except for the cut across the instep. The Debut has a little less allowance for a high arch/instep than the Premiere.

SarahJoy, both of those boots are heat moldable so if you can get to a good pro shop, that would be in your best interest because they can help shape the boots to fit your feet/ankles more precisely which can make a world of difference.

I'm aware of all of this. I was just making things clearer for the OP.
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
I am thinking about getting a new pair of skates and my first choice would be Jackson because that's what Nathan wears.:luv17:

Bluntly? That's a really dumb reason to choose a skate brand. You have no idea how good for your feet they'll be.

I know of a few top skaters who wear Riedells - Joshua wore them, and I think Brooklee does too. That means nothing in terms of your feet. Your best bet is to go to a pro shop and try on different types. I started out in Jacksons and now wear Edeas. Neither Jason nor Max had any bearing on my decision - my feet did.
 

DanseMacabre

Final Flight
Joined
May 27, 2018
Country
Iceland
I'm aware of all of this. I was just making things clearer for the OP.

And I was just pointing out that telling them to disregard the recommendation entirely was perhaps making things less clear for the OP since we specified boots built on the Elite last like the Premiere and the Debut, not the Elite boot itself.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Sorry I am not able to help but I have another skates related question that seems to fit this thread. I am thinking about getting a new pair of skates and my first choice would be Jackson because that's what Nathan wears.:luv17: However, Rediell seems to be the most popular brand in my local rink and the coach I consulted with preferred Rediell to Jackson. I haven't seen much mentioning of Rediell in this forum, or know any athlete wearing them. How is this brand?

Hi Mama! You need to choose a skate that fits you personally. I know you'd like to skate in whatever Nathan does, but it may not fit your foot, and for that matter a Riedell may not either. What is your level? Your best bet is to get a fitter and go from there based on the tracing and measurements of your foot and needs for level of skating.

I skate in a custom Jackson that is around the stiffness of the Elite with a Pattern 99 blade.

I used to skate in Risports too. Grafs and Riedells long ago when I first started out. I hate Edea's, they just don't work for me.

Go see a fitter (not just any pro shop person ok?) and see what they say on the advice I gave up in the first paragraph. If you have any other questions, since you know me here, feel free to ask any questions you have and you are welcome to come to my inbox too.

Good luck! :)
 

Mamamiia

Medalist
Joined
Feb 28, 2018
Thank you all for answering my question! I understand eventually I need to pick the skates that I feel comfortable in but it's nice to hear some professional advices. Sorry for hijacking the thread here. One last silly question, what socks should I wear for skating? I saw girls in the rink wearing very thin nylon socks like this https://figureskatingstore.com/mondor-knee-high-socks-2-pack-black-or-suntan/, but again, Nathan said :p he always prefer very thick socks. Is it just a matter of personal preference too? Does the material and thickness matter?

@Ic3Rabbit you can tell from my questions I am a very beginner:eek:: but I always enjoyed skating around and perhaps now it's time to take some adult "learn to skate".
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Thank you all for answering my question! I understand eventually I need to pick the skates that I feel comfortable in but it's nice to hear some professional advices. Sorry for hijacking the thread here. One last silly question, what socks should I wear for skating? I saw girls in the rink wearing very thin nylon socks like this https://figureskatingstore.com/mondor-knee-high-socks-2-pack-black-or-suntan/, but again, Nathan said :p he always prefer very thick socks. Is it just a matter of personal preference too? Does the material and thickness matter?

@Ic3Rabbit you can tell from my questions I am a very beginner:eek:: but I always enjoyed skating around and perhaps now it's time to take some adult "learn to skate".

I always wear thinner socks in my boots, with my bunga pads and my tights that come down to that point. I usually though, wear footed tights.

Yes, the material should be breathable.

You should be able to be fitted for a beginner boot/blade combo no problem at your level, then if and when the time comes that you start to jump (if you want to do that) or more advanced things then you could look at different more advanced (stiffer) boots and then buy blades separate, depending.

Good luck! Again, my inbox is open if you need anything! :)
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
And I was just pointing out that telling them to disregard the recommendation entirely was perhaps making things less clear for the OP since we specified boots built on the Elite last like the Premiere and the Debut, not the Elite boot itself.

Absolutely agree.

To SarahJoy:

You're probably confused by some of these discussions about Jacksons. Since I was the one who first responded, let me try to clarify.

(1) "Elite" refers to a specific model of Jackson boot. It is a stiff, advanced freestyle boot, not suitable for beginners. "Elite last" refers to one specific last (essentially referring to the foot shape) that Jackson uses. Jackson uses more than one last in its line. Of specific relevance to you, as I mentioned in my first post, the boots formed on the Elite last come stock in split width, with the ball width one size larger than the heel width; hence, a good combo for skaters with wider balls/narrower heels. To emphasize key points: (a) Not all Jackson models are formed on the Elite last, and (b) More than one Jackson model is formed on the Elite last (that is, the Elite last is not restricted to the Elite model boot only); some Jackson models formed on the Elite last are suitable for beginners. If you look up specific models on the Jackson website, models formed on the Elite last are so designated.

(2) The initial posts discussing Jacksons (starting with mine) recommended boots "formed on the Elite last". That recommendation should stand (for reasons discussed above). No one recommended the specific Elite model boot; hence, no recommendation there to disregard (but, in case someone should recommend it, then it's too stiff for a beginner).

(3) Be warned that Jackson has been revamping its line over the last couple of years (including through this year). Different vintage boots with nominally the same model names may have been built on different lasts. I mention this because some of the previous vintage boots (especially those just recently discontinued) are still available. For example, on the lower end, the previous vintage Elle and Freestyle were not formed on the Elite last, but the new Elle Fusion and Freestyle Fusion are; these are sold only as complete kits, pre-mounted with Ultima blades (which may or may not be suitable for you). The lowest model boot formed on the Elite last currently sold as a boot only (no blade) is the new Debut Fusion. Note that the original, short-lived, Debut was not formed on the Elite last. So, when shopping around, verify both the model and the vintage.

Hope this clarifies, rather than further confuses.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
And I was just pointing out that telling them to disregard the recommendation entirely was perhaps making things less clear for the OP since we specified boots built on the Elite last like the Premiere and the Debut, not the Elite boot itself.

And you totally missed my point telling the OP that the boot was not the actual ELITE model you find with Jackson, I did not disregard the ones built on it. Because a newbie to skating can easily make that mistake. Moving along...:palmf:
 
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