much needed help(1st pair of skates)

Hello everyone! I know you are probably tired of this question by now , but my situation is very very weird .
So I live in a country where figure skating is very unpopular. But I’m lucky because the 1 of 3 rinks (in the whole country) is in my town . They offer lessons for adults ( I am 23 ) but the lessons are not by figure skating coaches. Figure skating coaches do exist in the rink but they only offer lessons for kids.
So basically the adult lessons are for very basic moves . I personally want to learn forward and backward crossovers , some spins and transitions , I don’t care at all about jumps. The problem is .. they offer that awful blue plastic skates for the lessons and they are the worst. I can skate to them but they are uncomfortable. I wanna buy figure skates and there are no shops here so I can’t try them . So I need to order them online, but I am very afraid about the sizing and I have no idea what boots and blades I should get .. this is very discouraging.

First, for sizing: contact the different boot makers. They'll probably have sizing packs or methods and advice to give you on how to measure yourself properly. It's important that you do this for a few different types; not all skates are sized the same way.

For someone at your level, you could probably go for a boot-blade combo at the lower end of the range, but not too low. Maybe something like the Jackson Freestyle, or Edea Overture. Depends a lot on your budget. As an adult you can generally go a little higher in the stiffness range without overbooting too much; plus adults tend to start out advancing quickly, so you don't want to go too low.

As for lessons, I think it's garbage that the figure skating coaches only teach kids. Contact them and say you want lessons. If they don't, put in a complaint with your skating federation. If they continue to resist don't hesitate in going to whatever body regulates discrimination in your country. Adults skate too, and anyone who tries to cut adults out of the skating world can go do something unpleasant to themselves.

Thanks for the response . Budget is not an issue I just want to find the right pair so the money won’t go to waste . I was very confused too about the coaching because it’s not like I can’t ever stand on ice ... I have good balance and speed so I believe I can learn the stuff I want .

As someone who has gone through this exact situation in a country with 2 rinks and 1 overpriced shop, ordering skates online is an extremely harrowing experience.

Do lots, and I mean LOTS of research. Skating is an expensive hobby and there isn't a point investing in $300 beginner skates and they don't fit you or break down too fast. If you can, visit a fitter if you have one in your country before buying them online. If not, trace your foot onto a piece of paper and take note of the length of your foot from your big toe to your heel and the length of the ball of your foot. Then literally research every single brand of skates and see which one fits the profile of your feet. Heck, you could contact all the companies with your feet tracing and they can advise you better.

If you have friends who are skaters and about similar street sized feet as you, ask to try on their skates if possible! Note that the size of their skates may be different from yours - this is solely just to test the fit of the shoe and is an extreme guesstimate.

Since you're an adult beginner, your boot has to be AT LEAST 30-40 stiffness if you're at an average weight. The stiffness rating isn't fixed but 30-40 is a pretty good gauge for all brands. If you're at a heavier weight, the boots need to be even stiffer than that.

Given that you're just starting out, any of the beginner models with a stock boot and blade is fine for you. Jackson has a great line of beginner skates with PVC soles and a price tag that won't make your wallet cry instantly. It also comes with a blade that is suitable for all beginner moves as well.

Off the top of my head, do consider researching the following skates: Jackson Artiste, Jackson Classique, Riedell Diamond, Edea Overture. But these are more for people with average/petite weights on a budget.

Since money isn't an issue for you, I'd even recommend looking at even stiffer boots such as Jackson Freestyle (if I'm not wrong it's the same stiffness as the Classique but with a leather sole which means you can change blades later on) or Edea Chorus with the stock blades. Stiffness really isn't an issue for adults and if you had a previous injury, all the more why you should get stiffer skates.

If you're ever going overseas to a place where skating is decently big, I would recommend getting fitted properly at a skate shop and upgrading your skates if possible! It'll save you time and stress when you go to order your next pair of skates.

Truth is I am quite petite(1,57 cm and 50kg with tiny waste and kinda wider hips and thighs). In my rink there are figure skating coaches so I guess I could ask them for advice ... I’m not planning any overseas trip soon ( unfortunately) so the option to try different pairs before buying them is out o the question.. if the coaches at my rink can’t help me I will have to order online by my own and pray for the best . And I was reading many skaters say is better to buy Edea skates with Wilson blades even if you are a beginner so I was confused even more about what skates to buy !!!

Anemoia said:

Truth is I am quite petite(1,57 cm and 50kg with tiny waste and kinda wider hips and thighs). In my rink there are figure skating coaches so I guess I could ask them for advice ... I’m not planning any overseas trip soon ( unfortunately) so the option to try different pairs before buying them is out o the question.. if the coaches at my rink can’t help me I will have to order online by my own and pray for the best . And I was reading many skaters say is better to buy Edea skates with Wilson blades even if you are a beginner so I was confused even more about what skates to buy !!!

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Edea + Wilson isn't a bad combo yes, but it's the fit of the skate that's important. Some people absolutely love Edea while others absolutely hate it. I mean yeah it's a good combo but if it doesn't fit, it isn't worth blowing the money on it since you won't be able to wear it and have to sell it off and start from square one again.

The rink coaches *should* be able to help a lot but you should ask to try a pair of Edeas if you can! But if it feels weird or bites your feet in some weird places, they're probably not the right skate for you.

Also since there aren't fitters, you'll need to buy boots with pre-mounted blades. This means that you may not necessarily be able to get the boot + blade combo you want or you'll have to pay a lot of money for it. Check if anybody in your rink has experience to mount a blade for you.

Tbh as a beginner myself and with the advice of lots of skaters in my rink, it's better to just get a lower level stock blade if you're just doing basics first since your skill level may not be high enough to use the advance blade properly. A blade too advanced for your skill level may end up hindering your progress. But please consult a coach at your rink!

The best reference you can have for buying skates online is to talk to the skaters in your rink. They'll have insight into where they get their skates and what sites to get them from!

Well I’ll do that and hopefully they’ll help me ! The advanced girls training at my rink do look kinda snobbish ( even if they are 15-17 years old and I’m 23 ). Thanks for the advice !!!