New Skates advice

Hi everyone! After reading the responses on my last post I've come to the conclusion that I need new skates before continuing further with my skating progress.

I'm going to see an expert fitter in a few days (We're driving 3 hours to see her lol but it'll be worth it) and I've been doing some research and looking into boots and blades before going just to have an idea of what may work for me and what most likely won't. Obviously I'm going to talk to the fitter and go with her recommendations, but I'm impatient and want to see what other people think before I go lol.

I'm currently in Riedell 133 Diamonds with an eclipse astra blade, and the skates that I've been looking at are the Jackson Freestyle, Competitors, and Debut, and then the Edea Overtures (I haven't looked very much into Riedells because I'm not a huge fan of the skates I have now). I'm in Adult 6 Learn to Skate and am working on waltz jumps and one foot spins. I'm 5'5", 16 and weigh about 140. I am worried about overbooting, but I would like to have skates that last for at least a year, or get me through to learning my axel. Any opinions on the skates I've been looking at? Or any skates I should add to my list of skates that I'm interested in?

I'm considering getting a nicer blade to go with my skates as I'd like for them to last a while, and the ones I like the most are the Coronation Aces. My only concern is that they may be too advanced for me? Does that sound like it may be an issue? From the research I've done I've heard that you can't get a boot only version of Freestyles and Competitors anymore so I guess if I end up going with one of those I'll stick with the blade it comes with. (If it comes with a blade, can you still change out the blade? I'm a little confused on that)

Any advice/input is appreciated, I'm just looking for someone's opinion with more expertise than me, but at the end of the day I will of course go with what the professional tells me, this is more for my curiosity and to satisfy my impatience lol thanks in advance!

abbyskates said:

Hi everyone! After reading the responses on my last post I've come to the conclusion that I need new skates before continuing further with my skating progress.

I'm going to see an expert fitter in a few days (We're driving 3 hours to see her lol but it'll be worth it) and I've been doing some research and looking into boots and blades before going just to have an idea of what may work for me and what most likely won't. Obviously I'm going to talk to the fitter and go with her recommendations, but I'm impatient and want to see what other people think before I go lol.

I'm currently in Riedell 133 Diamonds with an eclipse astra blade, and the skates that I've been looking at are the Jackson Freestyle, Competitors, and Debut, and then the Edea Overtures (I haven't looked very much into Riedells because I'm not a huge fan of the skates I have now). I'm in Adult 6 Learn to Skate and am working on waltz jumps and one foot spins. I'm 5'5", 16 and weigh about 140. I am worried about overbooting, but I would like to have skates that last for at least a year, or get me through to learning my axel. Any opinions on the skates I've been looking at? Or any skates I should add to my list of skates that I'm interested in?

I'm considering getting a nicer blade to go with my skates as I'd like for them to last a while, and the ones I like the most are the Coronation Aces. My only concern is that they may be too advanced for me? Does that sound like it may be an issue? From the research I've done I've heard that you can't get a boot only version of Freestyles and Competitors anymore so I guess if I end up going with one of those I'll stick with the blade it comes with. (If it comes with a blade, can you still change out the blade? I'm a little confused on that)

Any advice/input is appreciated, I'm just looking for someone's opinion with more expertise than me, but at the end of the day I will of course go with what the professional tells me, this is more for my curiosity and to satisfy my impatience lol thanks in advance!

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The Jackson boots you are looking at are either not made anymore and/or are not stiff enough to support you and the skills you will be doing.
If you are wanting a Jackson, look at the Premiere or the Premiere Fusion 2800. They will support axel to doubles. You may be able to get away with a Debut Fusion 2450/2451 but it normally only supports up to axel.

As far as blades, you could look into the Legacy 7 (7ft rocker) or Legacy 8 (8ft rocker), that is a decently priced, quality blade that would take you up into double jumps and more advanced spins.
John Wilson Coronation Ace would be ok, as would MK Professional.

Good luck!

thank you for your input! I really appreciate it

abbyskates said:

thank you for your input! I really appreciate it

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You're welcome!

You will see feel and explore the boots and blades they have there when you get there. I'd go in with an open mind and know the key points and must haves you want in your boot and blade. Think about ankle support, flexability, and comfort. Dont go too much by look because when you're skating you're going to kick yourself if you go with looks vs comfort lol. For me I had MK gold star freeskate blade which had wonderful edges and hollow which realky allowed me yo find my center of balance n get crisp skating strokes and takeoffs on jumps. I had Graf boots. They were incredible for ankle support and when they were broken in they allowed me to get the knee bend to get up in my jumps. I need new skates this year and im likey getting same pair because i know them well and know they work for me. Ask them lots of questions and dont rush the decision! You'll have alot of fun looking!

jersey1302 said:

You will see feel and explore the boots and blades they have there when you get there. I'd go in with an open mind and know the key points and must haves you want in your boot and blade. Think about ankle support, flexability, and comfort. Dont go too much by look because when you're skating you're going to kick yourself if you go with looks vs comfort lol. For me I had MK gold star freeskate blade which had wonderful edges and hollow which realky allowed me yo find my center of balance n get crisp skating strokes and takeoffs on jumps. I had Graf boots. They were incredible for ankle support and when they were broken in they allowed me to get the knee bend to get up in my jumps. I need new skates this year and im likey getting same pair because i know them well and know they work for me. Ask them lots of questions and dont rush the decision! You'll have alot of fun looking!

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Thank you for your input! I'm super excited to get fitted lol I'll probably be there awhile bc I can be very picky and I like trying all my options

I am no expert, but I am in Jackson Premiere Fusions and I love them. They are pretty lightweight but feel very supportive. I am rotating my axel but not quite landing it now. I'm a bit older than you, but about the same size and I was just about right at your level a year ago, and it sounds like a similar story to mine. I was put in Riedell skates that never fit me properly with recreational blades. I moved through the levels a little faster than expected so it makes sense that the boots ended up not being stiff enough for me, but Riedell just wasn't right for my feet.

Anyway, if Jackson ends up being a good fit, I would recommend trying the premieres! Of course, everybody's feet are different, so make sure they feel good to you. I don't really know anything but thought I'd give my personal experience with those boots. Also, I have MK Pro blades and I like them, but I have no experience with other intermediate blades, so I can't really say much about it. Good luck with your search, better skates made a huge difference in my skating and I'm sure it will for you too.

treblemakerem said:

I am no expert, but I am in Jackson Premiere Fusions and I love them. They are pretty lightweight but feel very supportive. I am rotating my axel but not quite landing it now. I'm a bit older than you, but about the same size and I was just about right at your level a year ago, and it sounds like a similar story to mine. I was put in Riedell skates that never fit me properly with recreational blades. I moved through the levels a little faster than expected so it makes sense that the boots ended up not being stiff enough for me, but Riedell just wasn't right for my feet.

Anyway, if Jackson ends up being a good fit, I would recommend trying the premieres! Of course, everybody's feet are different, so make sure they feel good to you. I don't really know anything but thought I'd give my personal experience with those boots. Also, I have MK Pro blades and I like them, but I have no experience with other intermediate blades, so I can't really say much about it. Good luck with your search, better skates made a huge difference in my skating and I'm sure it will for you too.

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I'm definitely going to try them, thank you for the recommendation! I'm just worried about overbooting, but I'll see how they feel and what the fitter says when I go. It definitely makes me feel better knowing that someone around the same size as me has had a good experience with them, but I'll see how they go for me!

Also keep in mind that you should account for your weight when choosing the boot stiffness. I'm about 115lb in Jackson Premieres starting on Axels. Another skater at my rink is itty-bitty and half my weight (ok, exaggerating, I don't really know her weight, but she's small) and had her Jackson Premieres last her through double lutz. So, depending on your weight, you may consider going up or down in stiffness.

cl2 said:

Also keep in mind that you should account for your weight when choosing the boot stiffness. I'm about 115lb in Jackson Premieres starting on Axels. Another skater at my rink is itty-bitty and half my weight (ok, exaggerating, I don't really know her weight, but she's small) and had her Jackson Premieres last her through double lutz. So, depending on your weight, you may consider going up or down in stiffness.

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I'll share my experience (and not just mine, those of one highly experienced and respected fitter, one boot-maker, and several coaches' as well) regarding Jackson skates in general, and more specifically the Debut Fusion model.

Definitely do not just go by the Jackson numbers/skill level recommendations in choosing what to try on at a fitting. My skater is little, has a solid Axel, is shakily landing double Salchow and double toe, now working on double loop in the Jackson Debut Fusion Standard, fitted by a professional custom boot-maker who is also a Riedell and Jackson dealer. We went up a couple of weeks ago for a sharpening and consultation expecting to be told it's time to move to a stiffer boot, either one of his or the Premiere Fusion, nope. He says the Debut Fusion is much stiffer than advertised. In his opinion it's too stiff for most at the level it's marketed toward (incidentally, we had the same experience in a prior Jackson, the Elle, which lasted her way beyond what the skill recs. for that skate were) but it's the first boot only model in the Jackson line, and he feels the blades on the lower level boot/blade "kits" are not adequate (we switched blades on her Elle and spins and jumps improved greatly). He expects we should get another 6 months before she outgrows it and he wouldn't be surprised if she's still in the Debut for another round, maybe moving to the Debut Fusion Firm at double Lutz, but not much more than that. Again, she's little (about 70 lbs) and after 9 months of Axels, 3 months of early doubles, not a dent or crease in sight. So, if the Debut is stiffer than advertised I would bet the Premiere Fusion is as well, and it's (Jackson's) numerically 65% stiffer than the Debut! That's alot of boot at your skill level, but your size and strength will matter quite a bit as well. Make sure you can bend your knees and point your toes when you try them on.

To be honest, the right skate for you is the one that matches your size and skill at the moment, without looking too far into the future and how long you want it to last you. What you can do is get the boot that fits you best now, and the Coronation Ace (my skaters current blade) or the MK Pro blade to fit that boot. That way, when you outskate the boot in say 6 months, you can still use the blade on your next boot. If you're 16 you probably will wear the same boot size (and hence the same blade size) in the next round, and it will be a long time before you outskate the CA or MK Pro. For example one of our coaches used the CA her entire (Olympic Dance) career, so they can go pretty far at least in terms of footwork and edges. We'll move to the Gold Seal (or more likely the Pattern 99 or MK Phantom since she wants those BIG toe picks) on her next boot for the 2Lz and 2A.

Lastly, make sure you try on as many boots as you can, you might not like the Riedells (mine HATED them, couldn't wait to get them off) but Jackson may or may not fit your foot. There's Edea, Risport, as well, and one may fit you better than the others. Granted, it's a rare fitter that carries all the brands, but be patient and find the one that fits your feet the best, and make sure your fitter can punch and heat mold them to your liking. I'm lucky, my skater is a perfect Jackson fit, so even the custom boot-maker we go to says she's good in them as long as she's comfortable. He'll sell us an $800 boot if we want, but it's just not necessary because Jackson fits perfectly, though she REALLY wants the glittery soles and the custom cut outs. Maybe when she gets to her 2A...

Sibelius said:

He says the Debut Fusion is much stiffer than advertised.

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I just got the Debut and I want to second this. I was in GAM Concepts (men’s) before, which are rated 49 and quite similar to the old Jackson Marquis (similar materials, same stiffness rating, both came with the Ultima Mirage blade). I only got to waltz jumps and beginning one-foot spins before they started feeling wobbly and the creases in the boots got really deep. I’m about 200lbs and so I thought the Premiere would be the logical next step, but my fitter steered me toward the Debut, saying that she thought it would be much more of a step up in stiffness than the ratings implied (49 to 55 for the men’s Debut). I’ve skated in them twice and boy, she was right...the first time I went out in them I foolishly tied them all the way up to the fourth hook, and I couldn’t flex my ankles enough to do backward crossovers. I love the boots but I’m going to have to put in some hard work to break them in, and I can only imagine how much harder it would be for me to break in the Premieres...

Update : I went to get fitted and I ended up getting the freestyles! The fitter said that they should last me for at least a season, and she also said that because I'm getting the freestyle and it already comes with a blade, that I should wait to get the blade upgraded until I actually need it, and use the money I would've spent on the blade for lessons. So right now I have the Jackson Freestyles with the Ultima Aspire XP blade. I also ended up getting the red superfeet inserts and they made the boots fit my feet AMAZINGLY. I've only used them once but so far they're super comfortable! I only had some problems with chafing, which should easily be fixed with the gel ankle pads I ordered. It's so nice to have skates that actually fit my feet (apparently my old skates were too small, which is probably why my feet kept going numb lmao), and I'm really in love with them I have to get used to the better fitting boot, higher heel, and freshly sharpened blades, but I haven't really "lost" any skills from the switch. I'm really happy with these, and I think that these are a good stiffness for me. I think the Debut would have been too stiff for me, especially considering I'm not super hard on my skates. I did talk to the fitter about the Competitor, but she said that she doesn't like them as much, and they tend to be a more finicky skate, and they usually need more spot punches than the Freestyles. Overall I'm super happy with my decision, my skates fit really well, they're super comfortable from day 1, and honestly I couldn't be more happy! Thank you all for sharing your experiences and advice

Sounds like your fitter took good care of you, and that's the most important thing for any skater getting new boots/blades. Good luck and happy skating.