New brand of skates - "Aura" | Page 4 | Golden Skate

New brand of skates - "Aura"

WednesdayMarch

Nicer When Fed
Medalist
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
Country
United-Kingdom
I'm a dancer. Never really enjoyed jumping that much and definitely wasn't good at it. I remember trying Graf back in the mid 1980s, putting my feet into the boots, uttering something along the lines of, "Yeowch!" and refusing to even lace them up, before heading out of the skate shop at Richmond - yes, that long ago! - and over the road to Sports Requirements Ltd for another pair of Alviera. :laugh: Wasn't seduced by Graf Dance when they were first introduced but found a brand new pair in my size on eBay a couple of years ago and thought they'd probably do as coaching slippers, as I really don't want competition fit now I'm ancient. As you say, built like tanks. I like that in a boot. Having never had lightweight boots, I don't find them too heavy. Plus I remember on-ice training with ankle weights, so after that...

Glad you're happy with the Auras. There's nothing worse than being unable to find the right boots. (Unless it's finding the right blades...)

Also delighted to hear that you do ice dance as well to improve your skating. :2thumbs:
 

kolyadafan2002

Fan of Kolyada
Final Flight
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
I'm a dancer. Never really enjoyed jumping that much and definitely wasn't good at it. I remember trying Graf back in the mid 1980s, putting my feet into the boots, uttering something along the lines of, "Yeowch!" and refusing to even lace them up, before heading out of the skate shop at Richmond - yes, that long ago! - and over the road to Sports Requirements Ltd for another pair of Alviera. :laugh: Wasn't seduced by Graf Dance when they were first introduced but found a brand new pair in my size on eBay a couple of years ago and thought they'd probably do as coaching slippers, as I really don't want competition fit now I'm ancient. As you say, built like tanks. I like that in a boot. Having never had lightweight boots, I don't find them too heavy. Plus I remember on-ice training with ankle weights, so after that...

Glad you're happy with the Auras. There's nothing worse than being unable to find the right boots. (Unless it's finding the right blades...)

Also delighted to hear that you do ice dance as well to improve your skating. :2thumbs:

Always trying to push my PCS Up. A year or two ago I fell and downgraded 2A, and had no triples in my holster, and ended up beating people who did 3+ triples based on PCS. Now I'm starting to suddenly get the technical at great speed. Triples aren't a problem, but I have mental issues when it comes to 2A. Ice Dance can be nothing but good for my skating, and is improving knee bend and posture at rapid speeds.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Fair enough.
My view is that you find boots you like and then stick to them. I like them, you may like other boots. Personally the only other boots that were hard enough were top end Jacksons, which gave me blisters all the time. With these I got my foot scanned, the boots arrived. Blades mounted, a quick heat mould and they are insanely comfortable whilst remaining the strongest skates I have ever used.

However if you like the shape of other boots like edea, then edea will do the job well. If you like heavier boots, Jacksons or risport or graph.
Many of my friends in ice dance like the Harlick boots which I have never tried.
I may have quit skating if it wasnt for Aura. I was going through different boots every two three months, having problems with every pair I've tried. These last me a season with almost no issues, especially now the new design has prevented the tongue slip (only criticism with the older design)

- - - Updated - - -



I'm still in them and enjoying them. I meant to use are*. Just got my new pair mounted today and enjoy the responsiveness.

That's everyone's view that knows what they are doing. I appreciate but really didn't need the crash course on boots. And as far as your advice to Wednesday on Harlicks, not all can wear them.
 

skatespin

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 2, 2014
Hey everyone, as I said earlier in this thread I purchased Aura boots (in the spring of 2019) and the first pair of boots did not work out, so they made me a second pair. Here's my detailed Aura review:

The first pair of Aura boots that were made for me, were a total mess. They were way too long and wide for my feet. The soles were made for a longer blade size than I used (and specifically requested). I got pain in the ball/metatarsal area of my feet, and the boots were extremely stiff. The tongue had to be trimmed along both sides once the boots were heat molded because it had too much volume to properly fit inside the boot. All of this resulted in very noticeable issues with weight distribution and trouble with edges while skating in the boots.

The second pair of Aura boots made for me were an improvement over the first pair, they were made shorter and more narrow. However, they still had many issues. I would get noticeable and immediate pain in in the ball/metatarsal area of my foot. The weight distribution in the boots still felt off and I still had issues feeling proper edges. Performing elements (spins for example) would feel more difficult and more laborious than was normal and I could not achieve the same quality. I say this as someone that likes spinning and can perform all the different types of spins without much trouble.

Additionally, the heels on the second pair of boots were very high for freestyle boots, it was something that was immediately noticeable visually. I have no clue why the boots were made with excessively high heels or why the boot makers at Aura thought that would work out successfully for a non-dance skater. Despite the fact that this pair was less stiff than the first pair of boots, they were still extremely stiff. I would have to go into a deep knee bend while tying the top hooks of the skates to leave room so that I could bend my knees while skating. Having a restricted knee bend further impacts skating ability. I want to also make it clear that this wasn't a case of needing to break the boots in, the boots remained the same stiffness for the months that I used them. The materials used to make Auras are different from anything I have used before, they don't have any give, they don't mold to your feet or become more comfortable over time. If you want something changed you need to go through the heat molding process, however that won't change the stiffness. Eventually, the screws used to mount the blade to the front sole of the boot poked through the boots and pressed into my feet when I skated causing additional discomfort. The soles of the boots were made shorter this time around for my blade length, however the blades did not mount flush with the soles of the boots. There were HUGE gaps between the back of the front blade plate and the front sole of the boot.

Attempts were made to fix these issues. However, the attempts changed small things here and there, but overall didn't make a real difference. Overall, I do not recommend these boots. I had many problems with them and this led to wasted time at the skate shop for adjustments. None of the tweaks and things they tried resulted in a real solution. Additionally, I had to wait about a month+ for the first pair of boots to be made and then heat molded and mounted. Then for the second pair to be made I waited another month+ for the second pair of boots to be made and heat molded to my feet and mounted. When you add that to the time I spent trying the boots out, testing new adjustments, and trying to get them to work I wasted about 7.5 months. I really wanted them to work out, but they were far from functional and for $950 retail plus tax these boots should be better than they are. I don't think Aura boots are ready for the masses yet. There are still a lot of improvements that need to be made and Aura needs to work on quality control. They are trying to make a different boot for every skater and be everything to everyone, but this means that you never know exactly what you will get if you order an Aura boot. I think many of us think customization is great, but at the same time a product like this requires a lot of testing and anytime you start changing a variable you will get different results. Figure skating is a very sensitive thing, anything wrong with the equipment can have a tremendous impact. Aura needs to do more than create something that looks like a skate and create something that also functions and fits like a skate should. I know a few others at a rink I skate at who have tried Aura and had a similar experience with the first pair being no good and having a second pair made and still not feeling satisfied.

Lastly, I wanted to mention a few other general observations I had on the Auras. The boots don't seem like they are built to last long, I could already see material starting to separate in places on my boots. The boots still have a very prototype-like look and that only added to the impression that they were more of a prototype than a finished product. I will admit that the boots were very light, the lightest I have ever used. The heat shapable ability of the boots is notable, they can be changed to some extent after they are made, however they like all other boots have limits.

Aura refuses to give me a refund, because from their point of view they made two pairs of skates. From my point of view they claimed to have custom boots using new technology and what I received didn't seem to be custom made to my feet and didn't function well for figure skating. Additionally, the pro-shop doesn't want to refund any money because 1) They want the money and 2) They "spent a lot of time on me performing adjustments to the Auras." However, I want to note that if they were more astute they could have discerned the fit problems much quicker than they did. Honestly, with the second pair of boots they should have seen them once, noted the oddly high heel and sent it back.

Now I am back using Edea Ice Flys that I had re-mounted by a good skate technician who put them in the position I like them in and used epoxy to fill in gaps so that my blade is mounted evenly despite imperfections in the soles. Things are much better now, although not perfect, but I don't recall ever having perfect skates. I am going to use the Ice Flys for the time being. I am not sure what I will do in the future, however I am hesitant to take additional risks on other brands because boots are expensive and typically final sale.
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
Aura refuses to give me a refund, because from their point of view they made two pairs of skates. From my point of view they claimed to have custom boots using new technology and what I received didn't seem to be custom made to my feet and didn't function well for figure skating. Additionally, the pro-shop doesn't want to refund any money because 1) They want the money and 2) They "spent a lot of time on me performing adjustments to the Auras." However, I want to note that if they were more astute they could have discerned the fit problems much quicker than they did. Honestly, with the second pair of boots they should have seen them once, noted the oddly high heel and sent it back.
Thanks for the detailed review. Unfortunately, your outcome is the one that no skater wants. Any new manufacturer that wants to attract customers away from established brands needs to have a better customer satisfaction policy: "If the boots are still screwed up after the second pair, hey, we did everything we could to make it right. But tough, no refunds." just won't cut it.

Well, at least we now know how to parse their return policy (https://www.auraskates.com/faqs/):

"07 What’s AURA’s return policy?

We are committed to creating a skate that works for you. If you receive your skates, and feel like something is not quite right, email [email protected] and we will do everything we can to make it right. We have a 4 month return policy on any manufacturing defects."

"We will do everything we can to make it right" does not mean "we will make it right." And apparently many critical defects are not considered "manufacturing defects".
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Hey everyone, as I said earlier in this thread I purchased Aura boots (in the spring of 2019) and the first pair of boots did not work out, so they made me a second pair. Here's my detailed Aura review:

The first pair of Aura boots that were made for me, were a total mess. They were way too long and wide for my feet. The soles were made for a longer blade size than I used (and specifically requested). I got pain in the ball/metatarsal area of my feet, and the boots were extremely stiff. The tongue had to be trimmed along both sides once the boots were heat molded because it had too much volume to properly fit inside the boot. All of this resulted in very noticeable issues with weight distribution and trouble with edges while skating in the boots.

The second pair of Aura boots made for me were an improvement over the first pair, they were made shorter and more narrow. However, they still had many issues. I would get noticeable and immediate pain in in the ball/metatarsal area of my foot. The weight distribution in the boots still felt off and I still had issues feeling proper edges. Performing elements (spins for example) would feel more difficult and more laborious than was normal and I could not achieve the same quality. I say this as someone that likes spinning and can perform all the different types of spins without much trouble.

Additionally, the heels on the second pair of boots were very high for freestyle boots, it was something that was immediately noticeable visually. I have no clue why the boots were made with excessively high heels or why the boot makers at Aura thought that would work out successfully for a non-dance skater. Despite the fact that this pair was less stiff than the first pair of boots, they were still extremely stiff. I would have to go into a deep knee bend while tying the top hooks of the skates to leave room so that I could bend my knees while skating. Having a restricted knee bend further impacts skating ability. I want to also make it clear that this wasn't a case of needing to break the boots in, the boots remained the same stiffness for the months that I used them. The materials used to make Auras are different from anything I have used before, they don't have any give, they don't mold to your feet or become more comfortable over time. If you want something changed you need to go through the heat molding process, however that won't change the stiffness. Eventually, the screws used to mount the blade to the front sole of the boot poked through the boots and pressed into my feet when I skated causing additional discomfort. The soles of the boots were made shorter this time around for my blade length, however the blades did not mount flush with the soles of the boots. There were HUGE gaps between the back of the front blade plate and the front sole of the boot.

Attempts were made to fix these issues. However, the attempts changed small things here and there, but overall didn't make a real difference. Overall, I do not recommend these boots. I had many problems with them and this led to wasted time at the skate shop for adjustments. None of the tweaks and things they tried resulted in a real solution. Additionally, I had to wait about a month+ for the first pair of boots to be made and then heat molded and mounted. Then for the second pair to be made I waited another month+ for the second pair of boots to be made and heat molded to my feet and mounted. When you add that to the time I spent trying the boots out, testing new adjustments, and trying to get them to work I wasted about 7.5 months. I really wanted them to work out, but they were far from functional and for $950 retail plus tax these boots should be better than they are. I don't think Aura boots are ready for the masses yet. There are still a lot of improvements that need to be made and Aura needs to work on quality control. They are trying to make a different boot for every skater and be everything to everyone, but this means that you never know exactly what you will get if you order an Aura boot. I think many of us think customization is great, but at the same time a product like this requires a lot of testing and anytime you start changing a variable you will get different results. Figure skating is a very sensitive thing, anything wrong with the equipment can have a tremendous impact. Aura needs to do more than create something that looks like a skate and create something that also functions and fits like a skate should. I know a few others at a rink I skate at who have tried Aura and had a similar experience with the first pair being no good and having a second pair made and still not feeling satisfied.

Lastly, I wanted to mention a few other general observations I had on the Auras. The boots don't seem like they are built to last long, I could already see material starting to separate in places on my boots. The boots still have a very prototype-like look and that only added to the impression that they were more of a prototype than a finished product. I will admit that the boots were very light, the lightest I have ever used. The heat shapable ability of the boots is notable, they can be changed to some extent after they are made, however they like all other boots have limits.

Aura refuses to give me a refund, because from their point of view they made two pairs of skates. From my point of view they claimed to have custom boots using new technology and what I received didn't seem to be custom made to my feet and didn't function well for figure skating. Additionally, the pro-shop doesn't want to refund any money because 1) They want the money and 2) They "spent a lot of time on me performing adjustments to the Auras." However, I want to note that if they were more astute they could have discerned the fit problems much quicker than they did. Honestly, with the second pair of boots they should have seen them once, noted the oddly high heel and sent it back.

Now I am back using Edea Ice Flys that I had re-mounted by a good skate technician who put them in the position I like them in and used epoxy to fill in gaps so that my blade is mounted evenly despite imperfections in the soles. Things are much better now, although not perfect, but I don't recall ever having perfect skates. I am going to use the Ice Flys for the time being. I am not sure what I will do in the future, however I am hesitant to take additional risks on other brands because boots are expensive and typically final sale.

Thank you for your review. I'm sorry you are going through this with them. But from what you said in your review, it is what I initially expected about them and how they don't work and fit correctly. Also, they would not work as a dance boot either.
 

kolyadafan2002

Fan of Kolyada
Final Flight
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
Hey everyone, as I said earlier in this thread I purchased Aura boots (in the spring of 2019) and the first pair of boots did not work out, so they made me a second pair. Here's my detailed Aura review:

The first pair of Aura boots that were made for me, were a total mess. They were way too long and wide for my feet. The soles were made for a longer blade size than I used (and specifically requested). I got pain in the ball/metatarsal area of my feet, and the boots were extremely stiff. The tongue had to be trimmed along both sides once the boots were heat molded because it had too much volume to properly fit inside the boot. All of this resulted in very noticeable issues with weight distribution and trouble with edges while skating in the boots.

The second pair of Aura boots made for me were an improvement over the first pair, they were made shorter and more narrow. However, they still had many issues. I would get noticeable and immediate pain in in the ball/metatarsal area of my foot. The weight distribution in the boots still felt off and I still had issues feeling proper edges. Performing elements (spins for example) would feel more difficult and more laborious than was normal and I could not achieve the same quality. I say this as someone that likes spinning and can perform all the different types of spins without much trouble.

Additionally, the heels on the second pair of boots were very high for freestyle boots, it was something that was immediately noticeable visually. I have no clue why the boots were made with excessively high heels or why the boot makers at Aura thought that would work out successfully for a non-dance skater. Despite the fact that this pair was less stiff than the first pair of boots, they were still extremely stiff. I would have to go into a deep knee bend while tying the top hooks of the skates to leave room so that I could bend my knees while skating. Having a restricted knee bend further impacts skating ability. I want to also make it clear that this wasn't a case of needing to break the boots in, the boots remained the same stiffness for the months that I used them. The materials used to make Auras are different from anything I have used before, they don't have any give, they don't mold to your feet or become more comfortable over time. If you want something changed you need to go through the heat molding process, however that won't change the stiffness. Eventually, the screws used to mount the blade to the front sole of the boot poked through the boots and pressed into my feet when I skated causing additional discomfort. The soles of the boots were made shorter this time around for my blade length, however the blades did not mount flush with the soles of the boots. There were HUGE gaps between the back of the front blade plate and the front sole of the boot.

Attempts were made to fix these issues. However, the attempts changed small things here and there, but overall didn't make a real difference. Overall, I do not recommend these boots. I had many problems with them and this led to wasted time at the skate shop for adjustments. None of the tweaks and things they tried resulted in a real solution. Additionally, I had to wait about a month+ for the first pair of boots to be made and then heat molded and mounted. Then for the second pair to be made I waited another month+ for the second pair of boots to be made and heat molded to my feet and mounted. When you add that to the time I spent trying the boots out, testing new adjustments, and trying to get them to work I wasted about 7.5 months. I really wanted them to work out, but they were far from functional and for $950 retail plus tax these boots should be better than they are. I don't think Aura boots are ready for the masses yet. There are still a lot of improvements that need to be made and Aura needs to work on quality control. They are trying to make a different boot for every skater and be everything to everyone, but this means that you never know exactly what you will get if you order an Aura boot. I think many of us think customization is great, but at the same time a product like this requires a lot of testing and anytime you start changing a variable you will get different results. Figure skating is a very sensitive thing, anything wrong with the equipment can have a tremendous impact. Aura needs to do more than create something that looks like a skate and create something that also functions and fits like a skate should. I know a few others at a rink I skate at who have tried Aura and had a similar experience with the first pair being no good and having a second pair made and still not feeling satisfied.

Lastly, I wanted to mention a few other general observations I had on the Auras. The boots don't seem like they are built to last long, I could already see material starting to separate in places on my boots. The boots still have a very prototype-like look and that only added to the impression that they were more of a prototype than a finished product. I will admit that the boots were very light, the lightest I have ever used. The heat shapable ability of the boots is notable, they can be changed to some extent after they are made, however they like all other boots have limits.

Aura refuses to give me a refund, because from their point of view they made two pairs of skates. From my point of view they claimed to have custom boots using new technology and what I received didn't seem to be custom made to my feet and didn't function well for figure skating. Additionally, the pro-shop doesn't want to refund any money because 1) They want the money and 2) They "spent a lot of time on me performing adjustments to the Auras." However, I want to note that if they were more astute they could have discerned the fit problems much quicker than they did. Honestly, with the second pair of boots they should have seen them once, noted the oddly high heel and sent it back.

Now I am back using Edea Ice Flys that I had re-mounted by a good skate technician who put them in the position I like them in and used epoxy to fill in gaps so that my blade is mounted evenly despite imperfections in the soles. Things are much better now, although not perfect, but I don't recall ever having perfect skates. I am going to use the Ice Flys for the time being. I am not sure what I will do in the future, however I am hesitant to take additional risks on other brands because boots are expensive and typically final sale.

I'm sorry they haven't worked out for you. Hopefully this is only a once off (as Nam Nyguen is doing fine rn). In terms of blade size, they won't use the exact size you request as sometimes that is impossible depending on the shape of your feet. In terms of being stiff: this is generally a bonus. In terms of the tongue, it is hard at first but I tend to notice people get used to fitting their feet into the boot.

I wish you lots of success with ice flys. I guess it's just one of these things which didn't work out for you.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
I'm sorry they haven't worked out for you. Hopefully this is only a once off (as Nam Nyguen is doing fine rn). In terms of blade size, they won't use the exact size you request as sometimes that is impossible depending on the shape of your feet. In terms of being stiff: this is generally a bonus. In terms of the tongue, it is hard at first but I tend to notice people get used to fitting their feet into the boot.

I wish you lots of success with ice flys. I guess it's just one of these things which didn't work out for you.

Most recently seeing Nam, he was wearing Edea.
 

Elija

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 25, 2019
Most recently seeing Nam, he was wearing Edea.

He was wearing Aura at Canadian nationals last week. Their shape looks so strange. I guess they put a lot more effort into getting his right than the average person.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
He was wearing Aura at Canadian nationals last week. Their shape looks so strange. I guess they put a lot more effort into getting his right than the average person.

Then he must be switching back and forth.
 

kolyadafan2002

Fan of Kolyada
Final Flight
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
Maybe he’s contractually obligated to wear them for competitions on camera haha, who knows. Aura certainly like to feature him on their instagram.

Or maybe as they take time to make when his previous pair break down, he goes into edea whilst his new pair is being made. I do know that nam has used them during nationals and grand prix series.
 

Flying Feijoa

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 22, 2019
Country
New-Zealand
It's interesting to hear that Nam is in Edeas part of the time. I remember him saying that he tried them once very briefly and disliked them (too much movement/too wide for his very narrow/long/pronated feet). He wore Risport RF1 series boots during the 2018-19 season, which coincided with a marked improvement in consistency (although that could also be due other factors like his coaching change). His Auras look similar to his previous Risport boots (crazy thin), so maybe those particular Edeas are in a special narrow width?

As a pronator, I'm steering well clear of Edeas now :scowl:
 

skatespin

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 2, 2014
I'm sorry they haven't worked out for you. Hopefully this is only a once off (as Nam Nyguen is doing fine rn). In terms of blade size, they won't use the exact size you request as sometimes that is impossible depending on the shape of your feet. In terms of being stiff: this is generally a bonus. In terms of the tongue, it is hard at first but I tend to notice people get used to fitting their feet into the boot.

I wish you lots of success with ice flys. I guess it's just one of these things which didn't work out for you.

When I got my Auras, a coach of mine was curious about the skates as he hadn't really seen them before. He went away to a competition (one of the senior grand prix events) with one of his students and when he came back he was saying that Nam was wearing Aura boots. The feedback he got was that Aura would make a pair that he kind of liked, but then when they would make him replacement pairs they would feel off, not the same. I imagine a male skater doing quads can go through boots pretty fast. That might explain why he has also been seen wearing Edeas.

In terms of stiffness being a bonus. I think that really depends, some skaters prefer boots that they can break into faster, but may not last as long. Even if a skater does like a stiff boot though, I think something like a Jackson would be better because a Jackson you can eventually break in, but with the Aura it never changed, it always stayed the same. Edea Pianos and Icy Flys are actually pretty stiff and they also don't change much, however Edea resolves this by having a forward flexing tongue which allows for an easy knee bend. Auras eliminate the forward flex, and try to crease like with a traditional boot, but it really doesn't work the same because of the materials.
 

skatespin

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 2, 2014
Thanks for the detailed review. Unfortunately, your outcome is the one that no skater wants. Any new manufacturer that wants to attract customers away from established brands needs to have a better customer satisfaction policy: "If the boots are still screwed up after the second pair, hey, we did everything we could to make it right. But tough, no refunds." just won't cut it.

Well, at least we now know how to parse their return policy (https://www.auraskates.com/faqs/):

"07 What’s AURA’s return policy?

We are committed to creating a skate that works for you. If you receive your skates, and feel like something is not quite right, email [email protected] and we will do everything we can to make it right. We have a 4 month return policy on any manufacturing defects."

"We will do everything we can to make it right" does not mean "we will make it right." And apparently many critical defects are not considered "manufacturing defects".

Yeah, exactly, I think the return policy is left vague intentionally. And since they are a new company making custom boots exclusively it is almost impossible to prove a "manufacturing defect" because they have to be willing to admit to a manufacturing defect and there is no standard Aura model to use for comparison.
 

kolyadafan2002

Fan of Kolyada
Final Flight
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
When I got my Auras, a coach of mine was curious about the skates as he hadn't really seen them before. He went away to a competition (one of the senior grand prix events) with one of his students and when he came back he was saying that Nam was wearing Aura boots. The feedback he got was that Aura would make a pair that he kind of liked, but then when they would make him replacement pairs they would feel off, not the same. I imagine a male skater doing quads can go through boots pretty fast. That might explain why he has also been seen wearing Edeas.

In terms of stiffness being a bonus. I think that really depends, some skaters prefer boots that they can break into faster, but may not last as long. Even if a skater does like a stiff boot though, I think something like a Jackson would be better because a Jackson you can eventually break in, but with the Aura it never changed, it always stayed the same. Edea Pianos and Icy Flys are actually pretty stiff and they also don't change much, however Edea resolves this by having a forward flexing tongue which allows for an easy knee bend. Auras eliminate the forward flex, and try to crease like with a traditional boot, but it really doesn't work the same because of the materials.

Interesting. I broke in Aura in 2 days? They have a very fast break in time for most people (at least those who I asked who jump triples)... I get the crease working... idk I guess it just wasnt a match for you like me I guess.
 

skatespin

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 2, 2014
Interesting. I broke in Aura in 2 days? They have a very fast break in time for most people (at least those who I asked who jump triples)... I get the crease working... idk I guess it just wasnt a match for you like me I guess.

It wasn't the same as not being able to break them in. I could jump and spin in them pretty quickly. I could get into a sit spin position on day 1. However they limited my knee bend and did not have much give in them. It was like nothing I have ever experienced before and I have used Jackson, Riedell, Risport, and Edea.
 

kolyadafan2002

Fan of Kolyada
Final Flight
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
It wasn't the same as not being able to break them in. I could jump and spin in them pretty quickly. I could get into a sit spin position on day 1. However they limited my knee bend and did not have much give in them. It was like nothing I have ever experienced before and I have used Jackson, Riedell, Risport, and Edea.

I havent heard of that before - but they are very stiff so that may be the reason for you. I'm very harsh with my skates, but they build the crease points weak on purpose so you can break them in, and with gone I'm getting knee bend. With custom boots remember they dont need to be tied as tightly as standard boots. My ice dance coach is impressed with kneebend in them, and I'm now landing almost all triples on a good day so I dont see issue with them. May I ask how old you are, and of which gender/height/weight? And if I havent asked this already which technical.

My ice dance coach was very happy with the high heel on the boot as she stated that professional ice dancers sometimes get their heels built up higher to help make turns easier.
If ice flys are working dont switch from them at all, as they are probably best boots for you. If you struggle with ice flys, I'd give graf a shot(they are very heavy but very good boots other than that). Or maybe risport (never used but heard good things about).
 

FigureSkater2625

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 27, 2020
Country
United-States
Hey everyone, as I said earlier in this thread I purchased Aura boots (in the spring of 2019) and the first pair of boots did not work out, so they made me a second pair. Here's my detailed Aura review:

The first pair of Aura boots that were made for me, were a total mess. They were way too long and wide for my feet. The soles were made for a longer blade size than I used (and specifically requested). I got pain in the ball/metatarsal area of my feet, and the boots were extremely stiff. The tongue had to be trimmed along both sides once the boots were heat molded because it had too much volume to properly fit inside the boot. All of this resulted in very noticeable issues with weight distribution and trouble with edges while skating in the boots.

The second pair of Aura boots made for me were an improvement over the first pair, they were made shorter and more narrow. However, they still had many issues. I would get noticeable and immediate pain in in the ball/metatarsal area of my foot. The weight distribution in the boots still felt off and I still had issues feeling proper edges. Performing elements (spins for example) would feel more difficult and more laborious than was normal and I could not achieve the same quality. I say this as someone that likes spinning and can perform all the different types of spins without much trouble.

Additionally, the heels on the second pair of boots were very high for freestyle boots, it was something that was immediately noticeable visually. I have no clue why the boots were made with excessively high heels or why the boot makers at Aura thought that would work out successfully for a non-dance skater. Despite the fact that this pair was less stiff than the first pair of boots, they were still extremely stiff. I would have to go into a deep knee bend while tying the top hooks of the skates to leave room so that I could bend my knees while skating. Having a restricted knee bend further impacts skating ability. I want to also make it clear that this wasn't a case of needing to break the boots in, the boots remained the same stiffness for the months that I used them. The materials used to make Auras are different from anything I have used before, they don't have any give, they don't mold to your feet or become more comfortable over time. If you want something changed you need to go through the heat molding process, however that won't change the stiffness. Eventually, the screws used to mount the blade to the front sole of the boot poked through the boots and pressed into my feet when I skated causing additional discomfort. The soles of the boots were made shorter this time around for my blade length, however the blades did not mount flush with the soles of the boots. There were HUGE gaps between the back of the front blade plate and the front sole of the boot.

Attempts were made to fix these issues. However, the attempts changed small things here and there, but overall didn't make a real difference. Overall, I do not recommend these boots. I had many problems with them and this led to wasted time at the skate shop for adjustments. None of the tweaks and things they tried resulted in a real solution. Additionally, I had to wait about a month+ for the first pair of boots to be made and then heat molded and mounted. Then for the second pair to be made I waited another month+ for the second pair of boots to be made and heat molded to my feet and mounted. When you add that to the time I spent trying the boots out, testing new adjustments, and trying to get them to work I wasted about 7.5 months. I really wanted them to work out, but they were far from functional and for $950 retail plus tax these boots should be better than they are. I don't think Aura boots are ready for the masses yet. There are still a lot of improvements that need to be made and Aura needs to work on quality control. They are trying to make a different boot for every skater and be everything to everyone, but this means that you never know exactly what you will get if you order an Aura boot. I think many of us think customization is great, but at the same time a product like this requires a lot of testing and anytime you start changing a variable you will get different results. Figure skating is a very sensitive thing, anything wrong with the equipment can have a tremendous impact. Aura needs to do more than create something that looks like a skate and create something that also functions and fits like a skate should. I know a few others at a rink I skate at who have tried Aura and had a similar experience with the first pair being no good and having a second pair made and still not feeling satisfied.

Lastly, I wanted to mention a few other general observations I had on the Auras. The boots don't seem like they are built to last long, I could already see material starting to separate in places on my boots. The boots still have a very prototype-like look and that only added to the impression that they were more of a prototype than a finished product. I will admit that the boots were very light, the lightest I have ever used. The heat shapable ability of the boots is notable, they can be changed to some extent after they are made, however they like all other boots have limits.

Aura refuses to give me a refund, because from their point of view they made two pairs of skates. From my point of view they claimed to have custom boots using new technology and what I received didn't seem to be custom made to my feet and didn't function well for figure skating. Additionally, the pro-shop doesn't want to refund any money because 1) They want the money and 2) They "spent a lot of time on me performing adjustments to the Auras." However, I want to note that if they were more astute they could have discerned the fit problems much quicker than they did. Honestly, with the second pair of boots they should have seen them once, noted the oddly high heel and sent it back.

Now I am back using Edea Ice Flys that I had re-mounted by a good skate technician who put them in the position I like them in and used epoxy to fill in gaps so that my blade is mounted evenly despite imperfections in the soles. Things are much better now, although not perfect, but I don't recall ever having perfect skates. I am going to use the Ice Flys for the time being. I am not sure what I will do in the future, however I am hesitant to take additional risks on other brands because boots are expensive and typically final sale.

Oh my god! That sounds like an absolute horror story, it’s terrible that you had to experience that. While reading your post I thought back to seeing an AURA skate reveal trailer on my Facebook and wow! The irony hits hard with this one.
 

SK8MAMA

Spectator
Joined
Jun 14, 2020
My daughter has been skating in AURAs for 2 weeks and absolutely loves them- says they feel like sneakers. She did need a week to break them and adjust to the higher heel height- she is landing her 3Loop now. She is still adjusting to the difficulty bending her knees but says it is getting better everyday.
 
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