I need your help: boots and lessons questions

Boots and lessons questions

First of all, sorry for creating so many threads!

I have some questions to ask about lessons and choosing skates.

Here are my statistics and environment description:
- I am 18 years old
- I'm female
- 47-48kg and 5'3"
- I can skate but that's about it
- I live in Guangzhou, China
- I want to learn up to the level of crossovers and simple spins
- My budget is low ($60-80), but if a certain brand/model of boots are worth it, I'll save up for it

Lessons:
- How do I know if a lesson is not good?
- How do I know if the coach isn't experienced enough?
- Are group lessons bad?
- Are 2 students 1 coach type lessons bad?
- How much practice time would I probably need?

Boots:
- I've been recommended the artistes and elles here. What do you recommend?
- How do I know if a fitter knows what they're doing?
- Is it possible to only buy one boot throughout all my lessons? Or two? I don't want to overboot but also don't have the budget to always upgrade
- Does blade matter at my level?
- Is it necessary that I get recreational ones first before actual figure skates?
- When should I buy my own skates? Is it wiser to just use rentals first?
- I have somewhat thin ankles (6 inches), will this be a problem when choosing skates?

I think these are all of my questions! ♡

For the Boots:

Get your own skates now. Do not wear rentals. They are horrible.

You really need to find a fitter to determine which boot fits your foot best. For the very beginner an Elle would work IF yous foot matches the Jackson shape. The Elles are good, but NOT FOR JUMPS. If you start progressing to jumping, you will need a new boot. Since you're on a budget, what I'd really recommend is far far over, and saving and skating in rentals is just not worth it. So if you can afford Elles get them, but just know you'll need to stick to footwork and skating skills until you can afford to upgrade your boots. There is a lot you can do that's not jumping, and the Elle will get you out of those rentals sooner. The Elle is also heat moldable so they'll be more comfortable to break in.

But GO TO A FITTER. Travel if you have to. Do not order online.

Your thin ankles is an issue for fitting skates, so again GO TO A FITTER. You might need a narrower size, but maybe not. It's impossible to tell over the internet. Someone needs to look at your feet.

Group Lessons are fantastic when you start. You will save money, and you really won't need private lessons for a while.

How much practice time depends on you. You're an adult. Your only competition is yourself. Skate however much you want and however much you can afford to and enjoy to. Ideally, at least 1 additional practice session per week to the group lesson session. But going more often will see your progress go faster, but again, it's not a race.

Nimyue said:

For the Boots:

Get your own skates now. Do not wear rentals. They are horrible.

You really need to find a fitter to determine ...

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Thank you very much for answering some of my questions! I really appreciate your help.

What do you think about checking with a fitter and then ordering the size and model they recommend from online?

strawberrycheeks said:

Thank you very much for answering some of my questions! I really appreciate your help.

What do you think about checking with a fitter and then ordering the size and model they recommend from online?

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I would have ethical issues taking the fitter's time for a fitting and then not buying anything. Also, the nice thing is that fitters usually can mount blades and do all those things, do the first sharpening, etc. so it's worth it.

Now that I know the exact model, blade type and everything else, I order online, but if I transition to different boots in the future and use a fitter, I would have them order the boots, mount the blades, etc.

A few other thoughts:
- My budget is low ($60-80), but if a certain brand/model of boots are worth it, I'll save up for it

I would almost suggest getting the Artiste since it's fine for half and single jumps

- Are group lessons bad?
They are great--I do both and group lessons are helpful and much less expensive, especially for beginners

- Are 2 students 1 coach type lessons bad?
I think it's great not to have 6/7 people in a lesson group

- How much practice time would I probably need?
In the beginning I skated twice a week for 1.5-2 hours each time; now I skate more


- Does blade matter at my level?
Most of the intro figure skates come with blades, which makes things easier

- I have somewhat thin ankles (6 inches), will this be a problem when choosing skates?
You fitter will look at your foot and measure...

MiraiFan said:

I would have ethical issues taking the fitter's time for a fitting and then not buying anything. Also...

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Thank you very much for helping me out and answering some of my questions! Really appreciate it.

MiraiFan said:

I would have ethical issues taking the fitter's time for a fitting and then not buying anything. Also, the nice thing is that fitters usually can mount blades and do all those things, do the first sharpening, etc. so it's worth it.

Click to expand...

YES - we need to keep fitters in business so they are there when we need them! Buying online is not the answer to everything. Sometimes "the cheap gets expensive" when purchases don't fit correctly.

sandraskates said:

YES - we need to keep fitters in business so they are there when we need them! Buying online is not the answer to everything. Sometimes "the cheap gets expensive" when purchases don't fit correctly.

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Also the boots might be cheaper online, but then you have to pay a fitter to mount your blades and sharpen them. Once you've done that you probably spent more than ordering them from the fitter in the first place.

sandraskates said:

YES - we need to keep fitters in business so they are there when we need them! Buying online is not the answer to everything. Sometimes "the cheap gets expensive" when purchases don't fit correctly.

Click to expand...

Nimyue said:

Also the boots might be cheaper online, but then you have to pay a fitter to mount your blades and sharpen them. Once you've done that you probably spent more than ordering them from the fitter in the first place.

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Thank you! ♡