The Continued Quest of Finding a Fitting Skate | Golden Skate

The Continued Quest of Finding a Fitting Skate

TheSnowQueen2013

Rinkside
Joined
May 4, 2014
Hi all!

Although I think I have posted about this issue before, I am at a different point with different skates and would like to see what anyone has to say about my current situation. I have recently found that I would like to get back into the sport after a long hiatus. Prior to my hiatus, I got a formal skate fit (something I did not get with my previous pair of skates, which resulted in them being tight and ultimately unusable). The pair I was fitted with was the widest size produced by any skate brand they carried. I looked into my options and decided this was the best way to go. I was fitted with a D width Jackson (I forget the model, but I do recall it being the proper stiffness for my level, as most areas of the skate are not problematic, and I have proper ankle bend).

When I first got on the ice with them, the proper fit was a very pleasant experience, and I feel far more stable and mobile on the ice. However, I have an issue which doesn't seem to go away: the skates still feel like they're crushing my feet in the sense of width. It doesn't feel like they're the wrong width so much as that they're the wrong shape. The way the skate thins out at the point pushes my toes together and, as a result, painfully squishes my feet together. This causes not only lasting foot pain, but pain in my legs and a feeling of poor blood flow. Getting other skates is not a reasonable or possible option, and, even if it were, I am not sure how it would help; I have some of the widest skates available for my level and size.

Any recommendations as to reduce this toe-squishing issue? Is a shoe stretcher a sensible choice here? I've heard of the idea of heating/wetting the skates and molding them to my feet, but I didn't want to go ahead and do this if it was wrong/damaging to the skates or otherwise unhelpful to my situation.
 

Vicki7

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 27, 2018
Talk to a reputable skate tech. They can punch out the toe area to make it wider, similar to what you described. I had this problem in Edea boots, and my tech punched the toe area out which gave some relief, but ultimately the switch to Jackson fixed this, and some other foot issues, for me. Hopefully a little spot punching will work for you.
 

MCsAngel2

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 10, 2019
FYI, you can get Jacksons in a wider width than D. Mine are EE (semi custom, made on an E last and punched out in the factory to EE).

If it's not the width so much as the shape, I can't imagine what your next step is. Jackson has the the most squared off toebox of any boot maker.
 

hanyuufan5

✨**:。*
Medalist
Joined
May 19, 2018
I have wide-width Jackson Freestyle Fusions (D ball/C heel), and although the very tip is a bit narrower than the widest part of the ball, I wouldn't say they exactly have a point. Mine are almost perfectly round at the tip, whereas my rinkmates who don't wear wide widths definitely have a point. Are you sure they didn't give you the wrong width by accident? Is there a "D" or a "W" next to the size on the inside?
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Have a reputable tech stretch them and punch them out for you in the toes, as suggested.

Next pair of boots are going to need to be at least semi-custom. There's no other way to really get around your unique issue.
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
OP: In addition to the other suggestions you've received, you can gain a bit more toe room by modifying or replacing your current footbeds (removable insoles). The fixed insole of Jackson boots tend to be poorly finished (e.g., exposed staples), so some footbed is needed as a liner. See if you can get by with an overall thinner liner than the Jackson footbed; e.g., stick two pieces of moleskin (adhesive backed) back to back, trace out a suitable footbed, and cut out a liner with scissors. If you need a thicker footbed outside the toe region, you can cut out the toe region of your current footbed. Then cut a suitable piece of moleskin (adhesive backed) and stick it over the toe region of the fixed insole, and reinsert the remainder of the footbed.
 

bunnybarista

If I risk it all, could you break my fall?~
On the Ice
Joined
May 27, 2018
Sounds like a split-width / semi-custom is the next step for sure. As others have mentioned, seek out a professional fitter again to work with. I always recommend Sp-Teri (or Harlick, since Sp-Teri is closing this year) for great semi or full custom boots. I have a B/D split width because I, too, used to get crunched toes in standard Jacksons. It feels incredible to wear a skate that isn't crushing or squishing anything haha - absolutely worth the money for semi-customs!
 

kolyadafan2002

Fan of Kolyada
Final Flight
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
Try Aura - complete custom lightweight carbon fibre boot. Now I’m in them, I can’t go back. It took me years to find boots that finally fit me! Good luck!
 
Top