I have been lurking on a lot of boot suggestion threads as of late. I thought it would help, but am admittedly more confused.
I'm a petite (4'11") adult skater who has been skating since Jan 2018. I'm comfortable with forwards, backwards, some footwork, one foot spins, single twizzles, and half jumps.
My current skates are Riedell 119 Emerald Ladies Figure Skates in a size 5 I bought and had fitted at a shop that has since closed. These made sense when I bought them because I was in LTS lessons and was looking for something that would meet my skill level, but also give me some space to grow. I’ve had them for about a year and a half. My concern is that they are becoming very flexible and feel loose. The tops of the skates can easily be squeezed together. I’m going to talk to my LTS instructor about it, but I’m beginning to wonder about how safe they are. I was taught half jumps in them... but after reviewing tech specs... I really don't trust them for that and accept that my instructor probably doesn't know any better.
Long story short, I want to know what I'm getting into... and understand the specs of the boots / blades I'm going to buy.
Since the shop nearest to me closed, I planned on going to a shop about an hour away in the next few weeks and getting fitted.
I looked a little bit online at their stock and saw the motion 255 and the flair by Reidell.
So I decided to e-mail just more so out of curiosity of price range ( I just wanted to see what they would suggest)... and I was met with suggestions that make me wonder if I should consider looking for a different shop.
I stated that I want boots that will last me through single jumps and hopefully last a few years. I have narrow ankles. I used to skate three times a week, right now I'm down to one, but I'm a tad anxious about the state of my boots
They suggested I look into switching into Jacksons with an argument they're more bang for the buck.
At low end:
They're suggestions were
Reidell diamond ~$210 (Support 40 medium)
Jackson Artiste ~ $190 (Support 20/25 which isn't any improvement from the Emeralds? )
Longer than a year:
Reidell Stride ~$300 (Support 50 --> Chart on Reidell says it could go up to an axel)
Reidell Motion ~$400 ( Support 70 --> Advanced instructional)
Jackson Elle ~$260 ( support 30 ---> Moderate) There are so many interesting (in the Midwestern sense) threads on these boots on this forum...
Jackson Freestyle ~$320 (Support 45 ---> Single rotation jumps)
I know the stiffness isn't standardized which makes comparison hard... but I also remember the first fitter feeling that Jackson's weren't a good fit for my feet at the entry level
Am I having delusions of grandeur or is this maybe just advice aimed at cost control? How much should I realistically be looking to spend as an adult upgrading? I think they're concerned about overbooting, but I'm also an adult with feet that are not growing who would love to avoid injury and have well fitted boots that last more than a year...
Have any suggestions of boots I should look into that would possibly be a good fit? Should I get a set again? or blades separately? does this process ever feel less confusing and frustrating?
Thanks for your help!
I'm a petite (4'11") adult skater who has been skating since Jan 2018. I'm comfortable with forwards, backwards, some footwork, one foot spins, single twizzles, and half jumps.
My current skates are Riedell 119 Emerald Ladies Figure Skates in a size 5 I bought and had fitted at a shop that has since closed. These made sense when I bought them because I was in LTS lessons and was looking for something that would meet my skill level, but also give me some space to grow. I’ve had them for about a year and a half. My concern is that they are becoming very flexible and feel loose. The tops of the skates can easily be squeezed together. I’m going to talk to my LTS instructor about it, but I’m beginning to wonder about how safe they are. I was taught half jumps in them... but after reviewing tech specs... I really don't trust them for that and accept that my instructor probably doesn't know any better.
Long story short, I want to know what I'm getting into... and understand the specs of the boots / blades I'm going to buy.
Since the shop nearest to me closed, I planned on going to a shop about an hour away in the next few weeks and getting fitted.
I looked a little bit online at their stock and saw the motion 255 and the flair by Reidell.
So I decided to e-mail just more so out of curiosity of price range ( I just wanted to see what they would suggest)... and I was met with suggestions that make me wonder if I should consider looking for a different shop.
I stated that I want boots that will last me through single jumps and hopefully last a few years. I have narrow ankles. I used to skate three times a week, right now I'm down to one, but I'm a tad anxious about the state of my boots
They suggested I look into switching into Jacksons with an argument they're more bang for the buck.
At low end:
They're suggestions were
Reidell diamond ~$210 (Support 40 medium)
Jackson Artiste ~ $190 (Support 20/25 which isn't any improvement from the Emeralds? )
Longer than a year:
Reidell Stride ~$300 (Support 50 --> Chart on Reidell says it could go up to an axel)
Reidell Motion ~$400 ( Support 70 --> Advanced instructional)
Jackson Elle ~$260 ( support 30 ---> Moderate) There are so many interesting (in the Midwestern sense) threads on these boots on this forum...
Jackson Freestyle ~$320 (Support 45 ---> Single rotation jumps)
I know the stiffness isn't standardized which makes comparison hard... but I also remember the first fitter feeling that Jackson's weren't a good fit for my feet at the entry level
Am I having delusions of grandeur or is this maybe just advice aimed at cost control? How much should I realistically be looking to spend as an adult upgrading? I think they're concerned about overbooting, but I'm also an adult with feet that are not growing who would love to avoid injury and have well fitted boots that last more than a year...
Have any suggestions of boots I should look into that would possibly be a good fit? Should I get a set again? or blades separately? does this process ever feel less confusing and frustrating?
Thanks for your help!
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