Old Jackson boots comparison with Jackson's new line | Golden Skate

Old Jackson boots comparison with Jackson's new line

1111bm

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 31, 2016
I'm currently in discontinued Jackson Competitors (B width) and I've been thinking about getting new boots for quite some time now and hoping to stay in Jacksons, if possible.

Given their new product line I was wondering how their new boots, built on the Elite last, compare to their old line, i.e. my old boots.
So far I've only been able to try on their new Freestyle model, because they were the only ones available in my size at the store at that time. I'm obviously not considering those, since they don't have enough support, I just wanted to check if the new shape agrees with my feet. But they were so soft and comfy, literally like a pair of slippers, because the padding was so squishy and comforming readily to the feet, I'm afraid it didn't tell me much about how their higher level boots will fit me. :confused2:
(I was also surprised that a not-yet-broken-in boot that's only around 5-10 points softer than my old boots is so pliable and comfortable. My Competitors felt like wearing concrete back when I first got them. :scratch2:)

I know about the split width sizing, but that refers to the ball vs. heel, meanwhile I struggle with achieving a snug fit around the middle of my foot in my old boots. So I'm mostly curious how the split width fits around that part of the foot compared to their old boots with one size back to front.

I will have to travel to visit (an)other store(s) to try on other boots, and since not every store carries all brands, I need to weigh my options which store(s) exactly I should visit (never mind Covid-19 having thwarted any travel plans for the past months).
Also, I have no idea what my foot shape is, so it's difficult to get an idea of which boots are potentially a good fit.

I was hoping for some input from people who have experience with both types of Jackson boots. :)

ETA: If I buy a boot built on the Elite last with its split width sizing and it's a size B for instance... does that mean it's a B in the ball and an A in the heel? Or is it a C in the ball with a B heel? (I know they're currently switching to a R and W sizing system, but some of their older models still have the AA, A, B, C... sizing, hence my question)
 

kolyadafan2002

Fan of Kolyada
Final Flight
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
If Elites fit perfectly, they will do well for a multiple triple jumper, or an adult jumping doubles.

They are very strong (a bit heavy), and I had an overall positive experience with them.
They didnt fit me perfectly, so I got quite a few toe blisters and my foot was warped (to this day it remains warped in way the jacksons warped them). This could have been potentially down to bad heat mould.

Ice dancers have complained that the low cut version gets quite weak in a short period of time but I have never used it.

I landed most triples in elite, but didnt Learn any new jumps.
I have never uses another type of jacksons.
Good luck :).
 

MCsAngel2

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 10, 2019
I got Debut Fusion (low cut) last year, the ones on the newer elite last. I have had some ongoing issues to deal with due to my feet: I'm very flat footed and have severe pronation - I wear a EE width because of this (along with black superfeet insoles). I generally always have some level of foot discomfort when skating. Because of this, I once had a really long chat over Facebook with a Jackson representative, who told me that if I ever chose to get new boots, since I'm already in semi custom range anyway, I could order some with the old last which should give more room for my foot and orthotics.

I never had the older Jacksons, but based on what you said, it does sound like the new ones on the elite last will fit your foot more snugly. I had no idea they were so different until talking to the rep and looking at stock photos of the soles of boots made on both the older last and the newer elite last. Very obvious.

Because of my super wide feet, Jackson is my best bet for boots unless I want to have full customs made anywhere. With you being a standard medium, I think you have a lot more options and it really depends on the shape of your foot and toes. https://skaterslanding.com/pages/comparing-figure-skates-by-fit-design
 

MCsAngel2

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 10, 2019
If Elites fit perfectly, they will do well for a multiple triple jumper, or an adult jumping doubles.

They are very strong (a bit heavy), and I had an overall positive experience with them.
They didnt fit me perfectly, so I got quite a few toe blisters and my foot was warped (to this day it remains warped in way the jacksons warped them). This could have been potentially down to bad heat mould.

Ice dancers have complained that the low cut version gets quite weak in a short period of time but I have never used it.

I landed most triples in elite, but didnt Learn any new jumps.
I have never uses another type of jacksons.
Good luck :).

I don't think she's talking about the model Elite 5300, I think she's talking about the new last, called the elite last, that Jackson started using for all their 2000 and 5000 series boots a couple of years ago.
 

1111bm

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 31, 2016
I don't think she's talking about the model Elite 5300, I think she's talking about the new last, called the elite last, that Jackson started using for all their 2000 and 5000 series boots a couple of years ago.

Indeed, I was. :)

I got Debut Fusion (low cut) last year, the ones on the newer elite last. I have had some ongoing issues to deal with due to my feet: I'm very flat footed and have severe pronation - I wear a EE width because of this (along with black superfeet insoles). I generally always have some level of foot discomfort when skating. Because of this, I once had a really long chat over Facebook with a Jackson representative, who told me that if I ever chose to get new boots, since I'm already in semi custom range anyway, I could order some with the old last which should give more room for my foot and orthotics.

I never had the older Jacksons, but based on what you said, it does sound like the new ones on the elite last will fit your foot more snugly. I had no idea they were so different until talking to the rep and looking at stock photos of the soles of boots made on both the older last and the newer elite last. Very obvious.

Because of my super wide feet, Jackson is my best bet for boots unless I want to have full customs made anywhere. With you being a standard medium, I think you have a lot more options and it really depends on the shape of your foot and toes. https://skaterslanding.com/pages/comparing-figure-skates-by-fit-design

Wow, that doesn't sound like fun. Thankfully my feet don't usually cause me much discomfort. They are actually pretty skinny and narrow (I think), so I usually have too much wiggle room in circumference in all types of shoes. It's just that I have splayfeet so I can't have boots that are too narrow in the front (plus I'm very fussy with pressure on my toes).

Interesting Jackson still offers custom boots with the old last. It's nice you have the option of getting customs or semi-customs, I'm in Europe, so I'm afraid any custom options or brands would be problematic or impossible. Generally there's only Jackson, Risport and Edea available, maybe some Graf too (although I was surprised to find some austrian shop yesterday, that seems to be selling Riedells).

The guy in our local shop says my feet will best match Jacksons, but I don't know how knowledgeable or good at fitting he actually is (or even, which last he has in mind).

I thought another brand could be a better fit because of how narrow my feet are, but I tried on Risports (RF1 Exclusive and RF3 Pro) in A and B width. A was torture on my toes (but everywhere else a nice snug fit) and B was still ever so slightly uncomfortable on my toes, meanwhile the overall fit didn't seem much different from my current boots, so not necessarily an improvement (might change after heat molding though). So I wasn't entirely sold on Risport.
What really confused me was, that my old Jacksons (a 55 on Jackson's scale, probably less now due to age) feel stiffer than even the high level RF1 model. :scratch2:

I've also tried on some Edea boots (Chorus or Overture I assume) but I missed the feeling of any pressure/grip from the boots on my feet/instep. I mean, I thought Edeas are said to be loose in the ankle area (or slightly above) but I didn't expect them to be this loose (or loose feeling due to the padding/material?) below the ankles and along the foot as well.

I think I'm just too spoilt after having been in stiff Jacksons all this time, and I'd love to keep that supportive feeling.
 

1111bm

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 31, 2016
If Elites fit perfectly, they will do well for a multiple triple jumper, or an adult jumping doubles.

They are very strong (a bit heavy), and I had an overall positive experience with them.
They didnt fit me perfectly, so I got quite a few toe blisters and my foot was warped (to this day it remains warped in way the jacksons warped them). This could have been potentially down to bad heat mould.

Ice dancers have complained that the low cut version gets quite weak in a short period of time but I have never used it.

I landed most triples in elite, but didnt Learn any new jumps.
I have never uses another type of jacksons.
Good luck :).

Haha, thanks. :)

Yeah I'm actually considering either Jackson Premieres or Elites (the main question for me is, which width to get/try on).
But I'm not sure I'll ever muster up the courage to attempt any double jumps, although I would love to. And I'm somewhere around 50 kg, so not that heavy for an adult. I've always enjoyed the stiffness of my old Jacksons though and I'm generally not prone to getting blisters (until now at least :p) so maybe I could still handle the Elites (assuming they have a better fit or other benefits over the Premieres).

May I ask, how long have you skated in your Elites? The lower cut version getting weak quickly doesn't sound good, hopefully the same isn't true for the regular version. I would think they're the same material, but maybe the lower boot shaft makes them more susceptible to breakdown?
 

kolyadafan2002

Fan of Kolyada
Final Flight
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
Haha, thanks. :)

Yeah I'm actually considering either Jackson Premieres or Elites (the main question for me is, which width to get/try on).
But I'm not sure I'll ever muster up the courage to attempt any double jumps, although I would love to. And I'm somewhere around 50 kg, so not that heavy for an adult. I've always enjoyed the stiffness of my old Jacksons though and I'm generally not prone to getting blisters (until now at least :p) so maybe I could still handle the Elites (assuming they have a better fit or other benefits over the Premieres).

May I ask, how long have you skated in your Elites? The lower cut version getting weak quickly doesn't sound good, hopefully the same isn't true for the regular version. I would think they're the same material, but maybe the lower boot shaft makes them more susceptible to breakdown?

I think also remember these are a couple of ice dancers who tigh their skates fairly loose and have incredible deep kneebend.

I didn't use them very long, as they just deformed my feet quite badly (blisters and lumps) - probably as I never had jacksons before. I never had blisters from breaking in skates before (including Graf's).

Elites are nice stuff jumping boots, a little heavy but probably my second favourite pair of boots out of all the types of boots I've worn.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
I think also remember these are a couple of ice dancers who tigh their skates fairly loose and have incredible deep kneebend.

I didn't use them very long, as they just deformed my feet quite badly (blisters and lumps) - probably as I never had jacksons before. I never had blisters from breaking in skates before (including Graf's).

Elites are nice stuff jumping boots, a little heavy but probably my second favourite pair of boots out of all the types of boots I've worn.

I've worn both low cuts and regular for dance and singles and they really haven't had different breakdown for me, except lowcut singles boots did break down a tad sooner than my regular, but dance boots which are low cut, no problems with them breaking down fast.

When you say the middle of your foot is the issue what exactly do you mean? Is it any way in relation to your arch? Or is it just wide there?

You might need to go full on customs.
 

kolyadafan2002

Fan of Kolyada
Final Flight
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
I've worn both low cuts and regular for dance and singles and they really haven't had different breakdown for me, except lowcut singles boots did break down a tad sooner than my regular, but dance boots which are low cut, no problems with them breaking down fast.

When you say the middle of your foot is the issue what exactly do you mean? Is it any way in relation to your arch? Or is it just wide there?

You might need to go full on customs.

I didn't personally experience lowcuts - just passing on feedback from others. The OP should rely on your information, as you seem to have lots of accurate information when it comes to specific boots as you have personally experienced them.
I'm with Aura now and they are working, so won't play around with custom jacksons but suspect you are right with me needing custom skates. My feet are very difficult - graf and Jackson were the closest to the correct fit, and I went with Jackson as Graf's for me were hit and miss in the past (got bad skate, but have got some very good graf too).
I probably wouldn't have had any issues with custom jacksons.
By the side of my ankles I had lumps appearing, as well on the the side of arch and swelling of the foot. Also back of ankles. It fit like a glove, I feel it may have just been slightly wrong shape. Also toes had blistering. I'm very narrow on the heel and wide at the toes so that made off the shelf boots tricky to fit.

I had Edeas before, and Jacksons were a massive improvement for me (as Edeas broke down for me within couple months so had to replace Ice fly after just two months - I could have ordered piano but didn't want to waste the money in case I had issues with Piano. Ice fly were bit wider for me so might explain that issue.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
I didn't personally experience lowcuts - just passing on feedback from others. The OP should rely on your information, as you seem to have lots of accurate information when it comes to specific boots as you have personally experienced them.
I'm with Aura now and they are working, so won't play around with custom jacksons but suspect you are right with me needing custom skates. My feet are very difficult - graf and Jackson were the closest to the correct fit, and I went with Jackson as Graf's for me were hit and miss in the past (got bad skate, but have got some very good graf too).
I probably wouldn't have had any issues with custom jacksons.
By the side of my ankles I had lumps appearing, as well on the the side of arch and swelling of the foot. Also back of ankles. It fit like a glove, I feel it may have just been slightly wrong shape. Also toes had blistering. I'm very narrow on the heel and wide at the toes so that made off the shelf boots tricky to fit.

I had Edeas before, and Jacksons were a massive improvement for me (as Edeas broke down for me within couple months so had to replace Ice fly after just two months - I could have ordered piano but didn't want to waste the money in case I had issues with Piano. Ice fly were bit wider for me so might explain that issue.

Thank you! Also, I was referring to 1111bm as also possibly needing full custom. Anyway, in your case with boots, I'm glad the Auras are working, but if they don't you might want to try Risport. Have you yet?

I love mine and they tend to be wider with more room from top to bottom in the front of the boot, which might be good for you. If you need anything, you can DM me. I've worn Risport for years now. As well as Jackson (each brand for each of my disciplines). I'm wide in the toe box and narrow in the heel with high arches, if that helps.

I will say, that at the level you are skating, those lumps on the ankles seem to be standard for any of us. I've had them and know many that even now into pro career still get them. Do you wear bungas, gel cushion dots or ankle pads with your skates?
 

kolyadafan2002

Fan of Kolyada
Final Flight
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
Thank you! Also, I was referring to 1111bm as also possibly needing full custom. Anyway, in your case with boots, I'm glad the Auras are working, but if they don't you might want to try Risport. Have you yet?

I love mine and they tend to be wider which might be good for you.

I was going to try Risport RF1 but chose Jackson over them. Little bit later a speed skating coach offered to put me in touch with Aura and I helped test the skates for them.

A few years ago I had opportunity to use RF2 as had lost my other skates whilst traveling and somebody offered to sell me a brand new pair(I'm not even sure if they make them anymore - have not seen somebody use RF2 for ages) - I feel if I tried RF2 back then I would be using Risport right now (I feel they would have been a good boot strength and shape) . I think that if I ever have a serious issue with Aura then Risport would be my next port of call, but under Aura I am landing more successful triples than ever (and triple triple training going well) so don't want to play around too much. I will definitely try Risport RF1s some day even if it's just to experience it so that if I become a coach I'll have more knowledge on how to help skaters in trouble.

Anyways going back to the OP, reading through the information I would agree with you in suggesting looking at cutom made jacksons (not sure on their costs?), as I feel that custom boots for an adult are a worthwhile investment as generally speaking feet aren't growing so they will last a long time.

Edit: just saw your edited post.
Lumps do seem common but was struggling to find solution to toe pains and ankle pains a few months in. I still have the jumps from jackson around the ankle but toe blisters have disappeared in new boots.
I guess it just wasn't meant to be, but I am absolutely not knocking Jackson as a company - the boots were of exceptional quality.
 

WednesdayMarch

Nicer When Fed
Medalist
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
Country
United-Kingdom
Indeed, I was. :)
Thankfully my feet don't usually cause me much discomfort. They are actually pretty skinny and narrow (I think), so I usually have too much wiggle room in circumference in all types of shoes. It's just that I have splayfeet so I can't have boots that are too narrow in the front (plus I'm very fussy with pressure on my toes).

Interesting Jackson still offers custom boots with the old last. It's nice you have the option of getting customs or semi-customs, I'm in Europe, so I'm afraid any custom options or brands would be problematic or impossible. Generally there's only Jackson, Risport and Edea available, maybe some Graf too (although I was surprised to find some austrian shop yesterday, that seems to be selling Riedells).

Try some Graf. I find that they are snug round my heel but also have the width I need for the wider front of my feet and high arches. I have worn Graf Dance for a couple of years but have just bought some Edmonton Specials as dance doesn't really exist at my local rink (it's kidney shaped and ridiculous!) so I'm working mainly on Field Moves when I'm not standing around saying, "Again"...
 

hanyuufan5

✨**:。*
Medalist
Joined
May 19, 2018
So far I've only been able to try on their new Freestyle model, because they were the only ones available in my size at the store at that time. I'm obviously not considering those, since they don't have enough support, I just wanted to check if the new shape agrees with my feet. But they were so soft and comfy, literally like a pair of slippers, because the padding was so squishy and comforming readily to the feet, I'm afraid it didn't tell me much about how their higher level boots will fit me. :confused2:
(I was also surprised that a not-yet-broken-in boot that's only around 5-10 points softer than my old boots is so pliable and comfortable. My Competitors felt like wearing concrete back when I first got them. :scratch2:)

I never wore Competitors, but my Freestyles had no break-in and no discomfort whatsoever. When I first tried on my Debuts, I was scared that I had just made a very expensive mistake, because they indeed felt like concrete. But lo and behold, I tried them out and immediately improved my jump height and landing edge and hydroblading (especially the hydroblading, which I'm pretty sure is 80% of why my Freestyles broke down so soon).

I will say, that at the level you are skating, those lumps on the ankles seem to be standard for any of us. I've had them and know many that even now into pro career still get them. Do you wear bungas, gel cushion dots or ankle pads with your skates?

If you mean bursitis, I got that even at my level and fully expect that I'll have it again someday, given how prone to it I am. :palmf: I used cheapo gel heel pads from Walmart, lol.
 

1111bm

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 31, 2016
When you say the middle of your foot is the issue what exactly do you mean? Is it any way in relation to your arch? Or is it just wide there?

I'm afraid I honestly don't know what arches I have (high, flat...?) an if and how they could relate to this. :scratch2:
I think my feet just don't have much... substance?

It feels like my current boots have become too roomy in general, but especially around the middle of my feet and possibly the heels too.

They don't have even the slightest sign of a crease, so they don't look broken down to me. But back when I first got them, I seem to recall that they were rather wide and only after heat molding did they finally 'hug' my feet. But now it feels like they're reverting back to their old shape or are just generally loosening up.
It feels as if I don't have sufficient contact with the boots, so I can't 'steer' my blades as well anymore.

When I try to compensate for this by tying them tighter, my feet obviously start hurting and become numb after a while, because they're squeezed too much.

Another thing I'm hugely bothered by is, that more and more frequently my feet feel like they aren't centered over the blades anymore, but somewhat to the inside, as if I'm pronating. On those sessions it feels like I can't get over my outside edges anymore the way I used to. I don't know if that's 'a thing' that can or will happen once your boots are loosening.

It totally might just be a feeling though, I'm at a point where I believe it could all just be in my head and I'm just overly sensitive, I don't know. :confused2:
(that's actually the worst part, not knowing if I'm imagining things and searching for excuses, or if there's really something wrong with my equipment)

So yeah, long story short, I'm planning on this time getting boots that have a more snug fit to begin with, even before heat molding.

I don't usually experience any pain or discomfort related to this though (no pressure or chafing), so that's very nice of course. It's just that skating often doesn't feel 'right' anymore.


(Btw, I'm aware that there's ways to counteract the effects of pronation, but:
I'm afraid I can't move my blades slightly to the inside, because my soles are pretty brittle (I've been a bit careless when taking care of them in the past). So they possibly won't hold the screws anymore once I start tampering with them. It's already been a struggle to get them to grip when I switched to my current blades.
Shimming otoh won't give me back a more centered/symmetrical feeling over the blades I would think (?) so I don't think that's a good option either.
I might experiment with different insoles, but it's difficult to find ones that are not too thick. I've once tried specially-made-for-my-skates orthopedic ones, but I didn't like how it changed the contact with my blades, due to their thickness.)
 

1111bm

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 31, 2016
I didn't use them very long, as they just deformed my feet quite badly (blisters and lumps) - probably as I never had jacksons before. I never had blisters from breaking in skates before (including Graf's).

You're really making the Elites sound super scary. :laugh:

One time over the summer, when we were on our yearly ice break, I developed a tiny ganglion on the bunion area of my left foot. Then, after 2-3 days back in skates it was gone. Wearing my Jacksons for several hours a day had just pushed it away (or rather the fluid inside). In that case the boots were actually quite helpful, but I'd rather not have them work against me and my feet. :drama:


I think also remember these are a couple of ice dancers who tigh their skates fairly loose and have incredible deep kneebend.

I kinda do the same with my current Jacksons. I like my boots very snug around my feet and ankles, but I'm very particular about having them loose enough at the top, so I can bend my knees enough to skate in a way that's comfortable for me. I feel very unstable when I can’t bend my knees properly.


Elites are nice stuff jumping boots, a little heavy but probably my second favourite pair of boots out of all the types of boots I've worn.

We do jump a lot during our group classes, but whenever I’m left to my own devices, I almost exclusively work on footwork and edges. I think if I wasn’t jumping, I’d totally go for lower cut freestyles or dance boots. Then again, the um magnitude of my jumps isn’t exactly noteworthy, so any higher level freestyle boot feels rather silly and a bit of an overkill tbh.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
I never wore Competitors, but my Freestyles had no break-in and no discomfort whatsoever. When I first tried on my Debuts, I was scared that I had just made a very expensive mistake, because they indeed felt like concrete. But lo and behold, I tried them out and immediately improved my jump height and landing edge and hydroblading (especially the hydroblading, which I'm pretty sure is 80% of why my Freestyles broke down so soon).



If you mean bursitis, I got that even at my level and fully expect that I'll have it again someday, given how prone to it I am. :palmf: I used cheapo gel heel pads from Walmart, lol.

No, not bursitis.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
I'm afraid I honestly don't know what arches I have (high, flat...?) an if and how they could relate to this. :scratch2:
I think my feet just don't have much... substance?

It feels like my current boots have become too roomy in general, but especially around the middle of my feet and possibly the heels too.

They don't have even the slightest sign of a crease, so they don't look broken down to me. But back when I first got them, I seem to recall that they were rather wide and only after heat molding did they finally 'hug' my feet. But now it feels like they're reverting back to their old shape or are just generally loosening up.
It feels as if I don't have sufficient contact with the boots, so I can't 'steer' my blades as well anymore.

When I try to compensate for this by tying them tighter, my feet obviously start hurting and become numb after a while, because they're squeezed too much.

Another thing I'm hugely bothered by is, that more and more frequently my feet feel like they aren't centered over the blades anymore, but somewhat to the inside, as if I'm pronating. On those sessions it feels like I can't get over my outside edges anymore the way I used to. I don't know if that's 'a thing' that can or will happen once your boots are loosening.

It totally might just be a feeling though, I'm at a point where I believe it could all just be in my head and I'm just overly sensitive, I don't know. :confused2:
(that's actually the worst part, not knowing if I'm imagining things and searching for excuses, or if there's really something wrong with my equipment)

So yeah, long story short, I'm planning on this time getting boots that have a more snug fit to begin with, even before heat molding.

I don't usually experience any pain or discomfort related to this though (no pressure or chafing), so that's very nice of course. It's just that skating often doesn't feel 'right' anymore.


(Btw, I'm aware that there's ways to counteract the effects of pronation, but:
I'm afraid I can't move my blades slightly to the inside, because my soles are pretty brittle (I've been a bit careless when taking care of them in the past). So they possibly won't hold the screws anymore once I start tampering with them. It's already been a struggle to get them to grip when I switched to my current blades.
Shimming otoh won't give me back a more centered/symmetrical feeling over the blades I would think (?) so I don't think that's a good option either.
I might experiment with different insoles, but it's difficult to find ones that are not too thick. I've once tried specially-made-for-my-skates orthopedic ones, but I didn't like how it changed the contact with my blades, due to their thickness.)

I will be back to answer you later on, I promise. :) I answered someone else on this thread and didn't want you to think I was forgetting you, I just need more time to write the answer for you.
 

1111bm

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 31, 2016
I will be back to answer you later on, I promise. :) I answered someone else on this thread and didn't want you to think I was forgetting you, I just need more time to write the answer for you.

Oh no worries, I'm not bothered at all by some thread hijacking, god knows I've been guilty of it myself. Also, no one owes me an answer really, but of course I'm happy and grateful if posters are willing to share their thoughts and ideas. And in any case it's always interesting to read what others have experienced, even if it doesn't help directly with any issues I have (also, it's night time over here anyways :laugh: I'm just a hopeless night owl).
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
I'm afraid I honestly don't know what arches I have (high, flat...?) an if and how they could relate to this. :scratch2:
I think my feet just don't have much... substance?

It feels like my current boots have become too roomy in general, but especially around the middle of my feet and possibly the heels too.

They don't have even the slightest sign of a crease, so they don't look broken down to me. But back when I first got them, I seem to recall that they were rather wide and only after heat molding did they finally 'hug' my feet. But now it feels like they're reverting back to their old shape or are just generally loosening up.
It feels as if I don't have sufficient contact with the boots, so I can't 'steer' my blades as well anymore.

When I try to compensate for this by tying them tighter, my feet obviously start hurting and become numb after a while, because they're squeezed too much.

Another thing I'm hugely bothered by is, that more and more frequently my feet feel like they aren't centered over the blades anymore, but somewhat to the inside, as if I'm pronating. On those sessions it feels like I can't get over my outside edges anymore the way I used to. I don't know if that's 'a thing' that can or will happen once your boots are loosening.

It totally might just be a feeling though, I'm at a point where I believe it could all just be in my head and I'm just overly sensitive, I don't know. :confused2:
(that's actually the worst part, not knowing if I'm imagining things and searching for excuses, or if there's really something wrong with my equipment)

So yeah, long story short, I'm planning on this time getting boots that have a more snug fit to begin with, even before heat molding.

I don't usually experience any pain or discomfort related to this though (no pressure or chafing), so that's very nice of course. It's just that skating often doesn't feel 'right' anymore.


(Btw, I'm aware that there's ways to counteract the effects of pronation, but:
I'm afraid I can't move my blades slightly to the inside, because my soles are pretty brittle (I've been a bit careless when taking care of them in the past). So they possibly won't hold the screws anymore once I start tampering with them. It's already been a struggle to get them to grip when I switched to my current blades.
Shimming otoh won't give me back a more centered/symmetrical feeling over the blades I would think (?) so I don't think that's a good option either.
I might experiment with different insoles, but it's difficult to find ones that are not too thick. I've once tried specially-made-for-my-skates orthopedic ones, but I didn't like how it changed the contact with my blades, due to their thickness.)

I don't think you are overthinking or oversensitive to your boots. They just aren't working for you, and again with what you are describing: Customs or semi-customs are going to be your best shot. I'm afraid with what you have written about getting tighter boots even before heat moulding is going to be a big mistake, and an expensive one at that. They will end up being too tight/small.

As far as the pronation like issues now, you may have an issue with the blades or it could be the boots causing it, or you could just have a issue with your feet doing it. You can get an orthopaedist or podiatrist to give you orthotics that won't affect your skating feeling. Fun fact: we didn't know I needed orthotics until I started skating lol!

I hope this was able to help and you are always welcome to come to my DM to ask questions etc. .

Good luck! :)
 

1111bm

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 31, 2016
Thank you to everyone who contributed something, appreciate the input. I'll see what Jackson and Graf have to offer off-the-rack first, hoping that whichever store I'll end up at will have size/width available that suits my feet.

Oh and btw, regarding the pronation like problem, in case someone struggles, or will struggle with a similar thing:

Last year I once forgot to put my insoles back in after drying and airing them out (the original Jackson ones) and unwittingly skated without them (I seriously have no idea how I didn't notice or realise why my boots felt so different that day). And it was one of the best sessions I ever had in terms of how I felt over my blades and on edges.

So, desperate as I currently am, I took my insoles out again today. And lo and behold, my edges felt amazing again and I don't think I ever felt this much over my right side on jump landings (or take-offs in case of the Loop).

Obviously this isn't a perfect solution, since the bottom of the boots is hard, so it's not exactly comfortable and my feet weren't too happy either about the sudden lack of an arch support (might get used to it after some time though, since they mostly protested for the first 20 minutes). Never mind that without the insole, there's even more room in the skates, so I was really struggling to tie them tightly enough (the rush of endorphins I got from feeling so in control of my blades again really made up for it though).

This is so confusing to me, it doesn't make sense that removing the insole with its arch support improves things for me. I would've expected my feet to collapse even more to the inside and make things worse (I don't think I actually pronate the way some people do, but I might have a slight tendency to).
I think the problem is either the arch support or the thickness of the insole in the heel area. Somehow this messes with the position of my feet in the boots in relation to the blades.
I'll experiment some more with different insole solutions, but it's definitely fascinating how such small or seemingly insignificant things can have such a big impact. But it's also a quicker fix than messing with your blades, so worth trying.
 
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