Are Synchro blades just 'smaller'?

[scottie99]

Please excuse me if this is a very stupid question lacking common sense, but my novice self is just trying to figure out what my friend meant.

I have a friend who is an intermediate synchro skater and we were on the topic of blades the other day. She told me that her blades are 1/4" inch smaller than recommended for her boot, as this helps her in synchro but still allows her to do freestyle elements. Is this a thing that people do? I know synchro blades have a smaller heel, but can you simply just put a smaller blade on and call it good? Are you still able to do all your freestyle elements the same, or do you pay a small price for having the smaller blade? Does the smaller blade actually help with turns and edge work? For anyone wondering, she is in paramount blades.

I am not a synchro skater, so I will not be doing this with my blades, but I am just curious if this is a thing that synchro skaters do and what the pros/cons are vs just using synchro blades.

Thank you for enlightening my novice self! I appreciate any information I can receive as I am still learning!

 

[WednesdayMarch]

I'm not a synchro skater and never was (the only time I tried it properly lead to me fracturing my pelvis!) but I have always worn freestyle blades that are 1/4" shorter than the sole of my boot, because that's how I like them. The only exception to this rule is with dance blades, and I would think that would count with blades designed for synchro, too. Dance blades, and by extension synchro blades, are designed with a shortened heel to enable close footwork and they should be fitted from end to end of the boots, with no gap at either the front or the heel. Wearing even shorter ones leads to instability and a much higher potential for injury. The only exception to this rule is with the flared heel of the Jackson Fusion soles, as the very back of that heel is a cosmetic part of the design and the dance blade is perfectly fine ending 1/4" in from the back as it's still in the right place for balance.

So, freestyle blades are fine being 1/4" shorter than the boot at the heel. Specially designed shorter blades for dance/synchro aren't.

 

[tstop4me]

So, freestyle blades are fine being 1/4" shorter than the boot at the heel. Specially designed shorter blades for dance/synchro aren't.

But the OP wrote:

She told me that her blades are 1/4" inch smaller than recommended for her boot, as this helps her in synchro but still allows her to do freestyle elements.

<<Emphasis added>>. I read this to mean that if the recommended blade length is 1/4" shorter than the boot length, her blade length is actually 1/2" shorter than the boot length; and if the recommended blade length is equal to the boot length, her blade length is actually 1/4" shorter than the boot length.

 

[WednesdayMarch]

The trouble with "recommended blade length" is that each and every boot differs slightly. That's why I wrote what I wrote.

 

[Vicki7]

When I was fitted for my current boots, I discussed possibly moving to a synchro blade as I dance and also do the odd bit of partnered skating. My fitter went with a blade 1/4 inch shorter than the recommended size, and said this was a good middle ground as I'm not a serious dancer or pairs skater so going to a different blade wasn't necessary. I love it, I can still land jumps with stability, but now don't have quite as much fear when doing some of the more challenging dance steps for my level (rhythm blues cross behinds, I'm looking at you...)

 

[tstop4me]

When I was fitted for my current boots, I discussed possibly moving to a synchro blade as I dance and also do the odd bit of partnered skating. My fitter went with a blade 1/4 inch shorter than the recommended size, and said this was a good middle ground as I'm not a serious dancer or pairs skater so going to a different blade wasn't necessary. I love it, I can still land jumps with stability, but now don't have quite as much fear when doing some of the more challenging dance steps for my level (rhythm blues cross behinds, I'm looking at you...)

Just to clarify, instead of changing to a synchro blade, you stayed with a freestyle blade, but 1/4" shorter that the recommended freestyle length for the boot. Is that correct?

 

[Vicki7]

That’s right, I’m still on a freestyle blade, just shorter than recommended for my boot length

 

[gliese]

Yes this is common. You can go slightly shorter on your blades (not extremely) and face little consequence. It helps mostly with the tight steps required for synchro as well as not accidentally stepping on someone elses blade.