Edea Flamenco vs. Concerto vs. Piano

[spinningdancer]

Looking to switch over to Edeas after having problems with my custom Harlicks. I've been skating for 25 years, so I generally know what to look for, but I'm wondering if there's anyone who is very familiar with Edeas, or who has tried 2-3 of the boots I'm interested in?

At this point, I've mostly ruled out the Flamenco. I'm hesitant about it since I've never been in a dance boot, and I also can't get any information about how low cut the back is, but I'm still somewhat curious as to how it compares, especially to the Concerto, since I've heard they're pretty similar. I've tried on the Concerto and Piano, and liked them both. I also tried the Ice Fly, but did not like that one as much. I know the Piano is more of a freestyle boot, but can it be used for higher level dance as well if I'm just testing my Pre-Gold/Gold pattern dances? I only do singles these days, but still skate with a lot of power, so I prefer a stiffer boot, and regardless of which boot I get, I will be using a freestyle blade (MK Phantom), not a dance blade. The Pianos were the boots I tried on most recently to be fitted for size, and stiffness wise, they felt pretty similar to my Harlicks, at least off ice. If anyone has experiences with any of these boots, or recommendations, I'd be interested in hearing about them!

 

[Elija]

Curious what you liked about piano and concerto that you didn’t like about ice fly? I find piano and ice fly feel very similar (have worn both) but ice fly would likely be much better for dance as it is lower cut in the back. The cut in the back and slightly thicker padding in the ice fly is the main difference for me than other edeas. I also know a couple of people who wear flamencos and really like them, but I don’t do dance so can’t comment on that. There is also the new show girl boot, which is basically a hybrid dance and freestyle boot, and might fit your needs.

 

[spinningdancer]

Curious what you liked about piano and concerto that you didn’t like about ice fly? I find piano and ice fly feel very similar (have worn both) but ice fly would likely be much better for dance as it is lower cut in the back. The cut in the back and slightly thicker padding in the ice fly is the main difference for me than other edeas. I also know a couple of people who wear flamencos and really like them, but I don’t do dance so can’t comment on that. There is also the new show girl boot, which is basically a hybrid dance and freestyle boot, and might fit your needs.

The Ice Flys just felt really uncomfortable when I tried them on. This was at Nationals a few years back, so maybe if I tried them on today, I'd like them better, but when I tried them on then, they were putting pressure on a couple areas on the top of my foot, and the Concerto didn't do that and felt more comfortable. The tech assured me that the Ice Flys could be adjusted, but I'd rather go with a boot that feels more comfortable out of the box, and that would need less adjusting. I tried on the Pianos more recently to get re-fitted for size, and I was surprised by how comfortable they felt. I'd still need the toebox expanded, but I liked them more than I expected to. I was considering the Show Girl, but it looks like they've redesigned it for 2022, and now it has 4 lace hooks, and one of the hooks starts pretty low on the boot. I'm just not sure how I'd like that (or if it even makes a difference), as I expect switching to Edeas after being in "traditional" boots all these years will already be something to get used to on its own.