Hi everyone !
I’m a adult beginner skater (32 years old), started about 4 months ago in CanSkate adult lessons, not progressing exceedingly fast (only starting to work on backward crossovers, 3-turns, Mohawks, but still far from proper ones, can’t figure out spins for the life of me)
I do love skating though and have wanted to learn for a long time, and I’d like to keep at it and progress more. I’ll be travelling this spring and summer and I don’t know how much access to an ice rink I’ll have, so I’ve been looking into figure roller skates/frames (it would be a good investment anyways since in France where I’m from rinks close from April to September…)
I’d also like to have my current ice skates looked at, they’re Riedell Strides that I got at a shop that does mostly hockey (because if I wanted to start skating I didn’t have that much choice), luckily they don’t seem to be such a bad fit but I think some baking, punching, something for arch support might help.
However I’m currently in the middle of nowhere in the Kootenays (Canada) and don’t have access to a proper fitter (higher level skaters here mostly seem to go to Vancouver for fittings… 10h away by car)
In the spring I’ll be passing through Winnipegand Montréal in Canada, and also Lyon and Paris in France so I was wondering if you guys had any good fitters to recommend there (or anywhere around the French Alps would work)? Also how does it usually go, I guess I might need to come there for several appointments, maybe some time apart if something needs to be ordered ?
I would also love some boots recommandations (for budget planning and not coming in clueless at a shop), I guess for roller frames I’d be looking at Pic skates, Snow Whites or Roll-line Lineas depending on what the shop has or can get in the right size, but for boots I’m not sure. Should they be the same stiffness as ones for ice skating ?
For potentially relevant info : I’m about 1.73m (5’8), 62kg (135-140lbs), Egyptian/roman feet not sure (the first toe is biggest then 2nd and 3rd about the same size then tapered), I would say of medium and constant width along their length, medium arches, and have pretty bad knock knees apparently. My ankles tend to roll easily when I walk so I guess Edeas and their looser fit wouldn’t be best for me ?
For the few skates I’ve tried, I didn’t love the Jackson fit (6B and 6C felt awfully small, 7C felt awfully big) but maybe it just wasn’t my size, Riedell boots felt easier to fit in (4.5 was much too small but somehow easier to get in than size 6 Jacksons ? 5.5M were the ones) but a bit narrow, didn’t get to try anything else (also is it normal that skates feel much tighter when trying them on at a shop but then roomier on the ice ? How do you know if they’re the right fit before buying them then ?)
Sorry for the many questions, and thanks for the help and all the good info on these forums !
I’m a adult beginner skater (32 years old), started about 4 months ago in CanSkate adult lessons, not progressing exceedingly fast (only starting to work on backward crossovers, 3-turns, Mohawks, but still far from proper ones, can’t figure out spins for the life of me)
I do love skating though and have wanted to learn for a long time, and I’d like to keep at it and progress more. I’ll be travelling this spring and summer and I don’t know how much access to an ice rink I’ll have, so I’ve been looking into figure roller skates/frames (it would be a good investment anyways since in France where I’m from rinks close from April to September…)
I’d also like to have my current ice skates looked at, they’re Riedell Strides that I got at a shop that does mostly hockey (because if I wanted to start skating I didn’t have that much choice), luckily they don’t seem to be such a bad fit but I think some baking, punching, something for arch support might help.
However I’m currently in the middle of nowhere in the Kootenays (Canada) and don’t have access to a proper fitter (higher level skaters here mostly seem to go to Vancouver for fittings… 10h away by car)
In the spring I’ll be passing through Winnipeg
I would also love some boots recommandations (for budget planning and not coming in clueless at a shop), I guess for roller frames I’d be looking at Pic skates, Snow Whites or Roll-line Lineas depending on what the shop has or can get in the right size, but for boots I’m not sure. Should they be the same stiffness as ones for ice skating ?
For potentially relevant info : I’m about 1.73m (5’8), 62kg (135-140lbs), Egyptian/roman feet not sure (the first toe is biggest then 2nd and 3rd about the same size then tapered), I would say of medium and constant width along their length, medium arches, and have pretty bad knock knees apparently. My ankles tend to roll easily when I walk so I guess Edeas and their looser fit wouldn’t be best for me ?
For the few skates I’ve tried, I didn’t love the Jackson fit (6B and 6C felt awfully small, 7C felt awfully big) but maybe it just wasn’t my size, Riedell boots felt easier to fit in (4.5 was much too small but somehow easier to get in than size 6 Jacksons ? 5.5M were the ones) but a bit narrow, didn’t get to try anything else (also is it normal that skates feel much tighter when trying them on at a shop but then roomier on the ice ? How do you know if they’re the right fit before buying them then ?)
Sorry for the many questions, and thanks for the help and all the good info on these forums !
Last edited: