- Joined
- Jul 3, 2018
- Country
-
I went to get fitted for new boots recently - always a fun time! - and wanted to share a bit about my experience, as I'm lucky to have a really great fitter who can get stock in from all the major manufacturers. I was particularly excited to get to try on some newer models that I haven't really seen much out in the wild - specifically, the Jackson Synergy Pro and the Riedell Vega - so I wanted to share my thoughts after getting to see and try them on in person.
*Important note: these are just my thoughts and opinions about the boots I tried on, and how they felt on my feet. I strongly recommend seeing an experienced fitter for their advice on which boots/brands might work for you, and to try them on yourself before buying anything - don't make a decision / purchase just based on my experiences!*
A bit about me first - I'm a male adult skater, about 90kg, jumping singles (toe, salchow and loop). I have Egyptian feet, with low arches (not completely flat, thankfully) and a bit of pronation. I have a wide forefoot and mild bunions, but normal/slightly narrow heels (I always buy wide sneakers, and have just gotten used to having a bit of up-and-down heel slippage - not a big deal in sneakers, but definitely doesn't work in skates!). I've been in the Jackson Debut for five years now, and it's worked pretty well for me - but, now that the padding is significantly worn down, I'm having lots of issues with heel slippage, and even some side-to-side movement of my feet within the boots. So it's definitely time for new ones.
Here are my thoughts!
Riedell Vega: Because of my wide feet, Riedell has never been on my radar when I first started looking into boots - but the Vega and the Elara are both built on Riedell's "Evofit" last, which has a wider forefoot and rounder toe than their other models. They're both available in a regular B/A width, and a wide D/C width. Out of curiosity, I did some quick measurements at home and compared them to Riedell's size chart for these models (which was difficult to find - the charts on Riedell's website don't include the Vega or Elara, but I found what might be an official chart for them here). Based on this chart and the measurements I took, it looked like the 7.5D/C might actually be a fit - so my fitter got ahold of them for me to try.
First off - the Vega is a really beautiful boot! It's quite lightweight, with what felt like real quality fit and finish to me - the stitching is really clean, and the eyelets and hooks feel sturdy and durable. I like the look of it a lot too - it's got a bit of that modern flair, but with the more traditional boot shape that Riedell is known for. It has a synthetic outsole, but with a cork/leather heel - so it's quite water resistant, but again with a more traditional look. It felt to me like they had a slightly lower cut and maybe a slightly higher heel than the Jackson Debut I'm currently in. It is worth noting that my boots are the old Debut model with the leather/cork heel - I believe I've heard that the Fusion heel is slightly higher, so if you have Fusion soles on your Jacksons, the Vega/Elara heel might be pretty close in height.
Sadly, the fit didn't work - which ultimately wasn't all that surprising to me, despite the measurements looking possibly right on paper. The length of the boot and the height of the toebox felt just about right, and I got a great heel lock in them. There was a bit of a support in the insole that I thought might bother my arches, but when I stood up in them, they weren't immediately uncomfortable there (skating in them might have felt differently though!). The problem was, of course, the width - they were painfully tight across the ball of my foot, even in the D width, and it felt like too much of a size difference for a heat molding / punch out to fix. They're the only Riedells I've ever tried on, so I can't say whether they really are substantially wider than the rest of their models - but they certainly didn't disprove the notion that Riedells aren't a good match for wide feet.
It's really too bad they didn't fit, because I loved everything else about them. I think the Vega / Elara could work really well for folks who might want the benefits of a more modern boot (such as lighter weight, water resistance, etc.) and don't mind synthetic materials, but prefer a more traditional style.
Jackson Synergy Pro: As much as my Jacksons have worked fairly well for me, I was hoping for something a bit more lightweight this time around - so rather than another Debut, or considering the Premiere, I wanted to give the Synergy a try.
I can't say I'm a fan of the look of these boots. They have what Jackson describes as a "textured new-age carbon fiber look" on the side panels, which contrasts with the Duraguard on the toes and what looked to me like sueded microfiber on the backstay. It's especially noticeable under bright lighting - the carbon fiber panels have a bit of "sparkle" to them, and the Duraguard is very glossy, so under the lights, you see a hodgepodge of different textures and shades, which kind of reminded me of early '90s high-top sneakers. While it's not the right look for me, though, they certainly catch the eye, and I'm sure there are plenty of people who would like them just fine.
Looks aside - wow, were these comfortable!! They're pretty nicely padded - much more so than the Debut - and felt more like a pleasantly snug pair of sneakers than any boot I'd ever tried on before. I'm not sure that they're built on the same last as the Debut, but the fit accommodated the width of my forefoot quite nicely, and the length was perfect - although the heel was just a bit too wide for my liking (which has been a problem with my current boots as well). They're decently lightweight - not quite to the degree of the Vega, or the more consistently lightweight brands like Risport and Edea, but definitely lighter than any other Jackson model I've worn or picked up. They seemed to be cut at about the same height as the Debut, with maybe a slightly higher heel (the pair I tried on has the Fusion sole, but you can also get the layered leather/carbon fiber heel on these, which could possibly be a slightly different height - I'm not sure!).
Unfortunately, they were way too stiff for me. There are two stock models in the Synergy line (the Elite at a 60 stiffness, and the Pro at an 85), and the Pro is the only model that is available in black - which my fitter hadn't realized initially (she thought she could get the Elite in black, so had me try on the Pro she had in stock to see if I liked the style). She suggested that we could look into a custom black Synergy boot at a lower stiffness - like the rest of Jackson's line, there are quite a few options for customization - but I wanted to try on some other options before considering that, because of the hefty price tag. But ultimately - if Jackson is generally a good fit for you, you're looking for something lightweight, and you're OK with the look, I'd definitely suggest considering the Synergy line. I'd be curious to know if the Elite is as well-padded as the Pro - not sure if that's part of the design, or if the Pro is padded more heavily since it's much stiffer.
Ultimately, I tried on quite a few boots, and landed on the Risport Royal Pro as my top pick. I had to try it on one size down due to stock, so we're waiting on the correct size to come in for me to try before I make a final decision - but I think they're very likely to be my next boot (even at a size down, I liked the overall fit and shape).
Hope this is helpful for anyone who might be interested in trying on one of these boots!!
*Important note: these are just my thoughts and opinions about the boots I tried on, and how they felt on my feet. I strongly recommend seeing an experienced fitter for their advice on which boots/brands might work for you, and to try them on yourself before buying anything - don't make a decision / purchase just based on my experiences!*
A bit about me first - I'm a male adult skater, about 90kg, jumping singles (toe, salchow and loop). I have Egyptian feet, with low arches (not completely flat, thankfully) and a bit of pronation. I have a wide forefoot and mild bunions, but normal/slightly narrow heels (I always buy wide sneakers, and have just gotten used to having a bit of up-and-down heel slippage - not a big deal in sneakers, but definitely doesn't work in skates!). I've been in the Jackson Debut for five years now, and it's worked pretty well for me - but, now that the padding is significantly worn down, I'm having lots of issues with heel slippage, and even some side-to-side movement of my feet within the boots. So it's definitely time for new ones.
Here are my thoughts!
Riedell Vega: Because of my wide feet, Riedell has never been on my radar when I first started looking into boots - but the Vega and the Elara are both built on Riedell's "Evofit" last, which has a wider forefoot and rounder toe than their other models. They're both available in a regular B/A width, and a wide D/C width. Out of curiosity, I did some quick measurements at home and compared them to Riedell's size chart for these models (which was difficult to find - the charts on Riedell's website don't include the Vega or Elara, but I found what might be an official chart for them here). Based on this chart and the measurements I took, it looked like the 7.5D/C might actually be a fit - so my fitter got ahold of them for me to try.
First off - the Vega is a really beautiful boot! It's quite lightweight, with what felt like real quality fit and finish to me - the stitching is really clean, and the eyelets and hooks feel sturdy and durable. I like the look of it a lot too - it's got a bit of that modern flair, but with the more traditional boot shape that Riedell is known for. It has a synthetic outsole, but with a cork/leather heel - so it's quite water resistant, but again with a more traditional look. It felt to me like they had a slightly lower cut and maybe a slightly higher heel than the Jackson Debut I'm currently in. It is worth noting that my boots are the old Debut model with the leather/cork heel - I believe I've heard that the Fusion heel is slightly higher, so if you have Fusion soles on your Jacksons, the Vega/Elara heel might be pretty close in height.
Sadly, the fit didn't work - which ultimately wasn't all that surprising to me, despite the measurements looking possibly right on paper. The length of the boot and the height of the toebox felt just about right, and I got a great heel lock in them. There was a bit of a support in the insole that I thought might bother my arches, but when I stood up in them, they weren't immediately uncomfortable there (skating in them might have felt differently though!). The problem was, of course, the width - they were painfully tight across the ball of my foot, even in the D width, and it felt like too much of a size difference for a heat molding / punch out to fix. They're the only Riedells I've ever tried on, so I can't say whether they really are substantially wider than the rest of their models - but they certainly didn't disprove the notion that Riedells aren't a good match for wide feet.
It's really too bad they didn't fit, because I loved everything else about them. I think the Vega / Elara could work really well for folks who might want the benefits of a more modern boot (such as lighter weight, water resistance, etc.) and don't mind synthetic materials, but prefer a more traditional style.
Jackson Synergy Pro: As much as my Jacksons have worked fairly well for me, I was hoping for something a bit more lightweight this time around - so rather than another Debut, or considering the Premiere, I wanted to give the Synergy a try.
I can't say I'm a fan of the look of these boots. They have what Jackson describes as a "textured new-age carbon fiber look" on the side panels, which contrasts with the Duraguard on the toes and what looked to me like sueded microfiber on the backstay. It's especially noticeable under bright lighting - the carbon fiber panels have a bit of "sparkle" to them, and the Duraguard is very glossy, so under the lights, you see a hodgepodge of different textures and shades, which kind of reminded me of early '90s high-top sneakers. While it's not the right look for me, though, they certainly catch the eye, and I'm sure there are plenty of people who would like them just fine.
Looks aside - wow, were these comfortable!! They're pretty nicely padded - much more so than the Debut - and felt more like a pleasantly snug pair of sneakers than any boot I'd ever tried on before. I'm not sure that they're built on the same last as the Debut, but the fit accommodated the width of my forefoot quite nicely, and the length was perfect - although the heel was just a bit too wide for my liking (which has been a problem with my current boots as well). They're decently lightweight - not quite to the degree of the Vega, or the more consistently lightweight brands like Risport and Edea, but definitely lighter than any other Jackson model I've worn or picked up. They seemed to be cut at about the same height as the Debut, with maybe a slightly higher heel (the pair I tried on has the Fusion sole, but you can also get the layered leather/carbon fiber heel on these, which could possibly be a slightly different height - I'm not sure!).
Unfortunately, they were way too stiff for me. There are two stock models in the Synergy line (the Elite at a 60 stiffness, and the Pro at an 85), and the Pro is the only model that is available in black - which my fitter hadn't realized initially (she thought she could get the Elite in black, so had me try on the Pro she had in stock to see if I liked the style). She suggested that we could look into a custom black Synergy boot at a lower stiffness - like the rest of Jackson's line, there are quite a few options for customization - but I wanted to try on some other options before considering that, because of the hefty price tag. But ultimately - if Jackson is generally a good fit for you, you're looking for something lightweight, and you're OK with the look, I'd definitely suggest considering the Synergy line. I'd be curious to know if the Elite is as well-padded as the Pro - not sure if that's part of the design, or if the Pro is padded more heavily since it's much stiffer.
Ultimately, I tried on quite a few boots, and landed on the Risport Royal Pro as my top pick. I had to try it on one size down due to stock, so we're waiting on the correct size to come in for me to try before I make a final decision - but I think they're very likely to be my next boot (even at a size down, I liked the overall fit and shape).
Hope this is helpful for anyone who might be interested in trying on one of these boots!!
