From Risport to Edeas after an injury

[Neferet]

Hello everyone!

I am an adult skater currently working on lutzes and soon (I hope) on the axel. I started skating four years ago using Risport RF Light and a basic MK blade (MK21). The equipment was working fine for me until a few months ago (around January) when I began to suffer a pain on my ankle, at the top of the malleolus part of the ankle, to be more precise. After checking if there was an issue with the skates I headed to the doctor, where I was told I had a permanent swelling related to the pressure of the boot over the years.

I guess Risport boots (or at least the ones I have) are no longer working for me, so I have thought of switching to EDEA Chorus. They seem to add less pressure right where my ankle hurts but at the same time they are a lot stiffer according to the level I am reaching.

I have not tried any other brands yet because Edea Chorus + Coronation Aces or MK Professionals seem to be the preferred option by many coaches, but I would like to hear your opinion on them.

I am a tall, adult figure skater, 173cm and 55kg. Will it be a huge change for me if I switch from Risport to Edea? As far as I could tell when I tried Edea Chorus, they don't hurt where I am having issues but you never know. Is there any other brand I should try before I get them?

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[DanseMacabre]

It sounds like those were never really the right boots for you, so it's time to visit a professional fitter who knows their stuff and can find a boot that works for your needs. They may be Edeas, they may not be. Edeas are perfect for me, but then, Risport didn't fit me at all, so it's all relative.

I can't tell you how Edeas are going to feel on your feet, but I switched to Edea Concertos from Riedells and later Jacksons after suffering a pretty devastating ankle injury. The level of comfort I experience with the Edeas is unparalleled. And since they don't break in like traditional boots, I had to deal with less of that new boot discomfort when I got them which really helped. There was a super awkward adjustment period because the Edeas have a higher heel and I had to basically figure out how to place my weight in them but once I got used to that, I was a happy camper.

Obviously, just because they worked for my specific needs post-injury (and my specific foot shape) doesn't mean they'll definitely work for you. If you can, go to a pro-shop with good professional fitters and talk to them about what you're going through. You won't know how they feel until you try them on. The fitter might also have a different suggestion for you.

 

[khi]

Echoing what DanseMacabre said, it would be ideal if you can find a good fitter who can help you find the right boots for you, given your injury/pain.

For my own two cents, YMMV: I'm 160cm and 53kg and I very recently upgraded to Edea Chorus/Coro Ace (from an old pair of Risports which turned out to be significantly too big for me). I don't really find them stiff at all because of the way the tongue works, even though they're rated for doubles and I'm still working through singles at the moment. I had mine punched out/molded a bit around my toes, and then after a few hours of skating the foam on the inside moulded further to my feet (especially around my heels) and they've been largely really good since then.

I heard a lot about the Edea heels being higher, but in practice I haven't noticed that at all. The main thing I'm actually having trouble with is the shorter blade from going down nearly two boot sizes, I haven't been able to get on the spin rocker since I got them I think I'm used to it being under my toes!

 

[DanseMacabre]

I noticed the shorter blade too (which is shorter because of the higher heel even though my old boots were the right size) but I found I really liked it. The difference for me sounds like it was much subtler than it was for you though. I suddenly felt like I had a lot more control. I hit the sweet spot right away after struggling with it on my old blades.

Also, that's a good point about the tongue/Edea lacing method. Even if they're rated for higher jumps than OP is doing, it might not be a dealbreaker because overbooting doesn't work quite the same way in Edeas. The tongue should be much looser at the top than traditional boots (just tight over the ankle bend for the heel lock), but the tongue itself shouldn't hold you back, Neferet. The Concertos are rated for triples and quads and I'm definitely not doing those. The added stiffness on the sides also benefits my previously injured ankle.

 

[khi]

I noticed the shorter blade too (which is shorter because of the higher heel even though my old boots were the right size) but I found I really liked it. The difference for me sounds like it was much subtler than it was for you though. I suddenly felt like I had a lot more control. I hit the sweet spot right away after struggling with it on my old blades.

Yeah, I had a brief loss of stability with the shorter blade plus I tripped over the toepick a few times, but after a couple of skates I was pretty much used to it. Spirals etc are back and as good as ever, so the shorter blade hasn’t affected my balance much. It’s just the damn spin rocker, I had to spend a long time at the boards just trying to find it at all, I feel like my blade is all edge and toepick but it’s only been a week so… there’s still hope yet haha. My overall edgework is actually better.

My downsize in boots was pretty significant though: https://i.redd.it/swhb71ryo3a11.jpg and I was never good at spinning to begin with, I often had trouble staying on the spin rocker before but at least I could get on it to begin with crazy how such a small thing can make a difference, eh?

The added stiffness on the sides also benefits my previously injured ankle.

Not to derail the thread too much, but an Edea specific question, given you mention the ankle stiffness: how much side-to-side ankle movement do you have in your Concertos? I’m considering trying to get my skates narrowed a bit at the ankles/achilles because I can still roll my ankles quite a lot inside them despite my heel being locked. It was the same in my old skates but I always figured that was because they were much too big. I don’t think I have abnormally thin ankles but.. maybe?

 

[DanseMacabre]

Not to derail the thread too much, but an Edea specific question, given you mention the ankle stiffness: how much side-to-side ankle movement do you have in your Concertos? I’m considering trying to get my skates narrowed a bit at the ankles/achilles because I can still roll my ankles quite a lot inside them despite my heel being locked. It was the same in my old skates but I always figured that was because they were much too big. I don’t think I have abnormally thin ankles but.. maybe?

I have thin ankles/narrow feet and got the B width so I don't have much side to side movement in the ankle area. They feel pretty secure. It does feel a bit different than my old boots because I used to lace those to within an inch of their lives around my ankle so it took some getting used to. Did you have them heat molded in that area? Could be worth taking them in to have it redone now that the stuff inside has settled.

 

[khi]

I have thin ankles/narrow feet and got the B width so I don't have much side to side movement in the ankle area. They feel pretty secure. It does feel a bit different than my old boots because I used to lace those to within an inch of their lives around my ankle so it took some getting used to. Did you have them heat molded in that area? Could be worth taking them in to have it redone now that the stuff inside has settled.

Oh, that's interesting, I have the C width and still had to get them widened around my toes/forefoot. I probably have quite a split-width foot. The heel itself is actually okay, and I don't have any heel lift as long as I tie it properly across my foot, but the ankle area is too wide IMO. I haven't had the ankle area molded though so I might try that. Thanks!

 

[DanseMacabre]

Oh, that's interesting, I have the C width and still had to get them widened around my toes/forefoot. I probably have quite a split-width foot. The heel itself is actually okay, and I don't have any heel lift as long as I tie it properly across my foot, but the ankle area is too wide IMO. I haven't had the ankle area molded though so I might try that. Thanks!

My skate guy tied them snugly and then used that heat gun to mold them while I wore them (he paid special attention to contouring them to my ankles) so that might do the trick.

 

[Arpakasso]

I got myself Edea Chorus last winter, as I needed something proper after starting group lessons and my old recreational skates so weren't cutting it. I started first tries at singles at the time. (unfortunartely, "beginner" adults can only train in winter in my region, so I'm not much further now, since we haven't had any Ice in the city for 3 months). It was a huge step, boot-wise, but I don't consider it over-booting, as basically these boots will last me through all the stuff I will realistically do over the next few years. I'm 29, I won't grow out of these boots, I'm weighing over 60 kg, they were recommended by the locals pro shop, they were in the price range of boots that were anywhere near my level. One of my trainers uses Edea Chorus as well and also didn't consider it overbooting for me. I tried on Risport and noticed that they started hurting my ankles with the sole after a while, which was the final straw to get the Edeas.

I didn't have big problems adjusting to the (far higher) stiffness, and as the Chorus is a heat-moldable model, they can be adjusted better than most cheaper boots.

For me, the width with edea was also a plus, as I have narrow feet and some of the other boots just were too wide.

some adjustment period will always be there, but I considered it relatively short, especially as I had upgraded from ancient leather recreational boots. I was prepared for a month of finding my feet again, which turned out to be two to three sessions until I had better control over everything, as I finally had well-fitting boots and a good blade.

 

[MiraiFan]

I had a non-skating ankle injury and made the switch to Edeas since I needed new boots anyway (had Riedell Motion, which I liked but were hell to break in). Was skeptical but LOVE the Edea Chorus. Easy to break in and once I figured out lacing, they were fantastic. Had to adjust spins due to the higher heel, but I will never go back.
I a tall and 45 years old and I feel great in these skates.

 

[IceTherapy]

...

 

[tstop4me]

I think you'll probably be fine with a switch to a Chorus for the level you're skating at, plus height and weight. The 70 stiffness isn't accurate in my opinion. You'd even be fine with an Ice Fly. I, personally found the Chorus to not be quite supportive nor stable enough for me as an adult skater. I am in Risport Royal Pros - 65 stiffness which feels more supportive than the 70 stiffness Chorus. I also have more room for my feet to lay flat in the Risports. My foot has less room in a C width Edea than in a B width Risport. So if you liked your Risports, I would recommend trying more supportive models. I think the problem with your Risports could be that they were not supportive enough to wear for that many years and doing jumps in them. Good luck with your next skates!

<<Emphasis added>> There is no industry standard defining how the stiffness of skating boots is measured; therefore, you can't compare the ratings between boots from different manufacturers.

 

[khi]

<<Emphasis added>> There is no industry standard defining how the stiffness of skating boots is measured; therefore, you can't compare the ratings between boots from different manufacturers.

That's true. The complete lack of comparability is also frustrating when it comes to ski boots :[ Although since both the Royal Pros and the Chorus are rated for doubles, one could reasonably assume they're of a similar stiffness based on that!

I'd agree that the Chorus doesn't feel overly stiff. I suppose it's hard to compare because of the different way that Edea skates are constructed.

 

[IceTherapy]

<<Emphasis added>> There is no industry standard defining how the stiffness of skating boots is measured; therefore, you can't compare the ratings between boots from different manufacturers.

...

 

[silver.blades]

Were your skates 4 years old when you started to feel the pain, or were they newer? If they were 4 years old it's entirely possible that the boot has just broken down and that's why you're feeling pain now. That always happens to me when it's time to change boots. It seems very odd that it took 4 years for pain to materialize from pressure. It's possible that the injury comes from something else and the skates are exacerbating it. It is also possible it's not the skate brand that's the issue, but that every skate outside of a custom one will cause the same problem to varying degrees. It's worth trying new brands, but that might not be a permanent fix.

With regards to changing brands, it's entirely based on what works for you. I'm quite a bit bigger than you (5'9, 190lbs), but I tried Edeas a couple of years ago after skating in Jacksons for 10 years and I absolutely hated them. I could barely skate. The higher heel really threw me off. I also tried Risports once and couldn't get them off my feet fast enough. I've settled on Riedells because they hurt my feet the least of all the brands I've tried.

In the end, you've got to try them out. Asking your coach for advice doesn't hurt, but don't be married to whatever they suggest. I know skaters who have ended up in skates that killed them because they took their coach's advice as gospel. Once they changed skates to a brand their coach told them not to use, they were fine.

 

[Neferet]

Hello everyone!

Thank you so much for all your messages, they are being really helpful. I finally went to a couple of shops today to try different skates even though I was mostly convinced I wanted Edea Chorus. I got a very similar opinion: that my old Risport boots were no longer supportive (and probably never were), which created issues on my feet. They also told me how Risport discontinued the RF Light model for a new one that had much more cushion on it, and yes, I could tell the difference right away.

So, I have tried Risport Royal Pro in the shop and Edea Chorus. Both brands feel really different from each other and very different from RF Light as well, not only because of the stiffness but because of the cushion inside of both of them. Both made me feel like I was stepping up and using NICE skates.

Now I have to decide if I want to give another chance to Risport with the Royal Pro's, which indeed look more stiffer and supportive than Choruses, or try Edea and find out if they are the most comfortable boots of the market as many prople have been telling me.

One thing that stood out for me today was a person who told me that if I have had issues during these last four years with Risport (and they ended up creating me this small injury) was probably because Risport was never made for me. So WHO KNOWS, it's all up to me now.

 

[Curlygirly81]

I've worn to risports forever and tested out edea and hated them.. I felt very unstable... I ended up buying another risport. Im use to stiff support and felt that the edea too flexible for my liking.