Most popular boots/blades | Golden Skate

Most popular boots/blades

alexeifan

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 5, 2010
What are the most popular/best blades right now?

I've worn harlicks and phantoms in the past, just wondering how popular they are currently. Are there cheaper brands that are the same quality?
 

jennyanydots

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 1, 2013
I suppose Wilson and MK are always going to be the standard. I use Gold Star Revolutions. Expensive but I love them. The Revolution blades seem to be gaining in popularity. Several elites skaters have switch to them this season. Where I'm at a lot people use Ultima especially the Matrix blades. They are cheaper and don't have to be sharpened as often but some people don't like them. There's also an issue with lift angle being lower than the blades they are supposed to be equivalent to. Paramounts also seem to be very popular. As far as I've heard they have the best quality control and their profiles do match the equivalent Wilson/MK blades. Never really heard that much about the less popular brands like Eclispe and Skate Science.
 

daenerys

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 10, 2014
I mostly agree with jennyanydots. Except with regards to Eclipse blades: they're tremendously popular in my area.

Boots:
  • Jackson
  • GAM
  • Riedell
  • Risport
  • Harlick

Blades:
  • Eclipse
  • Jackson
  • MK
  • John Wilson
  • Paramount
 

ovaskater

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
At my rink Reidell by far is the most popular (possibly because we live fairly close to the factory?) then Jackson's and sometimes rarely you can find someone with Sp Teri.

As for blades Wilson and Mk blades are most common and you can find some people either eclipse blades. I know that my coach recommends Wilson blades and skaters that do have hem usually have pattern 99s or the Coronation Ace.

I myself skate in Pattern 99/Reidell skates
 

FS.Addict

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 18, 2014
I'm from the province of Quebec, and I can tell you Jackson Matrix blades and Edea skates have become very popular here !
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
Edeas are pretty popular since we formerly had an Olympic competitor at our rink who wears them.

For blades, Paramount seems to be the blade of choice. I think they're way too noisy on the ice. Some judges will say they can pick out a skater on Paramounts just by the sound they make on the ice.
 

concorde

Medalist
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
At my rink, Edeas were "in" a couple of years back. My daughter never switched to Edeas so I have not first hand experience - this is just what I was told. Everyone love them at first because there was no "break in" period. However, a couple of months after most skaters got them, they started to have problems with them. The issue was on doubles jumps and higher, skaters could not get the laces tight enough so they had to tape their boots to get the fit they wanted. As soon as the skater outgrew the boots and/or broke them down, most looked for another brand.

I would say that at this point, the most common boots at my rink are Jacksons. You also see people in Ridells, Risport, Edeas, and Graf(??).

For blades, I think each coach prefers a different one depending on the skater's level so the pro shop orders based on the coach's requests. I regularly see JW Gold Seals to MK Professionals to Eclipse. And those are just what I recognize.

I thought a Paramount blade was a type of blade, not brand.
 

FS.Addict

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 18, 2014
At my rink, Edeas were "in" a couple of years back. My daughter never switched to Edeas so I have not first hand experience - this is just what I was told. Everyone love them at first because there was no "break in" period. However, a couple of months after most skaters got them, they started to have problems with them. The issue was on doubles jumps and higher, skaters could not get the laces tight enough so they had to tape their boots to get the fit they wanted. As soon as the skater outgrew the boots and/or broke them down, most looked for another brand.

I agree. I have Edea Concerto and the laces are always getting too loose. At the beginning, i LOVED them, but after only a season i realize they are not stiff enough, but once taped it's okay.
 

Meoima

Match Penalty
Joined
Feb 13, 2014
I agree. I have Edea Concerto and the laces are always getting too loose. At the beginning, i LOVED them, but after only a season i realize they are not stiff enough, but once taped it's okay.
Both PChan and Hanyu are using Edea.:think:
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
^^^
They are in the Ice Fly model. Also, Gracie Gold is in them and she is getting a new pair as needed as she is one of their "spokespeople"
 

FS.Addict

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 18, 2014
^^^
They are in the Ice Fly model. Also, Gracie Gold is in them and she is getting a new pair as needed as she is one of their "spokespeople"

Yes i think that makes a big difference. Like i said i absolutely LOVED these boots. If i had 700$ to spend every six months (or new boots given me every 6 months) i'd be really happy :D But i don't, so... My next boots probably won't be Edea.

On Instagram i saw a picture of Patrick Chan with four pairs of skates. Yeah... I think he probably gets new skates every few months hahaha :p
 

sarahspins

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 30, 2011
On Instagram i saw a picture of Patrick Chan with four pairs of skates. Yeah... I think he probably gets new skates every few months hahaha :p

Something like that.. MK once posted a picture of something like 4 pairs of blades they sent to him - I imagine he has numerous pairs set up and ready to go, rather than just dealing with that "as needed".
 

tommybuffano12

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 2, 2014
I heard that everyone who won a medal at the Olympics, outside of the team event, won on MK or John Wilson blades. Is that true? Pretty impressive if it is, I'm surprised they're not exposing that more. Might need to switch blades! Saw a lot of Risport and Edea boots too.
 

Skaters_dad

Spectator
Joined
Aug 12, 2013
My daughter is skating senior ladies this year. She has been wearing Edea Concertos for the last 3 years with Jackson Elite Freestyle blades She has 2. Sets of boots and blades and we are replacing one pair of boots every 6 months. Her last pair of Jacksons before the Edea boots only lasted 3 months.
 

Sequinedream

Match Penalty
Joined
Jul 9, 2014
I competed Sr. Ladies for years. I started out in Riedell Gold Star with MK Gold Star Revolution blades, those kept breaking down and I never really liked the feel so I switched to Graf Edmonton Special (V)'s and I love them, I wear a John Wilson Gold Seal Revolution blade on them.

Many skaters I work with now are wearing Edea boots (the ice fly are popular with my ladies skaters) with the blade of their liking and skill set.
 

Babbette1

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 25, 2014
We have a lot of Jackson's in my area.This is possibly because an influential and popular fitter is in the area and he's a Jackson rep. (He's not hard over on Jackson's, he recently fitted me into Harlicks X-line). For blades Pattern 99 and Gold Seal are popular for the upper level skaters, and MK Pros and legacy for the lower level. (I've been told that for the Russian skaters the Gold Seal is the predominant blade, but I have no proof)
 

concorde

Medalist
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
I've been told that for the Russian skaters the Gold Seal is the predominant blade, but I have no proof

Very interesting. I know that all the Russian coaches at my rink recommend Gold Seal blade for their skaters - regardless of the level. My daughter has been using them since she was 6.
 

Tarpic2

Spectator
Joined
Feb 3, 2011
Yes i think that makes a big difference. Like i said i absolutely LOVED these boots. If i had 700$ to spend every six months (or new boots given me every 6 months) i'd be really happy :D But i don't, so... My next boots probably won't be Edea.

On Instagram i saw a picture of Patrick Chan with four pairs of skates. Yeah... I think he probably gets new skates every few months hahaha :p
Chan seems to have worn Edea Concerto rather than Fly recently (Hanyu in those?) http://cdn3.volusion.com/zarbv.ethpz/v/vspfiles/photos/categories/388.jpg?1384070403 .
Would guess he rotates the 4 (or however many) pairs throughout his season rather than wears one until destruction then hops into a brand new pair, so as not to feel much of a switch between one pair & the next.
Figure skating seems a bit out of step with modern boot technology, having people flying around with their poor little feet incased in pounds of leather while hockey, speed & various inline skating disciplines have long since moved on to using newer materials.
Maybe alos it's sometimes more the skaters feet (or something else anatomical, their tretment of boots etc) rather than boot or brand itself. Heard Reynolds (must be others?) had boot problems this season, what brand was that in?
 
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